Two additional Canadian communities have identified their key sectors for the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP), a program designed to offer a pathway to permanent residence for skilled workers with job offers in rural areas.
The participating communities include Sault Ste. Marie in Northern Ontario, just across the border from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and Brandon, Manitoba’s second-largest city.
About the RCIP
The Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) aims to attract skilled labor to rural regions of Canada by providing eligible candidates with a route to permanent residency, provided they have a valid job offer from a designated community.
Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie has outlined the following priority sectors for the 2025 intake:
- Education, law, social, community, and government services
- Health
- Manufacturing and utilities
- Sales and service
- Trades and transport
As of now, specific eligible occupations under these sectors have yet to be released. The city has been allotted 300 RCIP spots for 2025.
Brandon
Brandon has also disclosed its priority sectors, each linked with National Occupation Classification (NOC) codes and minimum required Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) levels.
Brandon: Priority Sectors and Occupations Announced
The city of Brandon has released its list of priority sectors for the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP), along with corresponding National Occupation Classification (NOC) codes and minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) requirements.
|
Sector |
Occupation |
NOC Code |
Minimum CLB |
|
Education, Law & Social, Community & Government Services |
Early childhood educators and assistants |
42202 |
5 |
|
Health |
Dentists |
31110 |
6 |
|
General practitioners and family physicians |
31102 |
6 |
|
|
Licensed practical nurses |
32101 |
5 |
|
|
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates |
33102 |
5 |
|
|
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses |
31301 |
6 |
|
|
Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine |
31100 |
6 |
|
|
Specialists in surgery |
31101 |
6 |
|
|
Manufacturing & Utilities |
Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers |
94141 |
4 |
|
Natural & Applied Sciences |
Civil engineering technologists and technicians |
22300 |
5 |
|
Civil engineers |
21300 |
6 |
|
|
Industrial and manufacturing engineers |
21321 |
6 |
|
|
Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians |
22301 |
5 |
|
|
Mechanical engineers |
21301 |
6 |
|
|
User support technicians |
22221 |
5 |
|
|
Trades & Transport |
Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers |
72410 |
5 |
|
Carpenters |
72310 |
5 |
|
|
Concrete finishers |
73100 |
5 |
|
|
Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics |
72400 |
5 |
|
|
Construction trades helpers and labourers |
75110 |
4 |
|
|
Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics |
72402 |
5 |
|
|
Heavy-duty equipment mechanics |
72401 |
5 |
|
|
Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) |
73112 |
5 |
|
|
Plumbers |
72300 |
5 |
|
|
Welders and related machine operators |
72106 |
5 |
Brandon has been allocated 180 RCIP spots for 2025. Notably, the city has designated 15% of its allocation specifically for the healthcare sector, with the remaining spots to be distributed among the other listed sectors on a first-come, first-served basis.
Understanding the Importance of Priority Sectors and Occupations in the RCIP
The Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) is a federally supported, employer-driven immigration pathway that offers eligible foreign workers a chance to obtain permanent residence in Canada.
To qualify, applicants must first receive a valid job offer from a designated employer, which in turn must be approved by an economic development organization in a participating rural community.
However, only employers operating within designated priority sectors are expected to receive this official designation. As a result, applicants will likely need relevant work experience in occupations tied to these priority sectors to be eligible under the RCIP.
At the time of writing, communities such as Sault Ste. Marie and Brandon have announced their priority sectors but have yet to publish official lists of designated employers.
Recently, Timmins—another Northern Ontario community—became the first to release a full list of its priority sectors and occupations.
In total, 14 rural communities are participating in the RCIP. More of them are expected to announce their eligible sectors and occupations in the coming months.
What Is the RCIP?
Launched earlier this year, the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) is a five-year federal initiative aimed at addressing ongoing labor shortages in rural regions outside of Quebec. The program is designed to attract skilled foreign nationals who are interested in living and working in these communities on a long-term basis.
To qualify for the RCIP, foreign nationals must secure a job offer from an employer located in one of the participating designated communities. In addition, applicants must meet several eligibility requirements, including:
- Relevant work experience
- Educational qualifications
- Language proficiency
- Proof of financial support
- A genuine intention to live in the community
Applicants already residing in Canada must hold valid temporary resident status at the time of application and must maintain that status until they are granted permanent residence.
As with most federal immigration pilots, candidates apply directly to the Government of Canada. However, the RCIP operates under an annual intake limit, so interested individuals are strongly encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible.
