Last Updated On 28 April 2025, 10:04 AM EDT (Toronto Time)

The North Okanagan-Shuswap region in British Columbia and Thunder Bay in Ontario have released priority sectors and eligible occupations lists under the Canada’s Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP).

RCIP is a federal program launched on January 30, 2025, offering skilled foreign workers a direct pathway to Canadian permanent residency (PR).

Targeting industries like health, education, trades, and more, this initiative connects designated employers with talented newcomers eager to settle in vibrant rural communities in B.C. and Ontario.

What is the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP)

The Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) is a five-year, employer-driven federal program designed to bolster the economies of 14 rural Canadian communities by attracting skilled foreign workers.

Replacing the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP), which ended in August 2024, the RCIP aims to fill critical labour gaps while offering newcomers a chance to build a long-term future in Canada.

North Okanagan-Shuswap and Thunder Bay, two of the selected regions, are leveraging this pilot to address workforce needs in their diverse communities.

North Okanagan-Shuswap RCIP – Full List Of 25 Eligible Occupations

North Okanagan-Shuswap has carefully selected five priority sectors to address local labor market needs, ensuring that only employers in these industries can participate in the RCIP.

These sectors, announced on April 26, 2025, are

Health
Education, Law, Social, Community, and Government Services
Sales and Service
Trades and Transport
Manufacturing and Utilities

25 Eligible Occupations with NOC Codes

The region has published a detailed list of 25 occupations eligible for the RCIP, each tied to a National Occupational Classification (NOC) code.

Below is the complete list, with minimum wage requirements:

Occupation	NOC Code	Minimum Wage
Accounting technicians and bookkeepers	12200	$22
Accounting and related clerks	14200	$22
Accommodation service managers	60031	$25
Administrative assistants	13110	$22
Appliance servicers and repairers	72421	$22
Assemblers and inspectors of other wood products	94211	$22
Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics	72410	$22
Carpenters	72310	$22
Construction trades helpers and labourers	75110	$22
Early childhood educators and assistants	42202	$22
Executive housekeepers	62021	$25
General office support workers	14100	$22
Hairstylists and barbers	63210	$22
Heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning mechanics	72402	$22
Heavy equipment operators	73400	$22
Labourers in wood, pulp, and paper processing	95103	$22
Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors	72100	$22
Manufacturing managers	90010	$22
Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates	33102	$22
Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants	33103	$22
Plastic products assemblers, finishers, and inspectors	94212	$22
Plumbers	72300	$22
Restaurant and food service managers	60030	$25
Social and community service workers	42201	$22
Welders and related machine operators	72106	$22

North Okanagan-Shuswap Recommendation Caps

To ensure balanced hiring, North Okanagan-Shuswap has set employer-specific recommendation caps for certain occupations:

Accommodation service managers: 2 per employer
Assemblers and inspectors of other wood products: 10 per employer
Construction trades helpers and labourers: 10 per employer
Executive housekeepers: 2 per employer
Labourers in wood, pulp, and paper processing: 10 per employer
Plastic products assemblers, finishers, and inspectors: 10 per employer
Restaurant and food service managers: 2 per employer

Subsector Restrictions

Two subsectors face additional limits to prevent overuse:

Fast Food (NAICS 722512): 40 total recommendations, 2 per employer
Gasoline Stations (NAICS 4471): 20 total recommendations, 2 per employer

Significance of Priority Sectors

Employer Eligibility: Only businesses operating in these sectors can become designated employers, a prerequisite for offering RCIP-eligible job offers.

Sector Priority Over NOC: The employer’s industry takes precedence over the job’s NOC code, ensuring alignment with community needs.

Annual Review: Priority sectors may change yearly to reflect evolving labor demands.

This curated list ensures that RCIP aligns with North Okanagan-Shuswap’s economic goals, offering opportunities in high-demand fields like healthcare and skilled trades.

Eligibility Criteria for RCIP in North Okanagan-Shuswap

To qualify for permanent residency through the RCIP in North Okanagan-Shuswap, candidates must meet both federal and community-specific requirements.

These criteria ensure that applicants are skilled, committed to settling in the region, and capable of contributing to the local economy.

Federal Eligibility Criteria

Valid Job Offer:
- Must be full-time, permanent, and non-seasonal from a designated employer in a priority sector/occupation.
- Must align with the NOC Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) category of the job.
Work Experience:
- At least 1 year (1,560 hours) of full-time work experience in the past 3 years, related to the job offer’s NOC TEER category:
  - TEER 0/1 job: Experience in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3.
  - TEER 2 job: Experience in TEER 1, 2, 3, or 4.
  - TEER 3/4 job: Experience in TEER 2, 3, or 4.
  - TEER 5 job: Experience in the same 5-digit NOC code.
- Exemption: International graduates from a Canadian public institution (2-year program, completed within 18 months) in the community may be exempt.
Language Proficiency:
- Minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) based on the job’s TEER:
  - TEER 0/1: CLB 6
  - TEER 2/3: CLB 5
  - TEER 4/5: CLB 4
- Tests (e.g., IELTS, TEF) must be less than 2 years old.
Education:
- Minimum Canadian secondary school diploma or foreign equivalent, validated by an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA, less than 5 years old).
Proof of Funds:
- Sufficient funds to support the applicant and family for one year, equivalent to half the low-income cut-off for rural areas.
Intent to Reside:
- Genuine intention to live in North Okanagan-Shuswap long-term.
Temporary Resident Status:
- Valid status (e.g., work/study permit) when applying, maintained until PR is granted.

North Okanagan-Shuswap Community-Specific Criteria

Points-Based System: Candidates must score at least 50 points on North Okanagan-Shuswap’s Comprehensive Ranking System, which evaluates factors like:
- Community ties (e.g., living/working in the region for 6+ months).
- Job offer wage and alignment with priority sectors.
- Language skills, education, and work experience.
Recommendation Requirement: A certificate of recommendation from a local economic development organization (e.g., Community Futures) is mandatory. Only candidates with the highest points are recommended.
Wage Requirements:
- $25/hour for accommodation service managers, restaurant/food service managers, and executive housekeepers.
- $22/hour for all other occupations.
- For applicants outside the community or abroad, wages must meet or exceed $23/hour and align with Federal Job Bank ranges.

Employer Requirements

Employers must be designated by Community Futures North Okanagan or Shuswap and meet strict criteria:

Operate a genuine business for 2+ years in the community or demonstrate significant economic contributions after relocation.
Conduct 75% of business activities within the community in a priority sector.
Complete intercultural competency and onboarding training.
Commit to supporting the applicant’s settlement (e.g., access to social services).
Comply with employment standards and occupational health/safety laws.
Not be owned/controlled by the applicant or their spouse/common-law partner.

These criteria ensure that only qualified candidates and employers participate, fostering sustainable community growth.

Eligible Communities in North Okanagan-Shuswap

The RCIP covers a broad geographic area in British Columbia, encompassing the entire Regional District of North Okanagan and Electoral Areas C, D, E, F, and G of the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, including the City of Salmon Arm.

This excludes Kelowna and Sun Peaks resort areas.

Key Communities

Armstrong
Ashton Creek
Anglemont
Blind Bay
Celista
Cherryville
Coldstream/Lavington
Deep Creek
Enderby
Falkland
Grindrod
Lumby
Salmon Arm
Scotch Creek
Sicamous
Silver Creek
Sorrento
Spallumcheen
Vernon

North Okanagan-Shuswap Intake Windows

Securing PR through the RCIP involves a structured process, with North Okanagan-Shuswap offering five intake windows in 2025 to manage applications efficiently.

May 12–May 26, 2025
July 7–July 21, 2025
August 25–September 8, 2025
October 13–October 27, 2025
November 24–December 8, 2025

Thunder Bay RCIP – Full List Of 25 Eligible Occupations

The Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC) has identified five different professional groups that it will aim to target foreign recruitment for through the RCIP:

Business and Finance Administration;
Healthcare;
Education, Law, Social, Community, and Government Services;
Sales and Service; and
Trades, Transport, Equipment Operators, and related occupations.

The Thunder Bay CEDC will aim to recruit the following occupations within these five groups:

Sector	Job Title (NOC Code)
Business, Finance and Administration Occupations	Administrative assistants (13110)
	Financial advisors (11102)
	General office support workers (14100)
Health Occupations	Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment (31204)
	Licensed practical nurses (32101)
	Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (33102)
	Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants (33103)
	Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (31301)
Occupations in Education, Law, Social, Community and Government Services	Early childhood educators and assistants (42202)
	Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations (44101)
	Social and community service workers (42201)
	Social workers (41300)
	Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies (41301)
Sales and Service	Cooks (63200)
	Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations (65201)
	Food service supervisors (62020)
	Light duty cleaners (65310)
	Retail and wholesale trade managers (60020)
	Retail sales supervisors (62010)
	Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers (64100)
	Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers (65102)
Trades, Transport, Equipment Operators and other related occupations	Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers (72410)
	Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics (72400)
	Construction trades helpers and labourers (75110)
	Heavy equipment operators (73400)

Thunder Bay RCIP Draw Schedule

CEDC will announce draws approximately once every two months and the highest-scoring applicants in the pool will be further assessed.

Candidates and/or employers may be requested to participate in a formal interview to further assess their application.

Approximately 1/3rd of Thunder Bay RCIP Recommendation Certificates will be issued at the end of each window.

Sector targets are in place as follows:

15% for Business, Finance and Administration Occupations

30% for Health Occupations

15% for Occupations in Education, Law & Social, Community & Government Services

15% for Sales & Service Occupations

15% for Trades and Transport Occupations

10% allowance for adjustments to the above

*Tie-breaking rule: If more than one application has the lowest score, the cut-off is based on the date and time the applications were submitted (i.e. whichever was submitted first would be considered for the Recommendation Certificate).

RCIP Challenges and Considerations

While the RCIP is promising, applicants should be aware of potential challenges:

Competitive Process: Limited recommendations favour high-scoring candidates, requiring strong community ties or skills.

Employer Designation: Only designated employers can participate, which may limit job options until more businesses are approved.

Rural Adjustment: Transitioning to rural life may be challenging for those accustomed to urban amenities.

Processing Delays: IRCC backlogs could extend PR processing times, though the employer-driven model may expedite cases.

Wage Requirements: Higher minimum wages ($22–$25/hour) may exclude lower-paying roles in priority sectors.

Mitigating Challenges

Build local connections by living or working in the region before applying.
Research designated employers early via Community Futures or the forthcoming RCIP website.
Prepare financially for rural living and PR application fees (e.g., $1,365 for the principal applicant).

Other RCIP Communities and Their Progress

Now five of 14 RCIP communities, with others also releasing priority sectors and occupations.

As of April 26, 2025, the following have announced their lists:

Timmins, ON
Brandon, MB
Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Thunder Bay, ON
North Okanagan-Shuswap, B.C.

Other communities, like North Bay and Claresholm, are preparing to launch their programs, with details expected soon.

Each community tailors its RCIP to local needs, but all share the goal of addressing labour shortages and fostering sustainable growth.

Tips for a Successful RCIP Application

To maximize your chances of securing PR through the North Okanagan-Shuswap RCIP, follow these expert tips:

Secure a Job Offer Early: Contact employers in priority sectors via Community Futures or the RCIP website (launching Fall 2025).

Boost Your Points: Live or work in the region for 6+ months to gain community ties, increasing your score.

Prepare Documents: Obtain language test results, ECA, and proof of funds well in advance.

Apply During Early Windows: The May 12–26, 2025, window may have less competition.mediator:

Work with an RCIC: A Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant can navigate complex requirements.

Monitor Updates: Check www.rcipnorthokanaganshuswap.com and https://gotothunderbay.ca/rural-community-immigration-pilot-rcip/ or IRCC for program changes.

By targeting high-demand fields like health, education, and trades, this pilot addresses labour shortages while offering newcomers a chance to settle in welcoming rural communities.

With clear eligibility criteria, structured intake windows, and a points-based system, the RCIP is a strategic opportunity for those ready to contribute to rural Canadian growth.

Start preparing now—secure a job offer, gather documents, and connect with Community Futures to launch your journey.

Purnima Mann

Purnima Mann, a news writer passionate about delivering insightful and well-researched articles. From current affairs to finance and culture , I aim to inform, engage, and spark meaningful discussions. Stay informed and explore new perspectives with me.