Landing and Settling in Northwest Territories

Table of Contents

• Overview 
• What are the benefits of living in the Northwest Territories?
• Housing in Northwest Territories
• Commuting in Northwest Territories
• Employment  in Northwest Territories
• Healthcare in Northwest Territories
• Education in Northwest Territories
• Weather in Northwest Territories
• Emergency Services in Northwest Territories
• Newcomer Services in Northwest Territories
• Taxation in Northwest Territories
• Things to Do in Northwest Territories
• Contact CanadaVisa and Cohen Immigration Law for Assistance 

Overview

Going through this guide, readers will learn about several of the most prominent benefits that come with settling in the Northwest Territories. These include having the highest median income in all of Canada and the benefits that come with a smaller population, which are particularly of interest to those who want to maintain a quieter lifestyle.

From there, explore different topics related to settling as a newcomer in the Northwest Territories. These subject areas include housing, commuting, employment, healthcare, education, weather, emergency and newcomer services, taxation and fun and leisure.

What are the benefits of living in the Northwest Territories?

Canadian newcomers who choose to settle in the Northwest Territories can take advantage of some of the best quality-of-life benefits available anywhere in this country.

For instance, this territory is known to have a significant number of job opportunities available to newcomers. Alongside this, the Northwest Territories also offer its residents the highest median household income in Canada. Economically, this abundance of job opportunities and the territory’s high median household income are two things that make it easier for residents to afford a comfortable lifestyle, improving their quality of life as a result.

As one of the least-populated regions in all of Canada, the Northwest Territories is also the perfect settlement destination for newcomers who want to raise their families away from larger communities. Instead, the small population of the Northwest Territories enables newcomers to live in a quieter and quainter environment that better suits their preferred lifestyle.

Note: An added quality-of-life benefit that comes with living amongst a small population like in the Northwest Territories is the opportunity to develop closer relationships with your other community members. This can be a particularly positive thing for your child’s development, as it can aid their ability to grow their social skills and relationships.

Housing in Northwest Territories

As a function of the rather small population that lives in this territory (~45,000), the Northwest Territories has a similarly small number of total housing properties (~15,000).

Based on where in the territory you choose to live and how many people you are living with, available property types and associated costs will vary for a rental property. This is particularly important for newcomers to Canada, who usually lean towards renting a property rather than buying one when they first move to this country.

This rentals.ca National Rent Report is updated monthly to provide the most recently available average rental costs for one and two-bedroom residential properties in different Canadian cities.

In the Northwest Territories, like the rest of this country, newcomers have a tendency to settle in one of the two or three largest Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) in their destination province/territory. However, in the Northwest Territories, the Canadian government does not list any CMAs. Instead, this region of Canada has just one Census Agglomeration (CA). The only CA in the Northwest Territories is the capital city of Yellowknife.

Note: The total population in Yellowknife is some 22,000 people

Resources to help you find housing in Northwest Territories

Northwest Territories Housing Corporation: https://www.nwthc.gov.nt.ca/en

Commuting in Northwest Territories

Before taking time to understand day-to-day commuting in this territory, newcomers to the Northwest Territories must understand everything that goes into the initial arrival process. For more about Arriving in Canada, please visit this hyperlinked CanadaVisa page.

Note: Statistics Canada (StatsCan) does not provide data about the proximity between residents in this territory and local public transportation options. Like the Yukon, this is because only one city in the region, the capital city of Yellowknife, has a public transportation system (more on that later).

According to StatsCan data, nearly three in every four residents of the territory’s only CA (Yellowknife) primarily use a car, van, or truck to commute. This accounts for more than 7,400 of Yellowknife’s residents.

The prevalence of commuting using these vehicle types is due to the territory’s limited public transportation infrastructure. In the one city where public transportation is available in the Northwest Territories, public transit is operated by Yellowknife Transit.

Getting a Northwest Territories Driver’s License

Partially due to the public transportation limits of this territory, it is common for newcomers to the Northwest Territories to drive a car.

Note: All prospective drivers in this territory must be at least 15 years of age to begin the licensing process, which involves three stages (more on that below). Additionally, drivers in this territory must have a valid government-issued license, as well as valid insurance and be in possession of the vehicle’s original ownership permit whenever they are behind the wheel.

Newcomers to the Northwest Territories may be eligible to drive in this territory using a driver’s license from their home country for some time. Please contact the territorial government for more information on this process.

Note: The Canadian government as well as the local territorial government advise newcomers to carry an International Driving Permit (IDP) while they are using their home country’s driving license

If you are eligible to drive in this territory using your home country’s driver’s license, this period of eligibility will eventually end. At this time, you will be required to apply for and receive a territorial driver’s license to continue operating a motor vehicle in the Northwest Territories.

This can be accomplished in one of two ways:

• By completing a Driver’s License Exchange
• By obtaining a new driver’s license from the territorial government.

In many parts of Canada, drivers from certain countries are eligible for a Driver’s License Exchange. Eligibility for an exchange will depend on if there is a reciprocal licensing agreement signed between a newcomer’s home country and the local government.

Note: The Government of the Northwest Territories does not provide online information about how to complete a Driver’s License Exchange. Please contact the government of this territory for more information.

Obtaining a driver’s license in this territory involves progression through a three-stage Graduated Licensing Program (GLP). Prior to beginning this program, drivers must visit a driver and vehicle office in-person to present the following:

• A completed form
• A piece of identification that proves legal name and birth date, also including an acceptable photo (birth certificate, passport etc.)
• Proof of residency in Northwest Territories (utility bill, residential lease agreement, etc.)
  

From there, this process requires drivers to pass a written exam, for which they must bring photo identification.

Briefly, the following will outline the steps involved in each stage of the Northwest Territories’ GLP.

Stage 1 - Learner Class 7

Note: Drivers must hold a Class 7 license for 12 months (without a suspension) to be eligible for an upgrade to Class 5P. In this territory, Class 7 licenses will be suspended if a driver is convicted of impaired driving or accumulates six or more demerit points. 

In this stage, drivers must:

• be at least 15 years of age
• Be accompanied by a fully licensed driver with at least 2 full years of experience driving on a full Class 5 (not 5P) license
• Not drive with passengers in the vehicle (except one fully licensed passenger/instructor)
• Not drive between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

Stage 2 - Probationary Class 5P

Note: Drivers must hold a Class 5P license for 12 months (without a suspension) to be eligible for an upgrade to Class 5. Again, drivers with a 5P license will have their license suspended if they are convicted of impaired driving or accumulate six or more demerit points.

To upgrade your 5P license to a Class 5 license, you are required to visit a driver and vehicle office in-person.

At this stage, drivers must:

• be at least 16 years of age
• Have completed the Class 7 learner stage without a suspension

Stage 3 - Full Class 5

Note: Like in Stage two, drivers must hold a Class 5P license for 12 months without a suspension to be eligible for an upgrade to Class 5.

At this stage, drivers must visit a driver and vehicle office to complete this upgrade process.

Newcomers to Canada looking for general information about subjects like buying a car, renting a vehicle and what to do in the case of a car accident can visit our dedicated CanadaVisa page: Driving in Canada as a Newcomer.

Employment in Northwest Territories

The following three industries employ the most residents of this territory.

• The Public Administration industry in the Northwest Territories employs over 7,700 people
• The Trade industry employs some 2,900 residents in this region
• This territory’s Construction sector employs some 2,300 people

The following will explain more about the three employment industries listed above and the types of jobs that make up each industry.

Public Administration jobs are government jobs at any level. People working in this industry may have job titles that include director of communications, press secretary, municipal clerk and many more. These jobs in the public administration sector can be found either with the federal or provincial/territorial government and can be performed at the local, municipal or regional level.

Trade industry jobs fall into two general categories: wholesale trade and retail trade. In either category, it is generally the job of people employed in this sector to buy and resell goods. Specifically, “traders” are tasked with the job of purchasing larger quantities of an item and then reselling it in smaller quantities, either to other businesses/wholesalers (wholesale trade) or directly to the end consumer (retail trade). Trade industry jobs can be found in many industries, including grocery, electronics and household goods.

In the construction industry, people employed in this sector are tasked with building, repairing and renovating many structures (from schools to houses and many other key pieces of infrastructure that people use or interact with daily). Examples of job titles in this industry include surveyor, civil engineer and structural detailer.

Resources to help you find a job in Northwest Territories

Canada Job Bank: https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/jobsearch/?searchstring=Northwest%20Territories

Northwest Territories Government: https://www.gov.nt.ca/careers/

Healthcare in Northwest Territories

The territorial government in the Northwest Territories requires newcomers to wait three months before they are eligible for public healthcare coverage. Once a newcomer has been a resident of the territory for three months, they can receive free healthcare as long as they have a valid health card.

Note: Canadian public healthcare is funded through the federal government’s universal healthcare model. In other words, this country’s healthcare system is paid for through annual taxes collected from Canadians.

To apply for a health card in the Northwest Territories, eligible residents must complete and submit this application. This process can either be completed online through eServices, by completing and emailing the form to healthcarecard@gov.nt.ca or by filling out a physical form and mailing it to the Health Services Administration Office in Inuvik.

For the purposes of your application, the government of this territory requires that you establish your legal right to be in Canada. To prove this as part of your healthcare application, you must include one of the following documents (depending on your immigration status) alongside your submission.

For Permanent Residents/Landed Immigrants

• A copy of your Permanent Resident Card (front and back)

For Study Permit Holders

• A copy of your Study Permit (confirmation of enrollment is required)

For Work Permit Holders

• A copy of your Work Permit or other document issued by Immigration Canada

Generally, a territorial health card allows you to obtain free public health services at the point of use.

Still, it is important to understand that certain medications (ex. prescription drugs) and treatments must be paid for out of pocket by the recipient. Additionally, while every Canadian province and territory is legally required to have some form of public healthcare coverage, each region individually decides what services to offer.

In the Northwest Territories, the NWT Healthcare Plan covers costs related to the following medical items and services:

• Physician diagnosis and treatment of illness and injury
• Surgery (including anesthetic services and surgical assistance where necessary); obstetrical care (prenatal and postnatal care inclusive)
• Ophthalmologist services (eye exams, treatments and operations)
• Hospital accommodation and meals at the standard ward care
• In-hospital nursing services as well as laboratory, x-ray and diagnostic procedures, and interpretation services
• Physician-prescribed drugs administered in a hospital
• Use of the operating room, case room, and anesthetic facilities required for diagnosis and treatment (including necessary equipment and supplies)
• Radiotherapy treatment, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy (when provided by an insured facility)
• Detoxification services and medical treatment provided in an approved health facility

The following hyperlinks can help you learn more about healthcare in the Northwest Territories, including hospital services and physician services across the territory.

The Canadian government recommends that all residents of the Northwest Territories purchase private health insurance alongside the public healthcare coverage provided by the territorial government. This is largely for two reasons. The first reason is the waiting period that is imposed on residents of this territory before they are eligible for public healthcare. Additionally, public insurance does not include all medical needs, making private insurance necessary for full and complete medical coverage.

Are you looking for general information about healthcare in Canada? For information about a range of healthcare topics, including options for private and public health insurance and how to find your nearest local healthcare provider, visit Get Healthcare in Canada: A Guide for Newcomers.

Education in Northwest Territories

Newcomers to the Northwest Territories enter the region’s education system from the time they reach the age of six, beginning with kindergarten.

K-12 Education in Northwest Territories

Starting in kindergarten, newcomers living in the Northwest Territories can send their children to school for free until they graduate high school. This is made possible through the public school system in the territory. Otherwise, newcomer parents in the Northwest Territories can send their child to a private school or an independent boarding school.

Note: Pursuing education through a pathway other than public school will require parents to pay for their child’s tuition costs out of pocket directly to the institution

This page from CanadaVisa provides more general insight into the Canadian education system, including discussion regarding school schedules in Canada, enrolling your child in a Canadian school and staying involved in your child’s education.

The goals of the education system in the Northwest Territories differ at the elementary school level and the high school level. The following will provide a general discussion of the educational curriculum in this territory.

Unique to only a few provinces and territories in Canada, the education system in the Northwest Territories offers three different curriculums for students. These include an English curriculum, one for students learning French as a First Language and a third for students pursuing their education in a French Immersion program. Details on each curriculum can be found by accessing the appropriate hyperlink above. Each link will provide details on the subjects taught in that particular curriculum, including, in some cases, a grade-by-grade breakdown of different subjects.

Post-Secondary Education in Northwest Territories

In a region populated by some 45,000 people, the Northwest Territories offers just one Designated Learning Institution (DLI) for Canadian newcomers. The one DLI in this territory offers programs in three different cities: Fort Smith, Inuvik and Yellowknife.

Fortunately, all three campuses operated by the Northwest Territories’ only DLI offer programs that would enable Canadian newcomers to obtain a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) once they successfully complete and graduate from the program. PGWPs are vital for non-permanent resident newcomers looking to make the temporary resident to permanent resident transition because they allow the permit holder to acquire Canadian work experience. This work experience will be key to the newcomer’s future eligibility for Canadian permanent residence.

For a full list of DLIs from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), click this link.

Weather in Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories experiences a similar pattern of seasons as the rest of the country.

This CanadaVisa page, called How to Dress for Canadian Weather, can provide a more general overview of Canada’s four seasons, including a discussion about how to dress appropriately for each part of the year. 

Generally speaking, although there are variances in the weather within the same season in different parts of the territory, each season in this region brings a unique set of weather conditions to the area. These weather conditions require residents of the Northwest Territories to dress differently in each season throughout the year.

In the territory as a whole, the year starts and ends with winter, just like the rest of Canada. This season officially begins in the last week and a half of December and continues until mid-March, a time during which residents can expect a lot of snow. Due to the colder temperatures during this time of year, it is worth noting the importance of beginning to layer your clothing when you venture outdoors as a resident of the Northwest Territories. This is because layering your clothing is a good way to keep yourself warm during the frigid winter months.

Note: In most of the territory, snow begins to fall in late October and lasts until late April, by which time most of the rest of Canada will already be experiencing warmer spring weather

From the end of winter – technically mid-March – until the end of May, the Northwest Territories goes through its spring season. Described as a time of year with “rapidly warming temperatures”, this is when the snow across the territory starts to melt and the ice on rivers/lakes starts to break up. Springtime days in this region tend to become longer and warmer. However, unique to this region of Canada, you may still need coats and other clothes that help you stay warm in the spring, though they will not need to be as heavy as the ones you might need in the winter.

Starting in late May and lasting into September, residents of the Northwest Territories can start wearing lighter clothes as the region turns the page into the summer season. This is when residents can put away their spring and winter clothes to instead wear t-shirts and shorts when the sun is out during long summer days. It is best to wear breathable fabrics that help you stay dry from perspiration and clothes that protect you from the sun (hats etc.), in addition to comfortable footwear during this part of the year.

Finally, at the end of summer comes the fall (or autumn) season in the Northwest Territories. This season is particularly short in this part of the country, characterized by shorter days and quickly cooling temperatures. In many ways, this season is the opposite of spring, especially with respect to how temperatures drop during this season (compared to progressively rising temperatures leading into the summer). This part of the year is one where the often-cooler temperatures will require residents to go back to using the lighter clothing they used to keep warm in the Spring, as well as wind-resistant jackets and waterproof footwear, among other things.

Emergency Services in Northwest Territories

In the Northwest Territories, most residents can dial 9-1-1 to get help from the police, assistance from the fire department or if they need to call an ambulance. In the case that the user only has a satellite phone, the Government of the Northwest Territories indicates that satellite phone users can call 1-867-920-0911 to avail necessary emergency services across the region.

Newcomer Services in Northwest Territories

In the Northwest Territories, settlement services are primarily offered to newcomers through settlement agencies such as the Conseil de Développement économique des Territoires du Nord-Ouest

(CDETNO). These settlement services are available for newcomers from the moment they arrive in the Northwest Territories, helping new Canadians with everything in the scope of welcome and integration services, from needs assessments and orientation sessions to information sessions and support services (translation, interpretation, transportation).

Beyond organizations such as CDETNO, IRCC also provides government-funded services on a national level to newcomers who need help with settling in their new homes. Among the many areas covered by these services, IRCC-funded organizations aid newcomers with:

• Looking for work
• Obtaining a language assessment
• Finding language classes
• Getting a place to live
• Enrolling children in school
• Learning about and accessing community services

Note: IRCC provides specifically designed services for newcomers who identify with certain groups, including women, seniors, youth and members of the 2SLGBTQi+ community. A full list of IRCC-funded services, filterable by desired service type and region, is available here.

Taxation in Northwest Territories

In the Northwest Territories, there are two primary types of tax: sales and income tax.

Sales tax in the Northwest Territories is simply a Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5%.

In other words, this territory does not have any Territorial Sales Tax, which alongside a GST is combined in most regions across Canada (although in most other Canadian regions it is a Provincial Sales Tax) to create a Harmonized Sales Tax (HST).

Income taxes in the Northwest Territories vary based on how much money a resident makes each year. In other words, rather than charging every consumer a set amount, income taxes operate based on income tax brackets, meaning that residents of this territory who make more annual income pay higher taxes. For more information on income tax in this territory, click here.

If you are looking to learn about filing a personal tax return, please visit the Filing your Personal Income Tax Return in Canada page on CanadaVisa.

Things To Do in Northwest Territories

For newcomers to the Northwest Territories looking to make more of their new home than simply moving to Canada to work all the time, this territory has many experiences and activities that one can take advantage of. A profound example of this is the Nahanni National Park Reserve of Canada in Fort Smith. This attraction contains deep canyons and huge waterfalls, as well as a unique limestone cave system. Visitors to this park can also embark on a day flight experience, river trip or alpine climbing experience depending on the time of year.

In addition, residents of bigger communities in this territory can take part in many multicultural events and activities, all of which provide newcomers with an opportunity to celebrate heritage and diversity with others in their community. One example of this is Yellowknife’s Multicultural Festival.

A quick Google search of holidays and events in your community will show you the many ways that newcomers to this country can participate in celebrations and events to keep in touch with their cultures and backgrounds even in their new home in the Northwest Territories.

Contact CanadaVisa and Cohen Immigration Law for Assistance

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