RCIC , Managing Director
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 shortages 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 had been selected to participate in the pilot.
| Community | Province |
|---|---|
| Pictou County | 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 timelines on when both employers and prospective PR candidates can expect to be able to 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:
More details about the eligibility criteria can be seen here.
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 launched 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, stated that there are plans to establish RNIP as a permanent program.
What is an immigration pilot?
Immigrant 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 shortages, 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.
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RCIP Rural Community immigration Pilot, FCIP, Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot, Francophone Community Immigration Pilot, Home care pilot