Canada Expands Immigration Pathways for Rural and Francophone Communities
On January 30, 2025, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada announced the launch of the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) and (2) the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP). These two new immigration pilot programs were announced back in 2024, but are now underway. The pilots are created for skilled newcomers who decide to settle outside major urban centres:
Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP)
The RCIP is designed to support rural communities experiencing workforce shortages by connecting local businesses with skilled foreign workers. It provides a structured pathway for immigrants seeking employment and permanent residency in smaller towns and cities.
Participating communities in RCIP (as of January 2025):
- Nova Scotia: Pictou County
- Ontario: North Bay, Sudbury, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay
- Manitoba: Steinbach, Altona/Rhineland, Brandon
- Saskatchewan: Moose Jaw
- Alberta: Claresholm
- British Columbia: West Kootenay, North Okanagan Shuswap, Peace Liard
Who is eligible for RCIP?
RCIP is an employer-focused community-specific pathway. All candidates need a job offer from a designated employer that meets certain conditions.
In order to be eligible, candidates must have:
- Work experience: This should meet certain conditions. This requirement can also be waived for international graduates who meet certain conditions.
- Genuine offer of employment:An employment offer that is from a designated employer (one that is approved by an economic development organization).
- Language proficiency: The Canadian Language Benchmark required depends on the NOC TEER of the job offer.
- Education: The applicant must have obtained at least a secondary school level credential.
- Proof of funds :Applicants need to show that they have sufficient funds to support themselves and their family for one year.
- Intent to reside: The applicant must intend to reside in the designated community they will work in.
- Certificate of recommendation: The applicant must have a valid certificate of recommendation from an economic development organization at the time of application.
Note: Applicants residing within Canada must have a valid temporary resident status at the time of application, and must continue to hold valid status in Canada until they receive PR.
Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP) (as of January 2025)
The FCIP aims to enhance the demographic and economic sustainability of Francophone minority communities outside Quebec by increasing the number of French-speaking immigrants. The pilot will help meet the demand for bilingual professionals while ensuring the continued growth of Francophone culture in these regions.
Participating communities in FCIP (as of January 2025):
- New Brunswick: Acadian Peninsula
- Ontario: Sudbury, Timmins, Superior East Region
- Manitoba: St. Pierre Jolys
- British Columbia: Kelowna
Candidate eligibility
- Eligibility requirements for candidates in the FCIP have been summarized in the table below:
| Eligibility criteria | Description |
| Certificate of recommendation | An applicant must have a valid certificate of recommendation from an economic development organization at the time of making their application. |
| Genuine offer of employment | An applicant must show that they have a genuine offer of employment from a designated employer that meets specific conditions. |
| Work experience | An applicant must have work experience that meets specific conditions.
This requirement can also be waived for international graduates who meet certain conditions*. |
| Language proficiency | The applicant must display French language ability equivalent to a Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) level 5 in all language abilities. |
| Education | The applicant must have obtained at least a secondary school level credential. |
| Intent to reside | The applicant must demonstrate that they intend to reside in the designated community they will work in. |
| Necessary funds | Applicants must show that they have funds equivalent to one-half of the most recent Low-Income Cut-off (LICO) criteria relevant to their designated community, for one year. |
Once candidates have applied for PR through the FCIP, they may also be eligible for a work permit during the processing of their PR application. These work permits can be valid for up to two years. Candidates in the FCIP may be eligible to receive this work permit as long as they have:
- A job offer from the designated employer who initially offered them a job as part of the FCIP;
- A referral letter from their participating community; and
How these programs benefit employers and foreign workers
For employers, these pilot programs provide an opportunity to recruit skilled foreign workers to meet labour market demands and/or to assist skilled foreign workers in transitioning to permanent residency. For prospective immigrants, the RCIP and FCIP offer employer-backed pathways to secure jobs and settle in communities where their skills are in high demand.
Replacement for Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program (RNIP)
This new pilot program is considered to be a replacement for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program (RNIP), which stopped accepting new applications in August 2024.
RNIP launched in 2022 to encourage newcomers to Canada to settle in some of Canada’s more remote regions.
In this latest announcement, Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, stated that there are plans to establish RNIP as a permanent program.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact us via email at info@poonahimmigrationlaw.com for further information.
