On April 23, 2020, the first Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) draw was conducted by the city of Sudbury, Ontario. A total of six invitations were issued to candidates with minimum scores of 280 under Sudbury’s points ranking system.

The RNIP was launched in 2019, with a total of 11 participating communities across Canada. Communities are rolling out the program slowly, with seven communities currently accepting applications. The Pilot was created as a community-driven program which promotes economic immigration in smaller communities and a pathway to permanent residency.

There are four steps to the process:

  1. You must meet both the IRCC eligibility requirements, and the community specific requirements (each community has its own guidelines for qualification) for permanent residence;
  2. Find a full-time, permanent, non-seasonal eligible job with an employer in one of the communities;
  3. Submit an application for recommendation once you have a job offer; and,
  4. If and when a community recommends you, you may file for permanent residence

If you are interested in the RNIP, please visit the specific community website for job search process; community recommendation application process; and additional eligibility requirements. If you have a job offer and are looking for assistance, please contact us for further information.