Introduction:
Through the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, the Government of Canada works with small and remote communities in Ontario, Western Canada and the three territories to attract and retain foreign workers. The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot is community-driven, which means participating communities take the lead in attracting new immigrants and matching them with local job vacancies, promoting a welcoming community, and connecting newcomers to established members of the community and local settlement services.
Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Criteria:
- Have a recommendation from one of the designated communities
- At least Canadian high school diploma or the foreign equivalent
- Have one year of continuous work experience in the past three years OR
- Have graduated from a publicly funded post-secondary institution in the recommending community
- Have a genuine job offer to work in one of the designated communities
- Meet the language requirement, CLB 6 for NOC 0, A jobs, CLB 5 for NOC B jobs, CLB 4 for NOC C, D jobs
- Have sufficient funds to settle and support themselves and their family in the community
- Have an intention to live in the community
The following communities are participating in the pilot:
- North Bay, Ontario
- Sudbury, Ontario
- Timmins, Ontario
- Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
- Thunder Bay, Ontario
- Brandon, Manitoba
- Altona/Rhineland, Manitoba
- Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
- Claresholm, Alberta
- Vernon, British Columbia
- West Kootenay (Trail, Castlegar, Rossland, Nelson), British Columbia
Sudbury Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program Criteria:
Candidate:
- Obtain 115 points and above with spouse or 85 points and above without spouse based on RNIP Candidate Assessment Form
- Candidates must have performed the majority of the main duties and all the essential duties of the eligible occupations and industries
- Have a genuine job offer to work in Sudbury
- At least Canadian high school diploma or the foreign equivalent
- A minimum of 1,560 hours (one year) of continuous, paid work experience in the past three years or a degree, diploma, certificate or trade or apprenticeship from a post-secondary program of 2 years or more and obtained the credential within 18 months before the application for permanent residence or a master’s degree or a PhD and obtained within 18 months before the application for PR
- Meet the language requirement, CLB 6 for NOC 0, A jobs, CLB 5 for NOC B jobs, CLB 4 for NOC C, D jobs
- Have sufficient funds to settle and support themselves and their family in the community
- Have an intention to live in the community
Employer:
- Be located within the boundaries of the City of Greater Sudbury or within commutable distance
- Have been in active business in Greater Sudbury for at least 1 year prior to providing the candidate a job offer.
- Have no outstanding orders made against them under the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 or the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
- Not be in violation of the Immigration, Refugee and Protection Act (IRPA) or Immigration, Refugee and Protection Regulations.
Brandon Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program Criteria:
Candidate:
- Candidates must have performed the majority of the main duties and all the essential duties of the eligible occupations and industries
- At least Canadian high school diploma or the foreign equivalent
- A minimum of 1,560 hours (one year) of continuous, paid work experience in the past three years or a degree, diploma, certificate or trade or apprenticeship from a post-secondary program of 2 years or more and obtained the credential within 18 months before the application for permanent residence or a master’s degree or a PhD and obtained within 18 months before the application for PR
- Have a genuine job offer to work in Brandon
- Meet the language requirement, CLB 6 for NOC 0, A jobs, CLB 5 for NOC B jobs, CLB 4 for NOC C, D jobs
- Have sufficient funds to settle and support themselves and their family in the community
- Have an intention to live in the community
Employer:
- Be an established employer who has been legally operating a business within the City of Brandon for a minimum of three (3) years. OR be a new business that has invested a minimum of $150,000 capital
- The Employer must demonstrate a need for Foreign Nationals to meet labour needs confirming through their past recruitment activities that the position(s) cannot be filled by Canadians or Canadian Permanent Residents.
- Be offering a Foreign National a job that is: Full time, permanent (non-seasonal and no end date) and offering a wage that must meet or exceed the Job Bank’s minimum wage for the offered position as set out in the federal job bank
- Not be in violation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) and/or provincial employment standards
Altona/Rhineland Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program Criteria:
Applicant
- Have a genuine job offer to work in Altona/Rhineland
- At least Canadian high school diploma or the foreign equivalent
- A minimum of 1,560 hours (one year) of continuous, paid work experience in the past three years or a degree, diploma, certificate or trade or apprenticeship from a post-secondary program of 2 years or more and obtained the credential within 18 months before the application for permanent residence or a master’s degree or a PhD and obtained within 18 months before the application for PR
- Meet the language requirement, CLB 6 for NOC 0, A jobs, CLB 5 for NOC B jobs, CLB 4 for NOC C, D jobs
- Have sufficient funds to settle and support themselves and their family in the community
- Have an intention to live in the community
Employer:
- Be located within the Town of Altona and Municipality of Rhineland and the majority of the job duties must take place within the Town of Altona and Municipality of Rhineland
- Have considered Canadians and Permanent Residents first to fill the job
- Be offering a job that is full-time, non-seasonal, permanent (no end date); and for a wage that is equal to or greater than the minimum wage as set out in the federal job bank
- Not be known to be in violation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) and/or provincial employment standards
Sault Ste. Marie Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program Criteria:
Candidate:
- Achieve a total score of 70 or above to be considered for recommendation
- Have received a job offer for a job in one of the priority NOC groups
- At least Canadian high school diploma or the foreign equivalent
- A minimum of 1,560 hours (one year) of continuous, paid work experience in the past three years or a degree, diploma, certificate or trade or apprenticeship from a post-secondary program of 2 years or more and obtained the credential within 18 months before the application for permanent residence or a master’s degree or a PhD and obtained within 18 months before the application for PR
- Have a genuine job offer to work in Sault Ste. Marie
- Meet the language requirement, CLB 6 for NOC 0, A jobs, CLB 5 for NOC B jobs, CLB 4 for NOC C, D jobs
- Have sufficient funds to settle and support themselves and their family in the community
- Have an intention to live in the community
List of Priority Jobs:
| NOC-11 | Professional occupations in business and finance |
| NOC-21 | Professional occupations in natural and applied sciences |
| NOC-30 | Professional occupations in nursing |
| NOC-31 | Professional occupations in health (except nursing) |
| NOC-40 | Professional occupations in education services |
| NOC-74 | Other installers, repairers and servicers and material handler |
| NOC-75 | Transport and heavy equipment operation and related maintenance occupations |
| NOC-76 | Trades helpers, construction labourers and related occupations |
| NOC-22 | Technical occupations related to natural and applied sciences |
| NOC-32 | Technical occupations in health |
| NOC-34 | Assisting occupations in support of health services |
| NOC-44 | Care providers and educational, legal and public protection support occupations |
| NOC-72 | Industrial, electrical and construction trades |
| NOC-92 | Processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators |
| NOC-94 | Processing and manufacturing machine operators and related production workers |
| NOC-95 | Assemblers in manufacturing |
| NOC-96 | Labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities |
| NOC-07-09 | Middle management occupations in trades, transportation, production and utilities |
| NOC 6321 | Chefs |
Note: Applicants with a job offer not listed above will be considered only at the discretion of the Community Recommendation Committee.
Employer:
- Be located within the boundaries of the City of Sault Ste. Marie
- Have been in active business in Sault Ste. Marie for at least three years prior to providing the candidate with a job offer.
- If the employer is the product of a new investment in the community, a business case shall be provided for assessment by the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation
- Provide detailed information on their labour needs
- Have no outstanding orders made against them under the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 or the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
- Have at least three full-time employees who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents who work at the location where the candidate will work;
- Not be in violation of the Immigration, Refugee and Protection Act (IRPA) or Immigration, Refugee and Protection Regulations.
Thunder Bay Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Criteria:
Candidate:
- Have a genuine job offer to work in Thunder Bay
- The maximum points achievable is 138. At this time, the selection committee will review applications from candidates who achieve at least 60% of the points.
- At least Canadian high school diploma or the foreign equivalent
- A minimum of 1,560 hours (one year) of continuous, paid work experience in the past three years or a degree, diploma, certificate or trade or apprenticeship from a post-secondary program of 2 years or more and obtained the credential within 18 months before the application for permanent residence or a master’s degree or a PhD and obtained within 18 months before the application for PR
- Meet the language requirement, CLB 6 for NOC 0, A jobs, CLB 5 for NOC B jobs, CLB 4 for NOC C, D jobs
- Have sufficient funds to settle and support themselves and their family in the community
- Have an intention to live in the community
Eligible Occupation List
| NOC– Skill Level A | Occupation |
| 3012 | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses |
| 3142 | Physiotherapists |
| 2131 | Civil Engineers |
| 2132 | Mechanical Engineers |
| 2133 | Electrical and Electronics Engineers |
| NOC– Skill Level B | Occupation |
| 2223 | Forestry Technicians and Technologists |
| 2271 | Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors |
| 2272 | Air traffic controllers and related occupations |
| 321 | Medical Technologists and Technicians |
| 3219 | Pharmacy Technician |
| 2231 | Civil engineering technologists and technicians |
| 2232 | Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians |
| 3233 | Licensed practical nurses |
| 4214 | Early childhood educators and assistants |
| 6321 | Chefs |
| 6331 | Butchers and Bakers |
| 7283 | Tile setters |
| 731 | Machinery and transportation equipment mechanics (except motor vehicles) |
| 732 | Automotive service technicians |
| 733 | Other mechanics and related repairers |
| 8231 | Underground production and development miners |
| 8241 | Logging Machine Operators |
| NOC– Skill Level C | Occupation |
| 3411 | Dental assistants |
| 3413 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates |
| 7441 | Residential and commercial installers and servicers |
| 7511 | Transport truck drivers |
| 7521 | Heavy equipment operators (except crane) |
| 8411 | Underground mine service and support workers |
| 9411 | Machine operators, mineral and metal processing |
| 9414 | Concrete, clay and stone forming operators |
| 9415 | Inspectors and testers, mineral and metal processing |
| 9416 | Metalworking and forging machine operators |
| 9417 | Machining tool operators |
| 9418 | Other metal products machine operators |
| 9431 | Sawmill machine operators |
| 9432 | Pulp mill machine operators |
| 9434 | Papermaking and finishing machine operators |
| 9435 | Other wood processing machine operators |
| 9436 | Paper converting machine operators |
| NOC– Skill Level D | Occupation |
| 7611 | Construction Trade Helpers and Labourers |
Employer:
- Be a recognized business that has operated in Thunder Bay for at least 2 years or
- Be a new company that has recently moved to Thunder Bay and set-up operations, but has existed as a company elsewhere in the world for a minimum of 3 years.
- Have not had any previous issues with the City of Thunder Bay, violations of provincial employment standards or violations under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and associated regulations.
- Have job vacancies that have not been filled locally in occupations that fit the community needs as defined by the CEDC in the attached listing of NOC jobs Thunder Bay is looking for.
- Enter into an agreement to recommend mentoring, counselling and support in settling in Thunder Bay to RNIP immigrants
- Offer full-time, indeterminate employment and pay wages for the job being offered that meet the minimum federal standards as identified in the Ministerial instructions.
- Be able to handle large volumes of resumes, securely and confidentially and be able to interview prospective RNIP candidates to ensure they meet all requirements as specified by the federal government and the CEDC criteria with proof before they give a job offer to an RNIP candidate.
- Recruit RNIP candidates only for positions offering full time employment for an indeterminate period.
Vernon Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program Criteria:
Candidate:
- At least Canadian high school diploma or the foreign equivalent
- A minimum of 1,560 hours (one year) of continuous, paid work experience in the past three years or a degree, diploma, certificate or trade or apprenticeship from a post-secondary program of 2 years or more and obtained the credential within 18 months before the application for permanent residence or a master’s degree or a PhD and obtained within 18 months before the application for PR
- Have a genuine job offer to work in Vernon
- Candidates must have a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5 or higher, in English or French, for all skill levels and jobs.
- Have sufficient funds to settle and support themselves and their family in the community
- Have an intention to live in the community
Employer:
- Eligible businesses must have at least 3 (three) full time employees who are Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents
- Eligible businesses must have operated in Canada for five years, with two of those years within the Community, as described in Definitions, OR must have a business investment of at least $200,000 in the Community
- Employers must undergo a mandatory training session regarding settlement, eligibility, and program integrity before a posting a job through RNIP
- Employers must comply with the post-arrival services requirement
- The wage offered must meet or exceed 25 dollars an hour (with the exception of filter 9) and must be above or within the range of wages for that particular occupation in the Job Bank for similar jobs in the region
- Applicants who are currently working, studying, and/or residing for at least the last 12 months in the Community will be exempt from the Community specific wage criteria of 25 dollars an hour if their wage is between 20 to 24.99 dollars and they meet or exceed 65 points under Vernon’s Comprehensive Ranking System (VCRS). It is important to note that only up to 10% of annual recommendations will be available for this exemption.
- The business must be based in the Community and the employee must have the majority of his of her duties performed within the boundaries of the Community, as described in Definitions.
Claresholm Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program Criteria:
Candidate:
- At least Canadian high school diploma or the foreign equivalent
- A minimum of 1,560 hours (one year) of continuous, paid work experience in the past three years or a degree, diploma, certificate or trade or apprenticeship from a post-secondary program of 2 years or more and obtained the credential within 18 months before the application for permanent residence and were in the community for at least 16 months of the 24 months of study or a master’s degree or a PhD and obtained within 18 months before the application for PR and were in the community for the entirety of the degree
- Meet the language requirement, CLB 6 for NOC 0, A jobs, CLB 5 for NOC B jobs, CLB 4 for NOC C, D jobs
- Have sufficient funds to settle and support themselves and their family in the community
- Have an intention to live in the community
Employer:
- Be located within the Claresholm and the majority of the job duties must take place within Claresholm
- Be offering a job that is full-time, non-seasonal, permanent (no end date); and for a wage that is equal to or greater than the minimum wage as set out in the federal job bank
- Job opportunities must be available to Canadians first
- Not be known to be in violation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) and/or provincial employment standards
West Kootenay Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program Criteria:
Candidate:
- A minimum of 1,560 hours (one year) of continuous, paid work experience in the past three years or a degree, diploma, certificate or trade or apprenticeship from a post-secondary program of 2 years or more and obtained the credential within 18 months before the application for permanent residence and were in the community for at least 16 months of the 24 months of study or a master’s degree or a PhD and obtained within 18 months before the application for PR and were in the community for the entirety of the degree
- At least Canadian high school diploma or the foreign equivalent
- Meet the language requirement, CLB 6 for NOC 0, A jobs, CLB 5 for NOC B jobs, CLB 4 for NOC C, D jobs
- Have a genuine job offer to work in West Kootenay Region
- Have sufficient funds to settle and support themselves and their family in the community
- Have an intention to live in the community
West Kootenay Community Criteria:
Community Recommendation Committee will assess candidates based on the prioritization factors below:
- The candidate or, if applicable, the candidate’s spouse/ common-law partner’s connection to West Kootenay (Family/Friend in the Region)
- Living in and previous travel to the West Kootenay Region (The candidate or, if applicable, the candidate’s spouse/ common-law partner)
- Candidate’s Age on the date the application is received
- Driver’s Licence (The candidate or, if applicable, the candidate’s spouse/ common-law partner)
- Demonstration of proficiency in English or French (The candidate or, if applicable, the candidate’s spouse/ common-law partner)
- Education experience in the Region (The candidate or, if applicable, the candidate’s spouse/ common-law partner)
- Wage and NOC category of job offer
- Past three years’ work experience (The candidate or, if applicable, the candidate’s spouse/ common-law partner)
Employer:
- Be based within the Community boundaries of West Kootenay and be eligible to issue genuine job offers
- Attest to their efforts made to recruit a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident prior to providing an eligible job offer
- Have operated in the West Kootenay for a minimum of two years, OR have made a business investment of at least $200,000 in the West Kootenay region
- Not be in violation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) and/or provincial employment standards
- Not request or accept any form of payment in exchange for providing a job offer
- The wage offered in your offer of employment must meet or exceed $22/hour and must be above or within the range of wages for that particular occupation in the Job Bank for similar jobs in the region to determine the candidate’s intention to reside in the community
