Ottawa, January 30, 2025 – The Government of Canada has launched two new immigration pilots to help rural and Francophone minority communities address labour shortages and support their economic growth.

What Are the New Pilots?

1. Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) – Helps rural communities bring in workers for key job positions.
2. Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP) – Supports Francophone minority communities outside Quebec by increasing the number of French-speaking newcomers.

Why These Pilots Matter

Rural and Francophone minority communities play a key role in Canada’s economy and culture. However, they often face challenges in attracting and retaining newcomers, as most immigrants settle in urban areas. These new pilots build on the success of the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP), which helped connect employers in remote communities with skilled workers.

The RCIP focuses on addressing labor shortages in rural areas, while the FCIP aims to increase the number of French-speaking newcomers settling in Francophone minority communities outside Quebec. This will help these communities grow economically and maintain their cultural identity.

How the Pilots Work

• 18 communities have been selected to participate in the pilots.
• Each community is represented by a local economic development organization, which will work with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to:
  • Identify critical labor gaps.
  • Designate trustworthy employers.
  • Recommend suitable candidates for permanent residence.
• IRCC has started training these organizations, and the communities will soon provide details on how employers and candidates can apply.

Participating Communities

Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP):

• 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

Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP):

• New Brunswick: Acadian Peninsula
• Ontario: Sudbury, Timmins, Superior East Region
• Manitoba: St. Pierre Jolys
• British Columbia: Kelowna

What are the eligibility criteria?

✅ RCIP

Eligibility: Valid job offer from a designated employer within the community.
Work Experience: You need at least 1 year (1,560 hours) of related work experience(Similar to Job offer) in the past 3 years.
(If you studied and graduated in the community, you may be exempt from the work experience requirement)
Language Proficiency:
TEER 0 or 1: CLB 6  
TEER 2 or 3: CLB 5
TEER 4 or 5: CLB 4

✅ FCIP

Eligibility: Must have a job offer from a designated employer in the community.
Work Experience: Have at least 1 year (1,560 hours) of related work experience (Similar to Job offer) in the past 3 years. (If you studied and graduated in the community, you may be exempt from the work experience requirement)
Language Proficiency: French (CLB 5)

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What Work Experience is Considered Related?

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TEER 0 or 1 Job Offer:

• Your work experience must be in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3.

TEER 2 Job Offer:

• Your work experience must be in TEER 1, 2, 3, or 4.

TEER 3 or 4 Job Offer:

• Your work experience must be in TEER 2, 3, or 4.

TEER 5 Job Offer:

• Your work experience must be in the same 5-digit NOC code.

Example: If you get a job offer in a TEER 0 or 1 occupation, you need to prove that you have at least 1 year of work experience in a TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 category occupation.

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Expectation for Healthcare workers:

• If your work experience is in NOC 31301 (Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses – TEER 1), you can have a job offer in one of the following occupation categories:
  • NOC 33102 (TEER 3): Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates or
  • NOC 44101 (TEER 4): Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations

For more details click here: RCIP and FCIP

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)