Rural Community Immigration Pilot

Overview

Rural Community Immigration Pilot

The Rural Community Immigration Pilot is open and offers permanent residence to eligible workers with a qualifying job from a designated employer and a recommendation from one of 14 participating rural communities.

Begin with a participating community

Each community publishes its boundaries, priority sectors, occupations and designated employers. A job somewhere in the same province is not enough; the employment must be located within the participating area.

Use the community’s official site to verify the employer and current intake. Communities control designation and recommendations, while IRCC decides permanent residence.

The job offer is full-time and indefinite

The offer must be from a designated employer, for at least 30 paid hours per week, non-seasonal and without a fixed end date. The NOC TEER must relate to the applicant’s qualifying work experience under the pilot’s table.

For a TEER 5 offer, the work experience must be in the same five-digit NOC. Other TEER offers allow specified neighbouring levels, with a limited health-care exception.

Meet the federal eligibility elements

Applicants normally need one year of related work experience within the required period, an approved language result, a Canadian credential or ECA and settlement funds. A qualifying recent community graduate may receive a work-experience exemption.

Language minimums vary with the TEER of the offer. Check the live eligibility page before accepting employment or paying relocation costs.

The community recommendation connects the stages

The designated employer sends the recommendation application to the community. The community checks the job, priority criteria and applicant eligibility before deciding whether to recommend.

Submit the recommendation certificate with the permanent residence application. An optional employer-specific work permit may be available with the required referral letter while PR is processed.