FEATURED PROGRAM

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot is a community-driven program designed to spread the benefits of economic immigration to smaller communities by creating a path to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers who want to work and live in one of the participating communities.

REQUIREMENTS

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot​

CHECK ELIGIBILITY

You need 1 year of continuous work experience (at least 1,560 hours) in the past 3 years.

  • The hours must be in 1 occupation, but they can be with different employers.
  • The hours must be over a period of at least 12 months.
  • These working hours can be inside or outside Canada. (If you worked in Canada, you must have been allowed to work in Canada.)

You must have received and accepted an eligible job offer in the community.

You’re exempt from the work experience criteria above if you’re an international student who graduated with

  1. A credential from a post-secondary program of 2 years or longer and you
    • were studying as a full-time student for the full duration of the 2+ years
    • received the credential no more than 18 months before your application for permanent residence
    • were in the community for at least 16 of the last 24 months spent studying to get your credential
    or
  2. A master’s degree or higher and you
    • were studying as a full-time student for the duration of your degree
    • got your degree no more than 18 months before your application for permanent residence
    • were in the community for the length of your studies

You must have received and accepted an eligible job offer in the community.

You must meet the minimum language requirements based on the NOC category that applies to the job offer in the community. This can either be the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC).

  • NOC 0 and A: CLB/NCLC 6
  • NOC B: CLB/NCLC 5
  • NOC C and D: CLB/NCLC 4

You must have one of the following:

  • a Canadian secondary school (high school) diploma, or
  • a Canadian post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree, or
  • an educational credential assessment (ECA) report, from a designated organization or professional body, showing that you completed a foreign credential that’s equal to a Canadian secondary school (high school) or post secondary certificate, diploma or degree

To participate in the pilot, you must plan to live in the community. Each community will have additional requirements for applicants.

The list of participating communities include:

  • Vernon, BC
  • West Kootenay (Trail, Castlegar, Rossland, Nelson), BC
  • North Bay, ON
  • Sudbury, ON
  • Timmins, ON
  • Sault Ste. Marie, ON
  • Thunder Bay, ON
  • Brandon, MB
  • Altona/Rhineland, MB
  • Moose Jaw, SK
  • Claresholm, AB

Disclaimer: The material and information contained on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice. Although best efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of information at the time of writing, we cannot guarantee the completeness or accuracy of all information. As information may change without notice, always refer to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s website for the most accurate and up-to-date information.