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Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program
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Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program
The Rural Northern Immigration Program is a community-driven scheme that provides a road to permanent residence for foreign skilled workers who want to live and work in the participating areas.
List of RNIP Participating Communities
| Community | Community website |
|---|---|
| North Bay, ON | https://northbayrnip.ca/ |
| Sudbury, ON | https://investsudbury.ca/why-sudbury/move-to-sudbury/rnip/ |
| Timmins, ON | www.timminsedc.com |
| Sault Ste. Marie, ON | www.welcometossm.com |
| Thunder Bay, ON | https://gotothunderbay.ca/ |
| Brandon, MB | www.economicdevelopmentbrandon.com |
| Altona/Rhineland, MB | www.seedrgpa.com |
| Moose Jaw, SK | https://www.moosejawrnip.ca/ |
| Claresholm, AB | www.claresholm.ca |
| Vernon, BC | https://rnip-vernon-northok.ca/ |
| West Kootenay (Trail, Castlegar, Rossland, Nelson), BC | https://wk-rnip.ca/ |
About the process
There are 4 steps to applying for permanent residence under this pilot.
- Check that you meet both
- Find an eligible job with an employer in one of the participating communities.
- Once you have a job offer, submit your application for recommendation to the community.
- If a community recommends you, apply for permanent residence.
Each community will also have its own
- Additional eligibility requirements
- Job search process
- Community recommendation application process
This information will be available on its website.
RNIP Program Requirements
Eligible candidates must meet the federal criteria given below, as well as the requirements of the participating municipality where they desire to settle, to be considered for the RNIP.
The federal criteria are:
- Have a referral from one of the recognized communities
- Have one year of continuous work experience in the last three years (a minimum of 1,560 hours) OR
- Have graduated from a publicly supported post-secondary institution in the suggested community
- Have a legitimate employment offer to work in one of the recognized localities.
- Meet the language requirement for the NOC skill type/level of the job being offered.
- Have enough money to settle and maintain themselves and their families in the community
- Have a desire to live in the community
Community Recommendation
A community recommendation is based on the candidate’s:
- Intention to live in the designated community
- Job offer and the community’s economic needs
- Work experience and skills
- Ties to the community
Recommendations are made by a designated community economic development organization.
RNIP Eligibility
Working Knowledge
Candidates must meet the following requirements to be considered:
- a minimum of 1,560 hours (one year) of paid work experience in the previous three years; the work experience must be in the same occupation but can be with different employers.
- Work experience can be earned both within and outside of Canada.
- Work experience can be accumulated over the three years preceding the application, regardless of employment breaks.
- Work experience as a sole proprietor is ineligible.
- Candidates must have completed the majority of the primary jobs and all of the essential duties mentioned in their profession’s National Occupational
- Classification (NOC), as well as the activities listed in the lead statement.
Please keep in mind that international students who are recent graduates may be excluded from the work experience requirement:
- from a full-time post-secondary program of a least 2 years, or
- from a full-time master’s program or higher.
Education
Candidates must have the following qualifications:
- A high school diploma from Canada or the international equivalent;
- Diplomas received outside of Canada must be validated by an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from a recognized agency.
- At the time of application, the ECA report must be less than five years old.
- Individuals who have completed a post-secondary program in the community that is recommending them are excluded from the work experience requirement if they graduated with the following:
- a degree, diploma, certificate, trade, or apprenticeship from a two-year or longer post-secondary program and:
- were a full-time student for the entire two years obtained the credential within 18 months of applying 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 PhD and:
- were a full-time student for the entirety of the degree
- obtained the credential within 18 months before the application for permanent residence
- were in the community for the entirety of the degree
Individuals who cannot apply as international students include those who:
- studied at a distance for more than half the program
- studied English or French for more than half the program
- received a scholarship or fellowship that requires they return to their home country to apply for their studies
Job Offer
A genuine, full-time, permanent employment offer in one of the participating communities is required for potential candidates. The compensation must be higher than the minimum wage specified for that NOC in the Canada position Bank, and the candidates’ previous experience must demonstrate that they are capable of performing the requirements of the position.
A real job offer, according to the Government of Canada, is one that must meet the requirements of the employer:
- The employer must be actively engaged in the business for which the offer was made;
- the employer must be able to fulfill the terms of the offer;
- the employer must have previously complied with all employment laws and norms.
In addition, the job offer must be from one of the TEER Categories or from one skill level above or below the NOC that best describes the Candidate profile. Candidates with a job offer in category 5 must also have a work offer in the same NOC.
Language Requirements
The minimum language requirement is based on the NOC TEER category that applies to the candidate’s job offer.
The minimum requirements for each NOC TEER category are as follows. “CLB” stands for Canadian Language Benchmark.
- NOC TEER category 0 and 1: Minimum language score of a CLB 6 is required
- NOC TEER category 2 and 3: Minimum language score of a CLB 5 is required
- NOC TEER category 4 and 5: Minimum language score of a CLB 4 is required
Funds
Candidates must show that they have sufficient funds to maintain themselves and their family after moving to Canada. These funds must be their own and cannot be borrowed.
As proof of finances, the following documents can be used:
- bank account statements are documents that demonstrate real estate or other investments (such as stocks, bonds, debentures, treasury bills, and so on).
- Banker’s drafts, cheques, traveler’s cheques, and money orders are examples of instruments that guarantee payment of a specific sum of money payable to you.
The minimum required amount is as follows:
| Number of family members | Funds you need (in Canadian dollars) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $9,470 |
| 2 | $11,790 |
| 3 | $14,494 |
| 4 | $17,598 |
| 5 | $19,959 |
| 6 | $22,511 |
| 7 | $25,062 |
| If more than 7 people, for each additional family member | $2,551 |