RNIP – the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

Through the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP), the Government of Canada works with small northern and rural communities to attract and retain foreign workers.

RNIP communities

The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) is community-driven, meaning participating communities play a leading role in attracting new immigrants and connecting them with local job vacancies, fostering a welcoming community, and linking newcomers with established community members and local settlement services.

The following 11 communities are taking part in the pilot:

• North Bay, Ontario
• Sudbury, Ontario
• Timmins, Ontario
• Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
• Thunder Bay, Ontario
• Brandon, Manitoba
• Altona/Rhineland, Manitoba
• Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
• Claresholm, Alberta
• Vernon, British Columbia
• West Kootenay (Trail, Castlegar, Rossland, Nelson), British Columbia

To be considered as a participating community under the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP), a community must:

• Have a population of 50,000 or fewer and be located at least 75 km from the centre of aCensus Metropolitan Area, or have a population of up to 200,000 and be considered remote from larger cities (using Statistics Canada’s remoteness index).
• Be located in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Saskatchewan or Yukon.
• Have job opportunities.
• Have an economic development plan.
• Have a local economic development organisation able to administer the pilot on behalf of the community.
• Be able to settle new immigrants in the community by having or developing:
  • Relationships with local or regional immigrant-serving organisations.
  • Opportunities to connect newcomers with established members of the community, through mentoring or networks, for example.
  • Access to essential services such as education, housing, transport and healthcare.

Requirements for candidates

To be considered for the RNIP, a prospective candidate must meet the following federal criteria as well as the requirements set by the participating community where they hope to settle.

The federal criteria are:

• Hold a recommendation from one of the designated communities.
• Have one year of continuous work experience within the past three years (a minimum of 1,560 hours).

Or meet the following conditions:

• Have graduated from a publicly funded post-secondary institution in the recommending community.
• Hold a genuine job offer to work in one of the designated communities.
• Meet the language threshold for the NOC skill type/level of the job offered.
• Have sufficient funds to settle and support themselves and their family in the community.
• Intend to live in the community.

Community recommendation

A Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) community recommendation is based on:

• The candidate’s intention to live in the designated community.
• The job offer and the community’s economic needs.
• The candidate’s work experience and skills.
• Ties to the community.

The recommendation is made by the designated community economic development organisation.

Work experience

Candidates under the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) must have:

• A minimum of 1,560 hours (one year) of paid work experience within the past 3 years.
  • The work experience must be in a single occupation, though it may be with different employers.
  • The work experience may have been gained inside or outside Canada.
  • The work experience may be accumulated over the 3 years preceding the application, regardless of any breaks in employment.
  • Self-employed work experience does not qualify.

Candidates must have performed most of the main duties and all of the essential duties listed in theNational Occupational Classification (NOC)for their occupation, as well as the activities set out in the lead statement.

Note that international graduates may be exempt from the work experience criteria if they are recent graduates:

• Of a full-time post-secondary programme of at least 2 years, or
• Of a full-time master’s programme or higher.

Education

Candidates must have:

• A Canadian secondary school diploma or the foreign equivalent.
  • Credentials obtained outside Canada must be confirmed as equivalent by anEducational Credential Assessment (ECA)report from a designated organisation.
  • The ECA report must be no more than 5 years old at the time of application.

Individuals who have graduated from a post-secondary programme in the community recommending them are exempt from the work experience requirement if they graduated with:

• A degree, diploma, certificate or trade/apprenticeship credential from a post-secondary programme of 2 years or more, and:
  • Were a full-time student throughout those 2+ years.
  • Received the credential within the 18 months preceding their permanent residence application.
  • Were present in the community for at least 16 months of their final 24 months of study.

Or:

• A master’s or doctoral degree, and:
  • Were a full-time student throughout the course.
  • Received the credential within the 18 months preceding their permanent residence application.
  • Were present in the community throughout the course.

Individuals who cannot apply as international graduates include those who:

• Completed more than half of their programme by distance learning.
• Spent more than half of their programme studying English or French.
• Received a scholarship or bursary requiring them to return home to apply their knowledge.

Job offer

Prospective RNIP candidates must hold a genuine, full-time, permanent job offer in one of the participating communities. The salary must meet the minimum wage listed for that NOC in theCanada Job Bankand the candidate’s previous experience must show that they can perform the duties of the job offered.

The Government of Canada defines a genuine job offer as one where:

• It must meet a genuine need of the employer.
• The employer must be actively engaged in the business in which the offer is made.
• The employer must be able to fulfil the terms of the offer.
• The employer must have complied with all employment laws and regulations in the past.

In addition, the job offer must fall within the TEER category, or one skill level above or below it, of the NOC that best matches the candidate’s work experience. Candidates in NOC TEER category 5, however, must hold a job offer in the same occupation.

Language requirements

The minimum language requirement is based on the NOC TEER category applicable to the job offer of a candidate under the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP).

The minimum requirements for theCanadian Language Benchmark (CLB)in each NOC TEER category are as follows:

• NOC TEER categories 0 and 1: a minimum language score of CLB 6 is required.
• NOC TEER categories 2 and 3: a minimum language score of CLB 5 is required.
• NOC TEER categories 4 and 5: a minimum language score of CLB 4 is required.

Finances

Candidates under the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) must show that they have sufficient funds to support themselves and their family after moving to Canada. These funds must be their own and must not be borrowed from anyone.

The following documents may be used as proof of funds:

• Bank account statements.
• Documents evidencing real property or other investments (such as shares, bonds and treasury bills).
• Documents guaranteeing payment of a fixed sum to you (such as banker’s drafts, traveller’s cheques or money orders).

The minimum amounts required are as follows:

Number of family members (including anyone you support who is not immigrating with you)	Funds required (in Canadian dollars)
1	$8.922 CAD
2	$11.107 CAD
3	$13.654 CAD
4	$16.579 CAD
5	$18.803 CAD
6	$21.207 CAD
7 or more	$23.611 CAD

Note:Individuals working lawfully in Canada at the time of application are exempt from the settlement funds requirement.

Find out more about the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) on the Government website athere.