Yukon Community Pilot Program gets extended till 2025

The Yukon Community Pilot (YCP) is a federal-territorial program that combines permanent resident status with a work permit component. Initiated by the Government of Yukon in January 2020, its primary objective is to attract and retain immigrants in Yukon communities through innovative approaches to permanent immigration.

The issuance of open work permits under the International Mobility Program (IMP) aligns with paragraph 3(1) (e) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) by encouraging workers to settle and remain in Canadian communities. Foreign nationals who possess a valid nomination for permanent residence from Yukon and have received 2 or 3 job offers from up to 3 employers based in one of the participating Yukon Territory communities can be granted a location-specific open work permit without the need for a labor market impact assessment (LMIA). This work permit falls under LMIA exemption code A75 and is issued under paragraph 205(a) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR).

The YCP will be in operation for 5 years, running from January 22, 2020, to June 22, 2025. Both Yukon and the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will continuously monitor and evaluate the pilot’s implementation, effectiveness, and efficiency, as well as its impact on Yukon’s labor market. Yukon will conduct integrity activities to ensure employers comply with the terms of their job offers to foreign nationals, including adherence to prescribed wages, duties, and working conditions. Additionally, Yukon will report on a performance measurement strategy focusing on retention.

The participating communities in the YCP are

• Carcross,
• Carmacks,
• Dawson City,
• Haines Junction,
• Watson Lake, and
• Whitehorse

This is a pilot stream under the Provincial/Territorial Nominee Program, which will remain in place until the territorial annex is renegotiated and amended. Foreign nationals applying for work permits under this stream must meet specific criteria and fall under LMIA exemption code A75 with special program code YUKONCP.

For employers to be eligible

Yukon must nominate a foreign national who has received 2 to 3 part-time job offers from up to 3 employers. The job offers should be in the same participating community in Yukon and collectively provide the foreign national with 1,560 hours of work in a single year, equivalent to full-time annual work. If, for any reason, one of the employers is unable to continue providing sufficient work, Yukon must assist the foreign national in finding new employment to ensure they maintain full-time, year-round work.

Foreign workers eligibility

They must meet the following requirements to be considered for the YCP work permit stream:

• They must be destined to work in a participating community in Yukon.
• They must have 2 to 3 job offers from up to 3 employers, all located within the same participating Yukon community, enabling them to accumulate 1,560 hours of work within a single year, equivalent to full-time annual work.

What are the documents required for the Work Permit?

Foreign nationals who intend to work in Yukon must apply for a 2-year open work permit, which is limited to a specific location and falls under LMIA exemption code A75. The application process is online and requires the submission of the following documents:

• A copy of the nomination letter from Yukon, confirming the foreign national’s nomination for permanent residence by Yukon.

A statement from Yukon, verifying that all necessary factors for granting a work permit under paragraph R205 (a), as per its agreement with Canada, have been satisfied. This statement should include details about the occupations and employers:

• Confirmation that the nominated individual is urgently needed in the community by employers who have offered them a job.
• A list of employer names, intended occupations, working hours, and work locations.
• Ensuring that all job offers are authentic and will contribute to economic benefits and opportunities.
• Verifying that the wages and working conditions are sufficient to attract and retain Canadian citizens.

Applications that fail to include the requested information will be rejected.

Time duration work permit

The work permit’s duration is for 2 years from either the date of the decision or the date of entry into Canada, whichever comes first. The work permit is an open permit but comes with a mandatory condition that restricts the work location to the participating community.

However, if the foreign national’s passport expires before the 2-year period elapses, it will limit the initial validity of the YCP (Yukon Community Program) work permit. In such a situation, the foreign national can apply for an extension to cover the remaining balance of the 2 years. To do so, they must obtain a new passport and demonstrate that they still meet all the eligibility requirements for the work permit extension.

Work Permit Extension:

In certain rare cases, the processing of a permanent residence application may take more than two years. While applicants to the YCP (Youth Canada Program) are not eligible for a bridging open work permit (BOWP), those who need more time in Canada while their permanent residence application is being processed can request an extension of their work permit. However, if the permanent residence application is rejected or if the nomination is withdrawn, the applicant will not be able to extend their work permit.

Work Permits for Family Members:

If the principal applicant is employed in any Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) category, family members are eligible to apply for an open work permit. The availability of this work permit will be limited to the location where the principal applicant works. Specifically:

• Family members of high-skilled workers employed in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 are eligible for the open work permit.
• Family members of low-skilled workers employed in TEER 4 or 5 can also apply for this open work permit.

The family member’s work permit will always be restricted to the same community where the principal applicant’s job is located and cannot be altered. The open work permit issued to the family member will be valid for a duration matching the principal applicant’s work permit, up to a maximum of two years or until the expiry of the passport or travel document, whichever occurs earlier.