Rural and Northern Immigration Program​

Rural and Northern Immigration Program

The Rural and Northern Immigration Program (RNIP) is a community-led initiative. It is intended to spread the benefits of economic immigration to smaller communities by establishing a path to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers who wish to work and live in one of the participating RNIP communities.

Each participating RNIP community has its own set of eligibility requirements and job search recommendations. After meeting the eligibility requirements, the participating community evaluates prospective candidates to determine who will stay and contribute to the community’s economic growth.

Once potential candidates have been identified, the community can recommend them for PR in Canada to IRCC for final approval so that they can settle in the rural community. The community recommendation is mandatory in RNIP Program to settle in Canada.

Under the Rural and Northern Immigration Program, participating communities also match newcomers with various settlement services and mentor them among established community members.

Participating communities

CommunityCommunity website
North Bay, ONhttps://northbayrnip.ca/
Sudbury, ONhttps://investsudbury.ca/why-sudbury/move-to-sudbury/rnip/
Timmins, ONwww.timminsedc.com
Sault Ste. Marie, ONwww.welcometossm.com
Thunder Bay, ONhttps://gotothunderbay.ca/
Brandon, MBwww.economicdevelopmentbrandon.com
Altona/Rhineland, MBwww.seedrgpa.com
Moose Jaw, SKhttps://www.moosejawrnip.ca/
Claresholm, ABwww.claresholm.ca
Vernon, BChttps://rnip-vernon-northok.ca/
West Kootenay (Trail, Castlegar, Rossland, Nelson), BChttps://wk-rnip.ca/

Eligibility Requirements for candidates

To be considered for the RNIP Program, potential candidates must meet the federal criteria listed below, as well as the requirements set by the participating community where they wish to settle.

Federal criteria are:

  • Get a recommendation from one of the designated communities.
  • Requirements: One year of continuous work experience within the last three years, with a minimum of 1,560 hours.
  • Graduated from a publicly funded postsecondary institution in the recommending community.
  • Present a genuine job offer to work in one of the designated communities.
  • Meet the language threshold for the NOC skill type and level of the job being offered.
  • Have enough money to settle and support themselves and their families in the community.
  • Have the intention to live in the community.

Community Recommendation

A community recommendation is based on the candidates’

  • Considerations for living in a community include job offers, economic needs, work experience, and ties to the area.
  • A designated community economic development organization provides recommendations.

Work Experience

Eligible candidates should have:

  • Applicants must have a minimum of 1,560 hours (one year) of paid work experience in a single occupation over the last three years, which can be from multiple employers.
  • Work experience can be obtained in or outside Canada.
  • Work experience can be accumulated within the three years preceding the application, regardless of breaks in employment.
  • Self-employed work experience does not qualify.
  • Candidates must have completed the majority of the main duties and all of the essential duties listed in their profession’s National Occupational Classification (NOC), as well as the activities outlined in the lead statement.
  • Please keep in mind that international students who have recently graduated may be exempt from the work experience requirements.
  • From a full-time post-secondary program of a least 2 years, or
  • from a full-time master’s program or higher.

Job Offer

To qualify under the rnip program, candidates need a bona fide, full-time, permanent job offer in a participating community. The offered wage must meet the minimum for that National Occupational Classification (NOC) on the Canada Job Bank, and candidates must demonstrate they have the necessary experience to perform the job duties.

A genuine job offer is a must:

– Meet the employer’s needs
– Come from an actively operating business
– Be feasible for the employer to fulfill
– Reflect on past compliance with employment laws

Furthermore, the job offer should fall within the same NOC category or be one skill level above or below the candidate’s relevant work experience. Candidates with a NOC TEER category of 5 must receive a job offer in the same occupation.


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