SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The territorial government has successfully negotiated an immigrant employment nominee program to help fill jobs that are difficult to fill locally, and that's good news for Raymond Songco.

Songco, who came from the Philippines, works at the Explorer Hotel as a housekeeper on a two-year work visa. After his first year of work in the NWT in July, he will apply for landed resident status.

Gloria Iatridis, assistant deputy minister of Education, said immigrants nominated by their employers under the program can receive their residency in 16 to 18 months, when in some cases, it could have taken "several years."

Songco said he was excited to hear he could get his citizenship more quickly. While Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) still has the final say on accepting applicants for permanent residency - and applicants still have to pass medical and criminal records checks - their applications under this program will move them up the priority list.

"What this process does is bump their application up in priority order and allows them to not have to go through an assessment as far as determining whether or not the position they are being nominated for is identified as an occupation under pressure," said Iatridis.

"The territory has already determined that there is a need for that individual in that specific occupation."

Iatridis said the program is employer-driven, and individuals can be nominated under four different categories. The four options include skilled workers - those working in the medical field, for instance, service industry workers, entrepreneurs and self-employed business people.

The last two programs will be administered by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

In negotiating the deal, the GNWT identified the hospitality and service industry as a priority.

"We did hear from a number of employers - more so in Yellowknife - who were experiencing skill shortages in the hospitality and service sector," she said.

Iatridis said the service industry workers will help address shortages in the fast-food and the hospitality industry. Tim Hortons owner Greg Barton had called for the NWT to look at the nominee program back in June 2008. Barton was out of town and could not be reached for comment.

Approximately 300 temporary foreign workers are currently employed in the territory, according to Iatridis. She said employers must prove they have exhausted all avenues of employing someone locally or nationally for a position.

"Our first priority is to train or hire someone Northern for jobs," Iatridis told Yellowknifer.

Jitten Jattean, general manager of the Explorer Hotel, said he has had problems keeping the hotel staffed with local hires. While he hadn't heard of the immigrant employee program when contacted, he welcomed the news, adding he would invite anything that helped retain staff.

"There are probably a few Filipinos who probably do want to get their status here," he said.

Jattean said the process to retain workers after their visas expire - or to bring immigrants over to work - can be very complicated. While the current job market has somewhat stabilized the staffing at the hotel, turnover is still pretty high, he said. As well, the territory's population has dropped 1.2 per cent in the past year.

Iatridis said negotiations for the program began last December, with the GNWT receiving approval from CIC last Thursday to sign the agreement.

The government will deliver the program as a three-year pilot project, with a budget of $575,000 per year to administer it.

"We hope to start delivering the program on July 6," said Iatridis.

Nunavut is now the only jurisdiction in Canada without a nominee program.