The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) is a new program launched in June 2019 aimed at strengthening smaller communities, especially those in rural areas. Employers in participating communities will have the opportunity to post employment opportunities. Skilled foreigners who are looking to live and work in Canada will be able to apply for these positions and should you be successful, the community can then recommend you to the government for permanent residence. This program includes communities in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon.
THE CURRENT 11 PARTICIPATING COMMUNITIES IN THE RNIP
| COMMUNITY | WEBSITE |
|---|---|
| North Bay, Ontario | www.northbayrnip.ca |
| Sudbury, Ontario | www.investsudbury.ca |
| Timmins, Ontario | www.timminsedc.com |
| Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario | www.welcometossm.com |
| Thunder Bay, Ontario | www.gotothunderbay.ca |
| Brandon, Manitoba | www.economicdevelopmentbrandon.com |
| Altona/Rhineland, Manitobaseedrgpa.com | www.seedrgpa.com |
| Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan | www.moosejawrnip.ca |
| Claresholm, Alberta | www.claresholm.ca |
| Vernon, British Columbia | www.rnip-vernon-northok.ca |
| West Kootenay (trail, Castlegar, Rossland, Nelson), British Columbia | www.wk-rnip.ca |
To be considered eligible to participate in the pilot, the community must:
- have a population of 50,000 people or less and be located at least 75 km from the core of a Census Metropolitan Area OR up to 200,000 people and be considered remote from other larger cities (using Statistics Canada’s index of remoteness)
- be located in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Yukon.
- have job opportunities.
- have an economic development plan.
- have a local economic development organization that can manage the pilot for your community.
- have the capacity to settle new immigrants in the community by having or developing:
- relationships with local or regional immigrant-serving organizations.
- opportunities to connect newcomers with established members of the community, such as through mentoring or networking.
- access to key services like education, housing, transportation, and health care.
Community Recommendation
A community recommendation is made by a designated community economic development organization and is based on the candidates:
- intention to live in the designated community.
- job offer and the community’s economic needs.
- work experience and skills.
- ties to the community.
Eligibility Requirements for candidates
To be considered for the RNIP, potential candidates must meet the following federal criteria:
- Must have a recommendation from one of the designated communities and applicant must also have an intention to live in the community.
- Must have one year of continuous work experience in the past three years (a minimum of 1,560 hours) with one or multiple employers in Canada/foreign or have graduated from a publicly funded post-secondary institution in the recommending community.
- Must have a genuine job offer to work in one of the designated communities.
- Meet the language requirement for the NOC skill type/level of the job being offered.
- Must meet the sufficient funds to settle and support themselves and their family in the community.
- Candidates must perform the main duties listed in NOC for their profession.
- Self-employed work experience is ineligible.
Education
A Canadian high school diploma or the foreign equivalent with a valid ECA report from a designated organization. Individuals who have graduated from a post-secondary program in the community that is recommending them are exempt from the work experience requirement if they graduated with:
- a degree, diploma, certificate or trade or apprenticeship from a post-secondary program of 2 years or more and:
- were a full-time student for the entirety of the 2+ years.
- obtained the credential within 18 months before the application for permanent residence.
- were in the community for at least 16 months of the last 24 months of study.
- OR a master’s degree or a Ph.D. and:
- were a full-time student for the entirety of the degree.
- obtained the credential within 18 months before the PR application.
- were in the community for the entirety of the degree.
NOTE: Individuals who cannot apply as international students include those who:
- studied at distance or studied English or French for more than half the program.
- received a scholarship that requires them to return to their home country to apply for their studies.
Job Offer
Potential candidates must have a genuine, full-time, permanent, job offer in one of the participating communities. The wage must meet the minimum wage listed for that NOC in the Canada Job Bank and the candidates’ previous experience must demonstrate that they can perform the duties of the job offered. Candidates whose NOC is rated skill level D must have a job offer in the same occupation.
Language Requirements
The minimum language requirement CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) is based on the NOC skill type or level that applies to the candidate’s job offer.
The minimum requirements for each NOC skill type/level are as follows.
- NOC 0 and A: At least a language score of a CLB 6 is required.
- NOC B: At least a language score of a CLB 5 is required.
- NOC C and D: At least a language score of a CLB 4 is required.
Funds
Candidates must demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to support themselves and their families after they move to Canada. These funds must be their own and cannot be borrowed from anyone. You can use bank account statements, documents that show the property, stocks, bonds, banker’s drafter on your name, etc. as proof of funds.
Individuals working legally in Canada at the time of application are exempt from the settlement funds requirement. The minimum required amount is as follows:
NUMBER OF FAMILY MEMBERS EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT IMMIGRATING WITH YOU
| REQUIRED FUNDS IN CAD | |
|---|---|
| 1 | $8,922 |
| 2 | $11,107 |
| 3 | $13,654 |
| 4 | $16,579 |
| 5 | $18,803 |
| 6 | $21,207 |
| 7 or more | $23,611 |
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