North Bay, Ontario Reveals Community Requirements For Rural & Northern Immigration Pilot

Colin R. Singer
mai 10, 2021

North Bay in Ontario has become the 11^th and final community to begin the process of accepting applications for the Rural & Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP).

A new website has been launched and community-specific criteria published for applicants looking to qualify for Canadian permanent residence through the program.

As well as meeting federal government criteria, candidates must have a job offer from a local employers and experience in the position being offered.

Candidates who meet the initial criteria will then be scored on a number of selection factors, including language ability, age, ties to the area and ability to driver.

The community has also published a list of National Occupational Classification codes that qualify for the program.

A full list of both community and federal requirements is included below.

The RNIP is designed to help bring new skilled worker immigrants to smaller communities.

The five-year federal immigration pilot is designed to help smaller communities with aging populations and labour shortages, which struggle to attract and retain new immigrants.

It is a community-driven program that aims to spread out the benefit of immigration.

To be included in the pilot, communities must:

Have a population of 50,000 or less and be located at least 75km from the core of a Census Metropolitan Area, OR
Have a population of up to 200,000 people and be considered remote from other larger cities, according to the Statistics Canada Remoteness Index.

Steps to Permanent Residence

Candidates must check they meet both the federal government eligibility requirements and community-specific requirements (see below).
Find an eligible job with an employer in one of the participating communities (listed below).
Candidates with a job offer can submit an application for recommendation to the community.
Candidates with a community recommendation can apply for permanent residence.

North Bay RNIP: Candidate Eligibility Criteria

A candidate must:

Meet all the federal eligibility criteria (see below).
Have a genuine job offer in one of the targeted NOC codes (see below).
Have enough past work experience to effectively work in the job specified.

North Bay RNIP: Candidate Recommendation Criteria

Once a candidate has met the eligibility criteria, they will be scored on the following factors, with the highest-scoring candidates receiving invitations to apply. The invitations may also be limited based on the NOC code groups.

English and/or French language skills.
Age.
Possession of valid driver’s license.
Past residence in, and level of familiarity with, rural and remote communities.
Familial or friendship ties to an established member of the community.
Exploratory visit for at least five nights.
Work experience related to the job being offered.
Current work for an employer who has provided the employment offer.
Current employment in North Bay.
Education at a public post-secondary institution in North Bay.
Temporary status in the community.
Spouse or common-law partner’s adaptability factors:

a) Work experience in one of the NOC groups.

b) Valid job offer from a North Bay employer.

c) Language ability in first and second official language.

d) Current or previous education at a public post-secondary institution in North Bay.

North Bay RNIP: Qualifying NOC Codes

Healthcare and Social Work

NOC 3012: Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
NOC 3413: Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
NOC 3233: Licensed practical nurses
NOC 3112: General practitioners and family physicians
NOC 4152: Social Workers
NOC 4214: Early childhood educators and assistants
NOC 4212: Social and community service workers
NOC 4412: Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations
NOC 3111: Specialist Physicians

Trades (licensed or unlicensed)

NOC 7312: Heavy duty equipment mechanics
NOC 7321: Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers
NOC 7311: Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
NOC 7611: Construction trades helpers and laborers
NOC 7237: Welders and related machine operators
NOC 7271: Carpenters
NOC 7241: Electricians
NOC 7251: Plumbers
NOC 7511: Transport Truck Drivers
NOC 7521: Heavy equipment operators
NOC 7535: Other transport equipment operators and related maintenance workers

Business Administration

NOC 111: Auditors, accountants and investment professionals
NOC 121 Administrative services supervisors
NOC 1311: Accounting technicians and bookkeepers

Information Technology

NOC 0213: Computer and information systems managers
NOC 2147: Computer Engineers
NOC 2171: Information systems analysts and consultants
NOC 2172: Database analysts and data administrators
NOC 2173: Software engineers and designers

Open NOC (max of 10 applicants)

High skill level occupations such as engineers, aviation technicians, pilots, architecture, legal, supervisors in call centres and chefs are examples of jobs being considered under the Open NOC.

North Bay is one of 11 communities that have now launched their RNIP application processes.

The others are Sudbury, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay in Ontario, Claresholm in Alberta, Brandon and Altona/Rhineland in Manitoba, Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan and Vernon and West Kootenay in British Columbia.

RNIP Participating Communities

Community	Community website
North Bay, ON	www.northbayrnip.ca
Sudbury, ON	www.investsudbury.ca/how-can-we-help/immigration-options/
Timmins, ON	Timmins RNIP
Sault Ste. Marie, ON	www.welcometossm.com
Thunder Bay, ON	www.gothunderbay.com
Brandon, MB	www.economicdevelopmentbrandon.com
Altona/Rhineland, MB	www.seedrgpa.com
Moose Jaw, SK	www.moosejawrnip.ca
Claresholm, AB	www.claresholm.ca/rural-northern-immigration-pilot
Vernon, BC	www.rnip-vernon.ca
West Kootenay (Trail, Castlegar, Rossland, Nelson), BC	www.wk-rnip.ca

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.