Immigration Corner | The RNIP – a viable pathway to permanent residence for qualified foreign workers

Dear Miss Powell,

I have been interested in Canada for a while now. I completed the English exam and got my credentials assessed. I have been working as a social worker for the past three years. I have a lot of family living in Toronto, and I would like to move there myself, but I don’t want to live in the city. I’m a country girl, and so I would like a small town in Ontario. Are there any special programmes apart from Express Entry that I can apply through? Thank you for your time.

BB

Dear BB,

I am pleased to inform you that there are many programmes available for applicants who are interested in living in the rural areas of Canada. The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) was created to by Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to encourage immigrants to settle in smaller communities. This a a viable pathway to permanent residence for qualified foreign workers who choose to live and work in one of the participating communities.

I am pleased that you have already taken the first step to qualifying by doing the required English exam. Please ensure that you have done the International English Language Testing System, General Training exam, or the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program General Examination. You need to pay attention to the minimum language requirements for each National Occupational Classification category. For Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) 0 and 1, you must have a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)/Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 6; for TEER 2 and 3: CLB/NCLC 5 and for TEER 4 and 5: CLB/NCLC 4.

PROCEDURE

To apply, you need to first check to ensure that you can meet the IRCC eligibility requirements as well as the community-specific requirements. Each community has their own eligibility requirements and job search process, so I recommend that you start with the community that you are most interested in and apply to them immediately.

The communities closest to Toronto and their websites are as follows:

North Bay- https://northbayrnip.ca/; Sudbury - https://investsudbury.ca/why-sudbury/move-to-sudbury/rnip/; Timmins - www.timminsedc.com; Sault Ste Marie, ON www.welcometossm.com; and Thunder Bay https://gotothunderbay.ca/.

You will need to contact them to ensure that you can meet their requirements and for them to recommend you before July 31, 2024. Once you have their recommendation, then you will need to apply for permanent residence via the permanent residence portal and follow the instructions that are provided.

KEY FACTORS

You will also need to present your Educational Credential assessment report if your studies were done outside of Canada. You indicated that you have a report. Please ensure that it is from one of the recognised institutions. You should also have an updated résumé and your letter of recommendation. A job offer from one of the authorised employer is also a requirement.

As with all economic programmes, you must provide proof of settlement funds. The minimum required funds in Canadian dollars based on the number of persons in your immediate family are $14,690 for a single person; family of two – $18,288; family of three – $22,483; family of four – $27,297; family of fove – $30,690. You should check with your local bank to find out the current exchange rate.

The deadline is fast approaching as IRCC must receive your application before August 31, 2024. That means that you must act immediately. If you would like to learn more about RNIP and other programmes you may contact my office to schedule a telephone or online consultation.

Deidre S. Powell is a lawyer, mediator, and notary public in Canada. You may connect with her on Facebook and Instagram. You may also call or WhatsApp 613-695-8777.