Claresholm, Population 3,800, Receives 5,000 Applications For Rural & Northern Immigration Pilot

2020-03-08 – Claresholm, Alberta, with a population of 3,800, has been inundated with more than 5,000 applications from 70 different countries for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot.

The town, located 90 minutes south of Calgary, only launched applications in February, and officials are shocked by the level of interest shown.

It plans to welcome 20 candidates in the first year of the three-year pilot, and more in the next two years.

Choosing 20 candidates from a list of 5,000 promises to be tough for the local officials, with jobs available ranging from coffee shop staff to food production workers.

Read More

Claresholm Launches Community Website For Rural & Northern Immigration Pilot
Vernon, British Columbia Launches Application Process For Rural And Northern Immigration Pilot
Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot: Brandon, Manitoba Begins Accepting Applications
Ottawa Selects 11 Communities For Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

Criteria for the RNIP include language, education, work experience and settlement funds. Candidates are also required to have a job offer on the table to qualify.

Claresholm is one of 11 communities chosen for the pilot, out of 55 locations that applied.

It is the sixth community to launch its website for the RNIP.

The others are Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay in Ontario, Brandon and Altona/Rhineland in Manitoba, plus Vernon in British Columbia.

RNIP Participating Communities

RNIP Federal Government Eligibility Requirements

1) Work Experience/International Student Exemption

Candidates must have qualifying work experience or have graduated from a publicly-funded post-secondary institution in the recommending community.

Work Experience

Candidates must have one year of continuous full or part-time work experience (1,560 hours) in the last three years.  The work experience must be in one occupation and must include most of the main duties and all of the essential duties listed in the National Occupational Classification (NOC).

International Students

Candidate who are international students are exempt from needing work experience provided they meet the following requirements:

Scenario 1

• They graduated with a credential from a minimum two-year-long post-secondary program in the recommending community.
• They were studying as a full-time student for the full duration of the two or more years.
• They received the credential no more than 18 months before the date of application for permanent residence.
• They were in the community for at least 16 of the last 24 months spent studying to get the credential.

Scenario 2

• They graduate with a master’s degree or higher
• They studied as a full-time student for the duration of the degree in the recommending community.
• They received the degree no more than 18 months before the date of application for permanent residence.
• They were in the community for the length of their studies.

2) Language Requirements

Candidates must meet the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) based on the National Occupational Classification of their job.

The minimum language requirements for each NOC category are

• NOC 0 and A: CLB/NCLC 6
• NOC B: CLB/NCLC 5
• NOC C and D: CLB/NCLC 4

3) Educational Requirements

Candidates must have a Canadian high school diploma or an equivalent foreign credential with an accredited educational credential assessment (ECA) report.

4) Settlement Funds

Candidates must prove they have enough money to support themselves and family members while they get settled in their community. This includes family members who may not be coming to Canada.

Candidates already working legally in Canada are exempt from settlement fund requirements.

5) Intention to Reside

To participate in the pilot, you must plan to live in the community.