Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Application Process

The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) is an immigration program or community-driven program initiated by the Canadian Government in 2019 to bridge the gap between the Urban and the Rural population and bring to the awareness of immigrants or foreign workers the benefit of economic migration to smaller communities.

It is also aimed at solving the problem of the lack of labour force in rural communities in Canada.

It is no news that Canada is the favourite destination for immigrants. However, 99% of immigrants prefer to live in Major Cities like Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto, hence bridging the gap between the Rural and Urban populations.

To enable smaller communities to attract immigrants, the Canadian Government introduced the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP). 

The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) is built on the success of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program.  

Eligible Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Communities and Provinces

The RNIP accepts applications from Rural and Northern communities. Currently, ten communities have been enlisted from five provinces for the program.

One of the requirements a community must meet before enlisted is to have a population of inhabitants lesser than 50,000 and locate 75km away from census metropolitan cities. 

Below is the list of the currently enlisted ten communities within five provinces of the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) Program;

1. Manitoba

• Brandon
• Altona/Rhineland

2. Alberta

• Claresholm

3. Saskatchewan 

• Moose Jaw

4. Ontario

• North Bay
• Sudbury
• Timmins
• Sault Ste. Marie
• Thunder Bay

5. British Columbia 

• West Kootenay
• Vernon

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Application Process

Immigrants from any part of the world can apply for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program by following the following procedures,

Procedure 1. Assess yourself if you meet both Federal the IRCC eligibility requirements and community eligibility requirements.

Procedure 2. Get an eligible job with an employer in the enlisted communities participating in the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program.

Procedure 3. Submit your Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program application to the eligible community where you got a job.

Procedure 4. Apply for Permanent Residence once the community of your employment recommends you.

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program Requirements

The Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) eligibility requirement is a must-pass for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program applicants. 

Federal Requirements for RNIP

• Language Level
• Education
• Work experience
• Settlement fund
• Employment or job offer from RNIP communities
• Meet community-specific requirements
• Intention to live in the community 

Work Experience requirements for Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program

For an applicant to qualify for the RNIP program, they must have at least one year of work experience in the last three years. The work experience hours can be calculated using the following method.

• The work experience hours are counted either in part-time or full-time jobs.
• The hours must be in one profession or occupation and not necessarily one employer.
• These working hours are often within or outside Canada.
• Hours of being self-employed are not counted.
• Volunteer hours or Internship hours are not counted.
• Work hours experience must be above twelve months. 
• These hours must include all essential duties and lead statement of National Occupational classification.

Note international students are exempted from the above requirements if they;

• Is studying for a master’s degree as a full-time student and receive credentials at most 18 months before applying for permanent residence. 
• Lives at least 16 or 24 months within the community while studying.
• Must have a post-secondary school credential for a program of at least two years or more.

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program language level

The language proficiency test is compulsory for all candidates. Canada has two official languages; English and French. The language proficiency test is a necessity to qualify for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program.

Applicant must pass the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) based on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) category. Below are the minimum requirements for each of the NOC categories;

• NOC 0 and A: CLB/NCLC 6
• NOC B: CLB/NCLC 5
• NOC C and D: CLB/NCLC 4

The application must be submitted within two years from the date result is released.

Settlement Fund 

For applicants who are yet to settle in Canada, you are required to show financial proof of your ability to financially cater for yourself and your family upon arrival in Canada.  Below is an estimated amount required by the applicant as a settlement fund. 

For a single person, $12,960 CAD. For two people, it is $16,135 CAD. For every additional person, $3,492 is added.

Education Requirement for Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program

The following academic qualification is required for the RNIP;

• Canadian high school diploma
• A post-secondary school Canadian certificate or degree or diploma
• Credential assessment proves you have the equivalent foreign educational qualification to a degree, diploma, or certificate in a Canadian institution. 

Proof of Job offer from one a participating community

. One of the criteria to qualify for Permanent Residence through RNIP is that the applicant must have gotten a valid job offer from a firm or an employer from the participating community. The following requirements must be met by the job offered.

• It must meet the requirement of NOC minimum wage of skill type job
• It must be the NOC skill level job.
• Your experience must be equivalent to the experience required for the position.
• It must not be a part-time or seasonal job. It must be full-time.
• It is compulsory to live in the community of employment. 

Community Requirement for Rural Northern Immigration Pilot Program

For foreign workers from Nigeria, India, and Kenya.  To qualify, you must have a valid job offer from participating communities. Every community has its requirement and job search processes. 

Job Requirement

• The job must have a minimum of 30 hours of work input requirement per week.
• A part-time job is not allowed.
• It must meet the minimum wage requirement.

Work Permit for Rural Northern Immigration Pilot Program

A foreigner who has applied for permanent residence are entitled to a one-year work permit. This allow applicant already Canada to work while waiting for their permanent residence application to be processed.

Requirement for a work permit

• Recommendation from participating community
• Acknowledgement letter from IRCC
• Valid employment offer from an employer
• Be eligible to apply for the work permit

Note: the work permit is only valid for one year, and it can only be used for employers who are offered employment in the participating community.