NEW Rural and Francophone Community Immigration Pilots (RCIP and FCIP)

The RCIP and FCIP are now open to applicants for 2025.

January 30, 2025—Ottawa – The Government of Canada is introducing two new pilot programs to help rural and Francophone minority communities attract and retain newcomers with the right skills to help their regions succeed. This builds on the previous Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) as IRCC works to establish the RNIP as a permanent program.

Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the launch of the Rural Community Immigration Pilot and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot, and the communities chosen to participate. These pilots will provide 18 communities with a permanent residence pathway to attract and retain newcomers who can fill key jobs and who want to live long-term in these areas.

The Rural Community Immigration Pilot ensures that rural communities have access to programs that address labour shortages and help local businesses find the workers they need. The Francophone Community Immigration Pilot focuses on increasing the number of French-speaking newcomers settling in Francophone minority communities outside of Quebec. This ensures the economic development of Francophone minority communities, while also helping to restore and increase their demographic weight.

Each selected community is represented by a local economic development organization, which will work with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to identify its critical labour gaps, designate trustworthy employers and recommend suitable candidates to IRCC for permanent residence. IRCC has begun training the economic development organizations, and each community will provide details and timelines on when employers and prospective permanent residence candidates can expect to have a chance to apply.

The following communities will participate in the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP):

• Pictou County, NS
• North Bay, ON
• Sudbury, ON
• Timmins, ON
• Sault Ste. Marie, ON
• Thunder Bay, ON
• Steinbach, MB
• Altona/Rhineland, MB
• Brandon, MB
• Moose Jaw, SK
• Claresholm, AB
• West Kootenay, BC
• North Okanagan Shuswap, BC
• Peace Liard, BC

The following communities will participate in the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP):

• Acadian Peninsula, NB
• Sudbury, ON
• Timmins, ON
• Superior East Region, ON
• St. Pierre Jolys, MB
• Kelowna, BC

Are you interested? Now is the perfect time to avail of these programs while competition is not yet very high and there are many opportunities to be part of these communities. If you need help, you can contact us. We provide consultations, process applications, and help you succeed.

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