Rural Community Immigration Pilot
Permanent residence pilot for skilled workers who take a job with a designated employer in one of 14 smaller or remote communities. The community, not a points system, decides who is recommended, and IRCC then processes the PR application.
Who it suits
- Workers (abroad or in Canada) with a job offer from an employer designated by one of the 14 communities
- Graduates of a community post-secondary institution who studied there full-time
- People with CLB 4 to 6 (depending on job TEER) and at least a high school education
Requirements
- Communities14 communities: Pictou County (NS); North Bay, Sudbury, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay (ON); Steinbach, Altona/Rhineland, Brandon (MB); Moose Jaw (SK); Claresholm (AB); West Kootenay, North Okanagan Shuswap, Peace Liard (BC). ↗ canada.ca
- Job offerValid job offer from an employer designated by the community. The employer submits the community recommendation application; the community checks that the job is in a priority sector or occupation, is genuine, and that the candidate meets all pilot criteria. ↗ canada.ca
- Work experienceAt least 1 year (1,560 hours) of paid, non-self-employed related work in the past 3 years, in the same NOC description as the job offer. TEER match: TEER 0/1 offers accept TEER 0-3 experience; TEER 2 offers accept TEER 1-4; TEER 3/4 offers accept TEER 2-4; TEER 5 offers need the same 5-digit NOC. Graduates of a 2-year-plus program (or a master's under 2 years) at a community institution can skip this if they studied full-time, got the credential within 18 months before applying and lived in the community during study. ↗ canada.ca
- LanguageCLB/NCLC 6 for TEER 0 or 1 offers; CLB 5 for TEER 2 or 3; CLB 4 for TEER 4 or 5. All four abilities, test results under 2 years old. ↗ canada.ca
- EducationCanadian secondary school diploma or higher, or a foreign equivalent shown by an ECA under 5 years old (doctors, pharmacists and architects need their profession-specific assessment bodies). ↗ canada.ca
- Settlement fundsSettlement funds CAD 10,507 (1 person), 13,080 (2), 16,080 (3), 19,524 (4), 22,143 (5), 24,975 (6), 27,806 (7), plus 2,831 per extra person. Not required if already working in Canada on a valid work permit. ↗ canada.ca
How candidates are selected
Community-driven. Designated employers hire, the community recommends the candidate, and IRCC assesses the PR application. No CRS or points.
Location requirement: must intend to live and work in the recommending community
Processing: IRCC does not publish a separate forward-looking estimate for this pilot in its processing feed (checked 2026-09-03 data). The community recommendation must be obtained before the PR application is filed.
Related pathways
Atlantic Immigration Program
ClosedHome Care Worker Immigration Pilots (Child Care and Home Support)
ClosedAgriculture and agri-food occupations category
Limited intakeEducation occupations category
OpenHealthcare and social services occupations category
Limited intakeScience, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations category
Official sources
- canada.caPilots overviewChecked 2026-10-01
- canada.caRCIP program pageChecked 2026-10-01
- canada.caWho can applyChecked 2026-10-01
- canada.caWork experienceChecked 2026-10-01
- canada.caLanguage testChecked 2026-10-01
- canada.caEducation assessmentChecked 2026-10-01
- canada.caProof of fundsChecked 2026-10-01
- canada.caJob offer and community listChecked 2026-10-01
- canada.caApply for permanent residenceChecked 2026-10-01
- canada.caEmployer designation (hiring)Checked 2026-10-01
- canada.caIRCC economic immigration briefing (2026 targets)Checked 2026-10-01
Program rules change often. This page summarizes the official pages listed above; the official page always takes precedence.