Changes to the Yukon Nominee Program will make it easier to recruit foreign workers to the territory and offer greater security to them when they arrive, officials say.

Under the program, the territorial government can nominate skilled and semi-skilled foreign workers who it deems will have "a high level of success establishing themselves in Yukon society.”

The program also offers a fast-track to Canadian citizenship for foreign workers, primarily from the Philippines, India and parts of Europe, often leading to permanent resident status after two years.

"We want them to live here, work here and remain in the Yukon,” Marjorie Copp, immigration co-ordinator with the Department Education's advanced education branch, said today.

It's also very good for business.

"We are in a labour market situation where the Yukon is experiencing something unique for the country, for the world,” Rick Karp, the president of the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce, said today.

"We are seeing an explosion in the GDP and the economy in general, and local businesses need staff. They are working hard to hire local, but it is not enough.”

New changes to the program are designed to make it even easier to recruit the workers and retain workers.

The changes will make it easier to hire the workers and provide an assurance of job security before they arrive.

The program will now include a guaranteed employment offer and an assessment of the position that ensures the job provides a living wage to the employee.

The employment offer replaces the previous system rules where workers had to guarantee their financial stability with proof that they have $10,000 of liquid assets or have a relative or permanent resident give an affidavit of support on their behalf.

In addition, the nominee program also now requires a settlement plan, where the local employer provides some agreement to assist with resettlement.

"New people need some time to get on their feet, get grounded,” said Karp. "It's also expensive to relocate, and people often need guidance through the process.

"Once they are settled, we want them to know they should start saving to become permanent residents, so we encourage support from the businesses.”

The program application process is also now available online.

The chamber of commerce welcome the changes.

"It's hard to bring them up from within Canada,” said Karp.

"The Yukon Nominee Program has provided an answer. The new changes with the CIC (Citizenship and Immigration Canada) and Department of Education have been good for business; they have kept staff and services going; it's wonderful.”

Dan Charlebois is the owner of the local Canadian Tire store. He employs about 50 workers from the nominee program.

"We wouldn't be able to stay in business without employees, and there just aren't enough in Whitehorse,” Charlebois told the Star today. "Look around the community – there are help wanted signs everywhere.”

He believes the changes to the program have been generally positive and will speed up some aspects of the process.

"Though, it's still a tedious process,” he says.

Under the program, employers have to prove that there are no qualified Canadians before going through the process, said Copp.

Screened on a case-by-case basis, before employers can make their applications, they first have to advertise for the position locally for at least one month, online and through local newspapers.

It can be up to six months before an application is complete.

"But the government changes have been good. They have made many aspects of the process much easier,” Charlebois said.

The changes to the program have not yet been put into effect.

The Department of Education are waiting on reviews to be held in Dawson City and Watson Lake before they are formally adopted, probably sometime early in the new year.