A new 5-year pilot program has been put in place through the Ministerial Instructions with respect to the Rural and Northern Community Immigration Class published in the Canada Gazette. The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) Program will help smaller rural and northern communities to attract, integrate and retain foreign skilled workers meeting their economic development and labour market needs.

The pilot will operate in the following 11 communities: Thunder Bay (ON), Sault Ste. Marie (ON), Sudbury (ON), Timmins (ON), North Bay (ON), Gretna–Rhineland–Altona–Plum Coulee (MB), Brandon (MB), Moose Jaw (SK), Claresholm (AB), West Kootenay (BC), and Vernon (BC).

The Ministerial Instructions have been in effect since September 1, 2019, and authorize the first cohort of community partners to begin recommending candidates as of November 1, 2019, and the second cohort as of January 1, 2020. Community partners will begin making recommendations once they have established all necessary processes to assess candidates and have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IRCC, with the first recommendations expected in December 2019. Candidates recommended by community partners will then submit applications for permanent residence under this pilot to IRCC.

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