RURAL COMMUNITY IMMIGRATION PILOT (RCIP)
What is the Rural Community Immigration Pilot?
The Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) is a permanent residence pathway designed to help rural and remote Canadian communities attract foreign skilled workers to fill critical local labor shortages.. It allows qualified applicants to apply for immigration directly to a participating community, with the intent of settling there.
This pilot builds upon the framework of the former Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP).
Who are the participating communities for the Rural Community Immigration Pilot?
The 14 participating communities for the RCIP are: (a) Alberta – Claresholm; (b) British Columbia – West Kootenay (encompassing Trail, Castlegar, Rossland, and Nelson), North Okanagan-Shuswap (covering Vernon and surrounding Okanagan valley areas), and Peace Liard (representing northeastern BC, including Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, and Fort Nelson); (c) Manitoba – Brandon, Steinbach, and the joint rural region of Altona/Rhineland; (d) Nova Scotia – Pictou County, which includes the Municipality of Pictou County, Pictou Landing First Nation, and the surrounding towns of New Glasgow, Pictou, Stellarton, Trenton, and Westville; (e) Ontario – North Bay and Area, Greater Sudbury, Timmins and Area (which encompasses surrounding northern communities including Hearst, Kapuskasing, Cochrane, and Kirkland Lake), Sault Ste. Marie, and Thunder Bay; (f) Saskatchewan – Moose Jaw.
How does an applicant qualify for immigration under the Rural Community Immigration Pilot?
To qualify for the RCIP, an applicant must:
- meet both the community’s requirements and IRCC’s requirements for immigration
- have a valid job offer from an employer in the participating community
- apply to the community for a Community Recommendation
- if issued, apply for permanent residence with the IRCC
NOTE: Each participating community establishes its own local prioritization criteria, scoring grids, in-demand occupation lists, and recommendation application schedules.
Can family members accompany the principal applicant?
Yes, you can include family members in your RCIP application. These include:
- your spouse or common-law partner
- your dependent child (<22 years old)
- your spouse or common-law partner’s dependent child
- a dependent child of a dependent child
How long is the processing time and what are the processing fees?
The processing time for applications under the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) varies depending on the community and on the volume of applications being processed, as well as on the processing times of the IRCC.
Each community may charge their own processing fees.
For IRCC, processing fees depend on the number of applicants included in the application. You can view the complete and updated list of IRCC fees here.
What are the key considerations in submitting an application?
The requirements might look simple on paper, but often applications are rejected because the documents submitted were inaccurate, incomplete, or non-compliant. Here are some key considerations when applying for the Rural Community Immigration Pilot:
- Which immigration program is the best match for your background and qualifications?
- How do you determine that your education and occupation meet the demand and the requirements?
- Does your job offer qualify for the program?
LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN.
We firmly believe that your success is our success. We’ll strategize on your immigration plan, identify the right pathway for you, and ensure you take the fastest route to Canadian citizenship.
We commit to ensuring that your application package will be accurate, complete, and at its strongest to avoid delays and errors that waste your time and resources. Our goal is to be able to say to you, “Welcome to Canada!”
