The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) is a community-driven 5 year long program launched in 2019. It’s designed to attract new immigrants and stimulate economic growth by offering permanent residency to skilled immigrants in those rural northern communities. Total 11 communities from Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia are participating in this immigration pilot program.

Participating communities

Ontario

• North Bay, ON
• Sudbury, ON
• Sault Ste. Marie, ON
• Timmins, ON
• Thunder Bay, ON

Manitoba

• Altona/Rhineland, MB
• Brandon, MB

Saskatchewan

• Moose Jaw, SK

Alberta

• Claresholm, AB

British Columbia

• Vernon, BC
• West Kootenay (Trail, Castlegar, Rossland, Nelson), BC

Eligibility criteria for Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program

In order to be eligible to apply for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program, all applicants must meet all these IRCC eligibility requirements. You must

• get a recommendation from one of the participating designated community.
• have qualifying work experience or have graduated from a publicly funded post-secondary institution in the recommending designated community.
• have a qualifying genuine permanent job offer letter from the recommending designated community.
• meet or exceed the minimum language and educational requirements.
• have proof of funds to prove that you have enough money to support yourself and your family’s transition into the recommending community.
• have to prove that you have intent to live in the community.
• meet the recommending designated community’s specific requirements if they have any.

How to get recommendation from a designated community

You must get a recommendation from one of the participating communities to be eligible for Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program.

Communities will decide who to recommend based on

• your intent to live in the designated community.
• your ties to the recommending community.
• your work experience in your home country or in Canada and your job skill set.
• your job offer type (NOC) in the community and specific economic needs of the recommending community.

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program For International Students

To be eligible to apply for Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program (RNIP), International Students have to fulfill certain requirements. And to know about that please read our detailed post about RNIP for International Students.

Educational requirements for Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program

Educational requirements for the Pilot Program are listed below.

• You must have Canadian high school diploma or the foreign equivalent with a genuine educational credential assessment (ECA) report.
• The educational credential assessment (ECA) report should be from a designated organization or professional body.
• The educational credential assessment (ECA) report must be latest (less than 5 years old at the time of your application).
• The educational credential assessment (ECA) report must be issued after the date the organization was designated by CIC.

Language requirements for Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program

You should meet the base language requirements dependent on the NOC category of your job offer in the recommending community.

The minimum language requirements (CLB/NCLC) for each NOC class are

• NOC 0 and A: CLB/NCLC 6 (IELTS L:5.5 R:5 W:5.5 S:5.5)
• NOC B: CLB/NCLC 5 (IELTS L:5 R:4 W:5 S:5)
• NOC C and D: CLB/NCLC 4 (IELTS L:4.5 R:3.5 W:4 S:4)

Language tests results must be less than 24 moths old on the date of your application.

Click here for more details about language testing for this pilot program.

Work Experience for Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program

In order to be eligible for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program your work experience must fulfill following requirements.

• You must have minimum of 1560 hours in 1 year of continuous work experience in past 3 years.
  • The work experience (minimum of 1560 hours) must be in one occupation (same NOC category) but can be with different employers.
  • The work experience (minimum of 1560 hours) must be over a period of at least 12 months.
  • This work experience (minimum of 1560 hours) can be outside or inside of Canada. If work experience is in Canada, you must have been allowed to work legally in Canada during that period.
• Volunteering and unpaid internships doesn’t count in work experience, only paid hours will be counted as work experience.
• Self-employed hours are not counted as work experience.
• Your work experience must include a significant number of the main duties and all the basic duties listed in the lead statement of your National Occupational Classification (NOC).

You can find which main duties are involved in your job title by searching on CIC’s NOC page.

Proof of Funds for Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program

You should show that you have enough money to help yourself and your family after you get to Canada, except if you’re as of now working in Canada under a legitimate work permit.

You can’t obtain this money from someone else. You should have the option to utilize this money to pay the costs of living for your family (regardless of whether they’re not coming with you).

Funds you need for yourself and your family members are mentioned below:

Click here for more details about proof of funds for Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program.

Intend to live in the community

To be eligible for Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program all applicants must prove that they have intention to live in the recommending community.