Canada launches rural immigration pathway to permanent residence and announces participating communities
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has revealed key details about the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP).
Specifically, the department has announced the launch of the Pilot, along with the communities chosen to participate.
RCIP is a pathway for foreign nationals who:
- Can help fill labour shortage in designated rural communities in Canada (outside of Quebec); and
- Want to live long-term in these communities.
Which communities have been selected to participate in RCIP?
On January 30, IRCC announced that 14 communities has been selected to participate in the pilot.
Community – Province
Pictou Country – Nova Scotia
North Bay – Ontario
Sudbury – Ontario
Timmins – Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie – Ontario
Thunder Bay – Ontario
Steinbach – Manitoba
Altona/Rhineland – Manitoba
Brandon – Manitoba
Moose Jaw – Saskatchewan
Claresholm – Alberta
West Kootenay – British Columbia
North Okanagan Shuswap – British Columbia
Peace Liard – British Columbia
Each of these communities will be represented by a local economic development organization, which will work with IRCC to identify labour gaps, nominate trustworthy employers and recommend candidates to IRCC for PR.
The communities will provide further details and timeless on when both employers and prospective PR candidates can expected to be apply.
Who is eligible for RCIP?
RCIP is an employer-focused community-specific pathway. All candidates need a job offer from a designated employer that meets certain conditions.
In order to be eligible, candidates must have:
- Work experience : This should meet certain conditions. This requirements can also be waived for international graduates who meet certain conditions.
- Genuine offer of employment: An employment offer that is from a designated employer (one that is approved by an economic development organization).
- Language proficiency : The Canadian Language Benchmark required depends on the NOC TEER of the job offer.
- Education : The applicant must have obtained al least a secondary school level credential.
- Proof of funds: Applicants need to show that they have sufficient fund to support themselves and their family for one year.
- Intent to reside : The applicant must intent to reside in the designated community they will work in.
- Certificate of Recommendation : The applicant must have a valid certificate of recommendation from an economic development organization at the time of application.
Note:- Applicants residing within Canada must have a valid temporary resident status at the time of application, and must continue to hold valid status in Canada until they receive PR.
Replacement for Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program (RNIP)
This new pilot program is considered to be a replacement for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program (RNIP), which stopped accepting new applications in August 2024.
RNIP launches in 2022 to encourage newcomers to Canada to settle in some of Canada’s more remote regions.
In this latest announcement, Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, started that there are plans to establish RNIP as a permanent program.
What is an immigration pilot?
Immigration pilots are temporary pathways to permanent residence, Pilots can generally run for up to five years before they expire, upon which they cease to accept new applications.
Canada runs immigration pilots to address specific regional or occupational labour shortage, and to support growth in certain areas or sectors.
Pilot programs allow the federal government to experiment with new pathways and measure their success.
Successful pilots can lead to the establishment of permanent immigration programs in the future.