Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot –is an immigration program launched in 2019 that aims to bring immigrants to small towns. This will help boost the economy in these places.

The program is based on the Atlantic program, which was liked by the Canadian government. It was also a pilot program at first, but in 2022 it was restarted on a permanent basis.

Canadian communities wishing to participate in the program must apply and be approved.

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Terms and Conditions

To be eligible to participate in the Rural and Northern Communities Pilot Program, you must:

• Have current work experience or have graduated from a public post-secondary institution in one of these cities.
• Have a current job offer.
• Education at the right level.
• Language at the right level.
• Prove that you have the funds to settle.
• Demonstrate an intention to live in the area.
• Meet the requirements of the community.
• Be recommended by a designated community economic development organization.

Work Experience

You need 1 year of continuous work experience (at least 1,560 hours) within the last 3 years.

How to calculate work experience:

• both full-time and part-time work hours can be counted;
• experience both in and outside of Canada is counted;
• the hours must have been obtained over a period of at least 12 months. So the option that you worked around the clock and gained suitable experience in half a year will not work;
• your work must have been paid;
• self-employment experience does not count;
• if the experience was gained in Canada, it must be legal - you were a temporary resident with a work permit.

When choosing a NOC code, it is important that your primary duties overlap with those in its description.
You also do not need the work experience described above if you are a Canadian graduate from one of these communities.

Job offer

To participate in the program, you must have a job offer in one of the participating communities. The job offer must meet the following requirements:

• full-time - at least 30 paid hours per week;
• non-seasonal - permanent paid employment throughout the year;
• permanent employment - no set end date for the joboffer;
• wages at or above the minimum wage for the occupation;
• your prior work experience must show that you are capable of performing the duties of the proposed job.

Education Requirements

If you studied in Canada, you must provide a high school diploma.

If you studied outside of Canada, a completed high school education (grade 11) will suffice. However, you will need to prove that this education is of a Canadian standard. To do this, you will need to have your diploma or certificate evaluated (who gets what).

Language requirements

The minimum language requirements depend on the NOC skill level of the occupation you are being invited to join:

• NOC TEER 0 or 1: 6 CLB / NCLC and above;
• NOC TEER 2 or 3: 5 CLB / NCLC and above;
• NOC TEER 4 or 5: 4 CLB / NCLC and above.

CLB for English and NCLC for French.

Settlement money

If you are currently working in Canada, you do not need to prove that you have money. You can skip this item.
Below is a table of how much money you need depending on the size of your family (spouse, dependent children). Even those who will not be traveling to Canada with you should be considered.

Table of minimum requirements

List of participating cities

You can immigrate with the Rural and Northern program to one of 11 cities.

List of cities and their websites

The immigration process under the program

The process is quite simple and straightforward. The whole procedure consists of 4 steps.

1. Check if you meet the basic requirements in terms of experience, language, education, etc.
2. Find an employer in a suitable community.
3. Apply to the community.
4. If the application is approved by the community, apply for PR (permanent residency) at the federal stage.