Apply to hire a foreign worker through the Yukon Community Program

The Yukon Nominee Program (YNP) launched the Yukon Community Program (YCP) in January 2020. We used to call the Yukon Community Program the Yukon Community Pilot Program.

This program is designed to provide flexibility to employers in Yukon communities to address the seasonal nature of employment in the territory. The focus is on retention and economic growth of communities outside of Whitehorse, but employers in Whitehorse can also apply. This program is intended to grow a viable labour market outside Whitehorse with workers who can demonstrate that they intend to settle permanently in an eligible community.

Who can apply

Small- to medium-sized Yukon community businesses who would otherwise be ineligible for other Yukon Nominee Program streams. Employers have to demonstrate why other Yukon Nominee Program streams do not meet their needs. The program is for employers in:

• Carcross;
• Carmacks;
• Dawson City;
• Haines Junction;
• Watson Lake; and
• Whitehorse.

To be eligible:

• your business must have been in operation for at least 1 full year;
• the owner or operator of the business must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada; and
• your business must be in good standing with:
  • the Government of Yukon’s Corporate Affairs Branch;
  • the Government of Yukon’s Employment Standards Branch; and
  • Yukon Workers’ Compensation Health and Safety Board.

Also, your business must not be involved in any current labour disputes. Additional employer eligibility criteria is listed in the Yukon Nominee Program application handbook and the Yukon Nominee Program policy. 

Who cannot apply

Foreign workers cannot apply. The Government of Yukon only accepts applications from employers and never from nominees.

Find guidance on applying for employment in Yukon as a foreign worker. 

What are the requirements?

1. All requirements for foreign workers under the Yukon Community Program are the same as those under the other Yukon Nominee Program worker streams. Those requirements are listed in the Yukon Nominee Program application handbook and in the Yukon Nominee Program policy. Read carefully to ensure that you're applying to the program that fits your needs.

How does the program work?

The program offers flexible employment options for hiring foreign workers. Employers can create a single position with up to 3 occupations that together equal 1 full-time position. In addition to other employer eligibility requirements under the other Yukon Nominee Program worker streams, the employer must:

• provide a general guideline of how much time the worker will spend in each offered position;
• list the job duties of the position in their business and not copy and paste the National Occupation Code (NOC) job description;
• offer 1 wage;
• the wage has to be consistent with the highest prevailing wage rate of all the offered positions; and
• up to 3 employers in a single community can create 1 full-time position for 1 person.

In some communities, the solution may be to share an employee between businesses. This arrangement has to:

• clearly outline the employer-specific job duties or requirements;
• note the hours of work for the position for each business; and
• recognize that should 1 employer withdraw their job offer, the Yukon Community Program requirements may no longer be met.

If a job is withdrawn, the Yukon Nominee Program may issue notice of 90 days to the remaining employers to ensure that the worker can fill the required full-time hours of employment by either:

• changing work arrangements to cover lost hours; or
• finding another employer with whom to partner to cover the loss of hours.

The Yukon Nominee Program will assess new employers entering into the partnership to ensure they're eligible employers.

Additionally, the employers will provide a letter of intent. This will outline how the:

• employers will work together to resolve conflicts; and
• worker’s work schedule and job duties will allow the worker to experience similar benefits as though they were working full-time for a single employer (time off, overtime, etc.).

All employers and the worker must sign this letter. A full-time position means 1,560 hours of employment a year.

Employers' retention plans and supports for the worker

Yukon Community Program applications are assessed on the long-term settlement of foreign workers in communities. The key determining factor for eligibility will be retention plans and supports.

The employers supporting a worker through the Yukon Community Program must provide information confirming that the following settlement initiatives are in place, or are planned if the worker is not yet in Canada:

• designate a community host or mentor for the worker who will:
  • introduce the nominee to people, organizations and events in the community;
  • encourage the nominee to participate in, volunteer at and initiate community activities; and
  • meet regularly with the nominee and update the Yukon Nominee Program about developments and any concerns;
• provide a housing plan for the worker;
• meet the nominee at the airport (if applicable) and transport them to the community;
• arrange for all initial Yukon settlement activities, such as:
  • obtaining healthcare;
  • getting a social insurance number (SIN);
  • providing information about education (for accompanying family); and
  • helping with any personal arrangements to ensure a successful settlement.

How an employer can nominate a foreign worker

If you're an employer, you can apply to the program to nominate a foreign worker. Before you do this, you have to prove that no Canadians or permanent residents are available for the position.

As an employer, you cannot:

• charge the worker any fees for the application; or
• recover any costs from them.

Can the government help a worker find a job?

The Government of Yukon does not match prospective workers with job opportunities.

Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of both the employer and the foreign national (the nominee) to keep informed of all official updates, alerts, announcements or new developments. Official updates and alerts can be found at: yukon.ca/immigrate-yukon

Apply for the program

1. Download the application.
2. Fill out the application form.
3. Submit the completed application.
   In person: 303 Alexander Street, 1st floor in Whitehorse. Our office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and closed all statutory holidays. 
   Mail:
   Government of Yukon
   Yukon Community Program 
   Box 2703 (F-1)
   Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 2C6