Ontario announces eligible occupations for residency through the RCIP in 2026

Five participating Ontario communities Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) have announced priority occupations and sectors for 2026.

Foreign nationals with a job offer matching the labour market needs of an Ontario community can pursue a pathway to permanent residency through this pilot programme.

The article below details the occupations and sectors prioritised by each Ontario region under the RCIP.

Thunder Bay

In 2026, Thunder Bay – located in Northwestern Ontario – prioritises recruiting foreign workers in the following six sectors:

• Business, finance and administration;
• Healthcare;
• Education, law and social, community and government services;
• Sales and service;
• Trades, transport and equipment operation; and
• Manufacturing and utilities.

The manufacturing and utilities sector is a new addition this year compared to the previous year.

Below are Thunder Bay’s 25 priority occupations (with their corresponding National Occupational Classification (NOC) system codes) under the RCIP:

Eligible priority occupations

1. Administrative assistants (13110)
2. Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors (72404)
3. Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers (72410)
4. Bakers (63202)
5. Construction trades helpers and labourers (75110)
6. Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics (72400)
7. Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations (72011)
8. Cooks (63200)
9. Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants (33100)
10. Early childhood educators and assistants (42202)
11. General office support workers (14100)
12. Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations (44101)
13. Hotel front desk clerks (64314)
14. Licensed practical nurses (32101)
15. Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (33102)
16. Payroll administrators (13102)
17. Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants (33103)
18. Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations (11202)
19. Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (31301)
20. Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers (64100)
21. Social and community service workers (42201)
22. Sawmill machine operators (94120)
23. Security guards and related security service occupations (64410)
24. Other services supervisors (62029)
25. Transport truck drivers (73300)

The Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission notes that NOC codes belonging to priority sectors in 2026 but not included in the priority occupation list may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Note: Only short-haul and local transport truck drivers are considered under this NOC code.

Look up the list of designated employers on the Thunder Bay regional government website.

North Bay

In 2026, North Bay — located in northeastern Ontario — prioritises the following six sectors:

• Business, finance and administration;
• Healthcare;
• Education, law and social, community and government services;
• Sales and service;
• Trades, transport and equipment operation; and
• Natural and applied sciences.

Natural and applied sciences is a newly added sector, not included last year.

Below is the list of 25 occupations (and NOC codes) prioritised by North Bay under this year’s RCIP programme, as of 03/02/2026:

Eligible priority occupations

1. Accounting technicians and bookkeepers (12200)
2. Administrative assistants (13110)
3. Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors (72404)
4. Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers (72410)
5. Civil engineers (21300)
6. Computer network and web technicians (22220)
7. Construction trades helpers and labourers (75110)
8. Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants (33100)
9. Electricians (except industrial and power system) (72200)
10. Electrical and electronics engineers (21310)
11. Early childhood educators and assistants (42202)
12. Financial advisors (11102)
13. Financial auditors and accountants (11100)
14. Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations (44101)
15. Licensed practical nurses (32101)
16. Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors (72100)
17. Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (33102)
18. Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants (33103)
19. Chemical plant machine operators (94110)
20. Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (31301)
21. Security guards and related security service occupations (64410)
22. Shippers and receivers (14400)
23. Social and community service workers (42201)
24. Software developers and programmers (21232)
25. Welders and related machine operators (72106)

North Bay notes that all fast food and retail occupations are currently excluded from consideration under the RCIP programme.

Sault Ste. Marie

Sault Ste. Marie, located in northern Ontario between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, prioritises candidates with job offers in the following six sectors for selection through the RCIP programme in 2026:

• Healthcare;
• Education, law and social, community and government services;
• Business, finance and administration;
• Trades, transport and equipment operators;
• Manufacturing and utilities; and
• Natural and applied sciences.

Natural and applied sciences, along with business, finance and administration, are newly prioritised sectors this year; sales and service, which was prioritised last year, has now been removed from the list.

Below are the 25 occupations and NOC codes prioritised by Sault Ste. Marie under the RCIP programme in 2026:

Eligible priority occupations

1. Accounting and related clerks (14200)
2. Administrative officers (13100)
3. Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors (93200)
4. Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors (72404)
5. Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers (72410)
6. Computer network and web technicians (22220)
7. Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics (72400)
8. Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants (33100)
9. Early childhood educators and assistants (42202)
10. Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians (22310)
11. Engineering managers (20010)
12. Financial advisors (11102)
13. Financial auditors and accountants (11100)
14. Other products assemblers, finishers and inspectors (94219)
15. General practitioners and family physicians (31102)
16. Industrial and manufacturing engineers (21321)
17. Licensed practical nurses (32101)
18. Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors (72100)
19. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians (22301)
20. Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (33102)
21. Other metal products machine operators (94107)
22. Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (31301)
23. Social and community service workers (42201)
24. Trades helpers and labourers (75119)
25. Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators (73301)

Sault Ste. Marie currently has no priority occupations listed in the natural and applied sciences sector at the time of writing.

Consult the list of designated employers on the regional government website Sault Ste. Marie’s.

Sudbury

In 2026, the city of Sudbury — the most populous city in Northern Ontario — is prioritising the following six sectors for the RCIP programme:

• Business, finance and administration;
• Healthcare;
• Education, law and social, community and government services;
• Trades, transport and equipment operators;
• Natural and applied sciences; and
• Natural resources and agriculture.

Business, finance and administration is a newly added sector this year, while all other priority sectors remain unchanged from last year.

The city notes that “there may be limited cases in which candidates from this category may be considered,” despite being listed as a priority sector.

Below is the list of 25 occupations (and their corresponding NOC codes) that Sudbury is prioritising under this year’s RCIP programme:

Eligible priority occupations

1. Auto body repairers, refinishers, glass installers and damage estimators (72411)
2. Automotive and heavy truck parts installers and servicers (74203)
3. Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers (72410)
4. Chemical technicians and technologists (22100)
5. Civil engineering technicians and technologists (22300)
6. Construction estimators (22303)
7. Construction managers (70010)
8. Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics (72400)
9. Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants (33100)
10. Early childhood educators and assistants (42202)
11. Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians (22310)
12. General practitioners and family physicians (31102)
13. Heavy equipment mechanics (72401)
14. Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations (44101)
15. Instructors for persons with disabilities (42203)
16. Licensed practical nurses (32101)
17. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians (22301)
18. Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations (33101)
19. Mining engineers (21330)
20. Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (33102)
21. Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment (32109)
22. Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (31301)
23. Social and community service workers (42201)
24. Transport truck drivers (73300)
25. Welders and related machine operators (72106)

Look up the list of designated employers on the Sudbury regional government website.

Timmins

The sectors prioritised by the city of Timmins — located in Northeastern Ontario along the Mattagami River — under the 2026 RCIP programme remain largely unchanged from 2025:

• Healthcare;
• Education, law and social, community and government services;
• Trades, transport and equipment operators;
• Natural resources and agriculture; and
• Manufacturing and utilities.

Compared to last year, the city of Timmins has added the manufacturing and utilities sector, while removing the business, finance and administration sector. Timmins is the only Ontario city with only five priority sectors under the RCIP programme; all other cities have increased from five sectors in 2025 to six sectors in 2026.

Below are the 25 specific occupations that Timmins is prioritising under the 2026 RCIP programme:

Eligible priority occupations

1. Accounting technicians and bookkeepers (12200)
2. Administrative assistants (13110)
3. Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians (32104)
4. Automotive and heavy truck parts installers and servicers (74203)
5. Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers (72410)
6. Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics (72400)
7. Construction trades helpers and labourers (75110)
8. Early childhood educators and assistants (42202)
9. Electricians (except industrial and power system) (72200)
10. Geological and mineral technicians and technologists (22101)
11. Health information management occupations (12111)
12. Heavy equipment operators (73400)
13. Heavy equipment mechanics (72401)
14. Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations (44101)
15. Labourers in wood, pulp and paper processing (95103)
16. Licensed practical nurses (32101)
17. Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors (72100)
18. Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations (33101)
19. Mining engineers (21330)
20. Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (33102)
21. Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (31301)
22. Social and community service workers (42201)
23. Transport truck drivers (73300)
24. Underground mine service and support workers (84100)
25. Welders and related machine operators (72106)

Look up the list of designated employers on the Timmins regional government website.

About the RCIP

The Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) is a federal pathway to permanent residence, launched in 2025, to help designated rural communities (outside Quebec) address chronic labour shortages.

There are currently 14 communities participating in the RCIP programme, each designating specific employers to hire workers in priority occupations and sectors established by that community.

To be eligible, foreign nationals must have a job offer from a designated employer, who will then submit an application for community recommendation. If recommended by the community, the foreign national may apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence.

In addition to having a job offer in a priority occupation or sector, foreign nationals must:

• Have at least one year (1,560 hours) of relevant work experience within the past three years;
  • The job offer falls under the Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) system 0 or 1: experience can be in TEER group 0–3.
  • The job offer falls under TEER 2: experience can be in TEER group 1–4.
  • The job offer falls under TEER 4 or 3: experience can be in TEER group 2–4.
  • The job offer falls under TEER 5: experience must match the 5-digit NOC code.
• Meet the language proficiency requirement;
  • The job offer falls under TEER 0 or 1: minimum CLB 6. Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 6.
  • The job offer falls under TEER 2 or 3: minimum CLB 5.
  • The job offer falls under TEER 4 or 5: minimum CLB 4.
• Have a Canadian credential or an equivalent foreign credential;
  • For foreign credentials, the candidate must have an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA); Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is valid.
• Have sufficient funds to support themselves and their family while settling in the community;
  • The required amount ranges from CA$10,507 for a single applicant to CA$27,806 for a family of seven — and CA$2,831 for each additional family member.

The RCIP programme also grants work permit open work permits to foreign nationals with a qualifying job offer who have submitted an application for permanent residence (and have passed the completeness check).