If you are planning immigration to Canada but the competition in programs such as Express Entry, or the cost of living in cities like Toronto and Vancouver, is making you hesitate, it is worth looking at a different route: rural immigration to Canada.
Canada has built dedicated routes to bring skilled and semi-skilled workers into smaller communities that need labour, with Canadian permanent residence at the end of the route. This article covers the steps, the documents and the requirements. One point first, because it changes everything else: the original Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) has closed. The route that replaced it is the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP).
What is rural immigration to Canada?
Rural immigration is one of the less crowded routes to Canadian permanent residence. The original program was the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP), a community-driven pilot aimed at less populated areas, small cities and rural communities. RNIP has ended and no longer accepts new candidates. Its successor is the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP), which works on the same principle: participating communities recommend candidates who have a job offer from a designated local employer. There is a parallel route, the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP), for French-speaking candidates going to French-speaking communities outside Quebec.
Under these pilots, communities in provinces such as British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba recruit workers to fill local labour shortages. In effect, rural immigration bridges a real need among employers in smaller places and the plans of skilled workers around the world. Unlike systems such as Express Entry, which run on high competition and precise point scoring, these pilots turn on a job offer from a designated employer in a participating community. Meeting the requirements does not entitle anyone to permanent residence. Every decision rests with IRCC.
Why consider rural immigration to Canada?
Beyond the possibility of permanent residence for you and your family, the main attractions are:
- a comparatively direct route to permanent residence
- no CRS-style ranking against tens of thousands of other candidates
- a lower cost of living and a quieter setting
- selection built around real local labour market needs
Provinces taking part in the rural pilots
The provinces in the table below take part in rural immigration, and the table sets out the trade-offs of living in each at a glance. Participating communities are named by IRCC and the list changes, so confirm which communities are currently active before you plan around one:
| City | Province | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thunder Bay | Ontario | Job openings in healthcare and skilled trades | Very cold winters; relatively large population compared with other such areas |
| Sudbury | Ontario | High level of industrial activity (mining and natural resources), reasonable cost of living | Some industrial pollution; limited openings in certain non-technical occupations |
| Brandon | Manitoba | Safe, family-oriented city; strong demand for workers in healthcare and agriculture | Cold, windy climate; far from major centres |
| Moose Jaw | Saskatchewan | Small population, quiet setting, low cost of living | Narrower job market; fewer recreational and cultural amenities |
| Vernon | British Columbia | Job openings in tourism and agriculture, beautiful scenery | Somewhat more competition for jobs; higher rents than other such areas |
| Timmins | Ontario | Job openings in mining; unspoiled nature and access to the outdoors | Cold winters; long distance from large cities |
| North Bay | Ontario | Strong school system, family-friendly, expanding healthcare services | Limited job openings |
| West Kootenay | British Columbia | Suited to skilled trades workers and mechanics, excellent scenery | Far from major cities; slow economic growth |
How rural immigration to Canada works, step by step
So what are the steps to immigrate to rural Canada? Start by assessing your own situation honestly, then move on to the application itself. If you would like your circumstances reviewed, you can complete the free assessment form.
Check that you qualify
To take part in a rural immigration pilot you generally need:
- a Canadian high school diploma or a foreign credential assessed as equivalent
- at least one year of full-time work experience, roughly 1,560 hours, in the past three years, unless you qualify for the international graduate exemption
- a language test result at the level required for your occupation, from a test IRCC accepts. The minimum rises with the skill level of the job, so a TEER 4 or 5 job may require CLB 4 while TEER 0 and 1 jobs require a higher level
- enough settlement funds to support yourself and your family on arrival, unless you are already working in Canada
- a genuine intention to live and work in the community that recommends you
Getting a job offer
The next step is a genuine Canadian job offer from a designated employer in the community. It has to be for full-time work and it has to line up with your work history and education. The occupation also has to sit on the list of priority occupations for that community.
Alongside the job offer you need one further document. A community recommendation has to be in your file, because it is the community’s confirmation that it supports your application. To improve your chances of getting one:
- apply for jobs that match your work history and education
- target occupations the community has identified as priorities
- work on your language ability, since it shows you can settle into the community
- set out any existing ties to the area, such as family living there, which some communities take into account
Submitting the permanent residence application
Once you have the job offer and the community recommendation, you submit the permanent residence application with your documents through the IRCC portal:
- completed application forms
- the community recommendation
- the formal job offer
- identity documents, including your passport
- a language test result from a test IRCC accepts, such as IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General or PTE Core in English, or TEF Canada or TCF Canada in French
- police certificates
- the government fees, which for a principal applicant come to CAD 1,590 in total – a CAD 990 processing fee plus the CAD 600 Right of Permanent Residence Fee, with a further CAD 1,590 for a spouse or partner and CAD 270 for each dependent child
Documents for rural immigration to Canada
| Document | Details |
|---|---|
| Passport | Valid for at least 6 months |
| English or French language test result | Set stream by stream; typically CLB 4 to CLB 7 depending on province, stream and TEER category |
| Education and work history (CV) | All education records and job skills |
| Job offer letter from the employer | Must be from an approved employer |
| Settlement funds | Per the IRCC table, to cover living costs |
| Police clearance certificate | Mandatory |
| IRCC medical exam certificate | By an IRCC panel physician |
| Completed visa application forms | Based on accurate, genuine information |
Key points to keep in mind
Once the fees are paid you wait for a decision. If the application is approved you receive permanent residence. After you land in Canada, keep the following in mind:
- plan to settle in the same community that recommended you, since that intention is the basis of the application
- the intention to reside is assessed at the application stage. Permanent residents have mobility rights in Canada, so your status is not conditional on staying, but misrepresenting your intentions is a serious matter
- permanent residence is not citizenship. After you have held PR and met the physical presence requirement, you may apply for Canadian citizenship, which is a separate application with its own test and language requirements
- keep your PR status valid by meeting the residency obligation, which is 730 days in Canada in every five-year period
- a strong, honest CV is what earns the confidence of both the employer and the local committee
The cost of rural immigration
| Service | Cost in Canadian dollars |
|---|---|
| Immigration application processing fee | CAD 990 |
| Permanent residence fee | CAD 600 |
| Application processing fee for applicants under 18 | CAD 270 |
| Educational credential assessment (ECA - WES) | CAD 240 to 300 |
| Language test (IELTS General or CELPIP) | CAD 200 to 300 |
| Medical exams | Set by the panel physician, not by IRCC; confirm when booking |
Immigrating to Canada with Aval Visa
If you are looking for a lower-cost, less crowded route into Canada, rural immigration can be a sensible option. It puts you in front of employers who are actively hiring, in places where living costs are lower and the pace is calmer.
The Aval Visa team provides Canadian immigration and visa services, including preparing your file and drafting supporting letters, and can advise you as you settle into a new community. No consultant can promise an outcome, because permanent residence decisions rest with IRCC. Get in touch to have your situation reviewed and your realistic options set out.
Frequently asked questions
- How does a community recommendation work? After you have a job offer, you apply to the local economic development organisation for a recommendation. It assesses factors such as whether your skills match local needs, your work history, your settlement funds and whether you genuinely intend to live in the community.
- How much work experience do I need for rural immigration to Canada? At least one year of full-time work, roughly 1,560 hours, in the past three years. Some international graduates of a local publicly funded institution are exempt from this requirement.
- Which occupations suit the rural pilots? Priority occupations are set by each community and typically include nurses and health care aides, truck drivers, machinists, cooks and mechanics. Check the current priority list for the specific community you are targeting, because the lists differ and are updated.
