Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

A community-driven initiative, the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, also referred to as Canada’s RNIP, has been specifically designed with the aim of spreading the benefits of economic immigration to the comparatively smaller communities in Canada.

The RNIP offers a path to Canadian permanent residence for skilled foreign workers that intend working and living in any 1 of the 11 participating communities.

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, 2022

The Government of Canada is committed to supporting  Rural and Northern communities, expanding immigration to create jobs, addressing labor shortages, and helping businesses grow.

A number of new improvements will be implemented this fall and will support community partners, employers, and candidates.

Quick Facts:

• Regional immigration programs, like the RNIP, are increasingly important to the sustainable growth of Canada.
• The new permanent Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), launched in March 2022, continues to help the Atlantic provinces attract skilled newcomers. To date, 167 confirmed permanent program applications have been received since the launch.
• The 11 RNIP communities are North Bay (Ont.), Sudbury (Ont.), Timmins, (Ont.), Sault Ste. Marie (Ont.), Thunder Bay (Ont.), Brandon (Man.), Altona/Rhineland (Man.), Moose Jaw (Sask.), Claresholm (Alta.), West Kootenay (BC), and Vernon (BC).
• As of June 30, 2022, 1,130 newcomers have arrived in RNIP communities, helping address labour shortages in key sectors, such as health care, hospitality and food services, retail, manufacturing, and transportation.
• It is estimated that an average of 125 newcomers and their family members could be welcomed into each of the participating communities, every year.
• There is a maximum of 2,750 principal applicants, plus family members, whose applications can be accepted for processing under RNIP, in any given year.

In January 2022, the Government of Canada invested $35 million to ensure newcomers settling in small towns and rural communities have access to essential services during their first year in Canada.

11 Communities part of the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

A total of 11 communities from 5 Canadian provinces – Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan – are participating in the RNIP.

Community	Province	Status
Brandon	Manitoba	Accepting applications
Claresholm	Alberta	Accepting applications
Altona/Rhineland	Manitoba	Accepting applications
Moose Jaw	Saskatchewan	Accepting applications
North Bay	Ontario	Accepting applications
Sault Ste. Marie	Ontario	Accepting applications
Sudbury	Ontario	Accepting applications
Thunder Bay	Ontario	Accepting applications
Timmins	Ontario	Accepting applications
Vernon	British Columbia	Accepting applications
West Kootenay	British Columbia	Accepting applications

Step-by-Step Guide to Permanent Residence in Canada through the RNIP

Step1: Selection of communities for participating in the RNIP.

Step 2  The community and/or employer approaches the prospective candidate, or.The prospective candidate approaches the community and/or employer.

Step 3: The candidate submits their application for a community recommendation.

Step 4: The community receives applications and selects candidates that are the “best fit”.

Step 5: The community recommends the candidate, thereby making them eligible for applying to IRCC for Canada PR.

Step 6: The candidate submits their Canadian permanent residence application to IRCC.

Step 7: The candidate is assessed against the IRCC selection criteria for the RNIP and other federal admissibility requirements.

Step 8: The candidate obtains their Canadian permanent residence.

Step 9: The community welcomes the candidate and family members. Community services are provided for supporting the settlement and integration of the newcomers into the community.

To be eligible for the RNIP, a candidate will be required to meet both – [1] the IRCC eligibility requirements, and [2] the community-specific requirements.

The community-specific requirements vary from community to community.

5-step RNIP application process

1. Meeting IRCC eligibility requirements for the RNIP.
2. Meeting the community-specific requirements.
3. Finding an eligible job with an employer in any 1 of the participating communities.
4. After securing a job offer, applying for community recommendation.
5. Following a community recommendation, applying to IRCC for Canada PR.

 

Am I eligible for the RNIP?

To be able to apply to the RNIP, a candidate must –

1. Have 1 year of continuous work experience [a minimum of 1,560 hours], within the previous 3 years.
2. Have graduated from a publicly-funded post-secondary institution in the recommending community.
3. Meet the English language requirements – CLB/NCLC 6 for jobs under NOC 0 and A; CLB/NCLC 5 for jobs under NOC B; and CLB/NCLC 4 for jobs that come under NOC C or D. Here, by ‘NOC’ is implied the National Occupational Classification
4. Meet or exceed the educational requirements.
5. Possess the Settlement Funds required.
6. Have the clear intention of living within the community on being granted permanent residence in Canada.
7. Meet the community-specific requirements.
8. Have a valid job offer. A potential candidate must have a genuine, full-time, permanent job offer in any 1 of the 11 participating communities.

 

Worthy of Note

An eligible job offer with an employer in any 1 of the participating communities will be required. The application for community recommendation can be submitted only after the candidate has secured their job offer. Applying for Canada PR comes after the community recommendation.

How can Y-Axis help you?

• Qualified advice
• Assistance with the Canada PR Application Process
• Dedicated support