Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) to Become a Permanent Program on January 1, 2027

The new Rural Community Immigration Program will initially continue with the 14 communities participating in the pilot. However, IRCC has confirmed plans to expand it to additional communities in the coming months.

Under the new 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan, the government has allocated 5,500 permanent residence admission spaces to the program in 2027.

The move is intended to help rural and remote communities struggling to find workers, while giving newcomers, particularly those already living and working in these areas, a clearer path to permanent residence.

Key Takeaways

• Canada will make the Rural Community Immigration Pilot a permanent immigration program starting January 1, 2027.
• The program will continue with the existing 14 participating communities, with expansion planned.
• For 2027, the Immigration Levels Plan has 5,500 permanent residence admission spaces allocated to the program.
• Skilled workers and international graduates in priority sectors will continue to have a pathway to permanent residence through designated employers.
• Participating communities will identify their own priority occupations and employers based on local labour market needs.

Why Canada Is Making the Rural Immigration Pilot Permanent

The Rural Community Immigration Pilot was introduced in January 2025 to help smaller communities attract and retain skilled workers.

It followed the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP), which operated from 2019 to 2024.

Smaller communities face different economic challenges than major cities. Many rural regions have aging populations, fewer working-age residents, and difficulty attracting and retaining workers for essential sectors such as health care, education and skilled trades.

Unlike immigration programs that select candidates based on national labour market priorities, rural programs allow participating communities to identify their own workforce needs.

Minister Lena Metlege Diab emphasized that immigration policies cannot be “one-size-fits-all”, and that rural programs must reflect these differences.

She pointed to the success of the Atlantic Immigration Program, which began as a pilot in 2017 before becoming permanent in 2022, as an example of how employer-driven immigration can support regional economic growth.

During the AIP pilot phase, the program welcomed more than 12,700 newcomers and helped employers make over 9,800 job offers. More importantly, over 90% of applicants were still living in Atlantic Canada a year after arriving.

IRCC hopes to achieve similar long-term results by making the rural community immigration program permanent.

Rural Immigration Pilots: The Impact So Far

According to IRCC, the previous Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) admitted more than 12,500 newcomers and their family members between 2019 and 2024. More than 2,800 employers participated in that program.

Early results from the newer Rural Community Immigration Pilot also indicate strong employer participation.

Between January 2025 and August 2026:

• More than 1,950 employers were vetted and designated by participating communities.
• These employers issued more than 4,700 job offers and community recommendations.
• The program helped address labour shortages in sectors like health care, education, sales and services.

During the announcement, Secretary of State for Rural Development Buckley Belanger highlighted Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, as an example of the impact of these rural pilots.

He said more than 160 employers had been designated in the community and over 260 job offers had been made. More than 90% of the candidates selected in Moose Jaw were already living, studying or working in the community.

Which Communities Will Participate in the Rural Community Immigration Program?

The government has confirmed that the 14 communities currently participating in the Rural Community Immigration Pilot are expected to continue under the permanent program.

These communities are:

• NorthBay, Ontario
• Sudbury, Ontario
• Timmins, Ontario
• Sault Marie, Ontario
• ThunderBay, Ontario
• Claresholm, Alberta
• WestKootenay, British Columbia
• NorthOkanagan Shuswap, British Columbia
• PeaceLiard, British Columbia
• Steinbach, Manitoba
• Altona/Rhineland, Manitoba
• Brandon, Manitoba
• PictouCounty, Nova Scotia
• MooseJaw, Saskatchewan

Importantly, IRCC confirmed that it intends to expand the program to additional communities over the coming months.

However, the government has not yet announced which communities will be added or when they will begin participating.

How Will the Rural Community Immigration Program Work?

The permanent RCIP program will follow the same community-driven approach as the pilot. Local communities will help decide which workers they need and which employers can participate.

1. Communities Will Identify Priority Occupations

Each participating community will identify priority sectors and occupations based on its local labour market needs.

This means that eligible occupations may differ between communities. Candidates will need to check the specific priorities of the community where they want to settle.

2. Employers Must Be Designated

Not every employer in a participating community will be able to hire workers through the program.

Employers must first be vetted and designated by the local community.

They must demonstrate genuine labour needs, maintain good standing, and show that they can support the newcomers they hire.

Employers must also complete mandatory training, follow program rules and support newcomers as they settle in the community. Participating communities are responsible for monitoring employers and reporting on program results.

3. Applicants Must Have a Qualifying Job Offer

To apply for permanent residence through RCIP, candidates must have a qualifying job offer from a designated employer in a participating community.

The job must fall within one of the community’s priority occupations and meet the program’s eligibility requirements.

Applicants must also receive a recommendation from the participating community before applying for permanent residence through IRCC.

Who Can Apply for the Rural Community Immigration Program?

The permanent Rural Community Immigration Program will open on January 1, 2027, offering skilled workers a pathway to permanent residence in participating communities.

According to IRCC’s eligibility requirements, applicants must:

• Have a valid job offer from a designated employer in a participating community.
• Obtain a recommendation certificate from that community.
• Have at least one year (1,560 hours) of related work experience in the past three years, unless exempt.
• Meet the minimum language requirements through an approved language test.
• Have a Canadian educational credential or an equivalent foreign qualification.
• Show they have enough money to support themselves and their families, unless exempt.

Applicants must also plan to live and work in the community where they receive their job offer.

International graduates may qualify for an exemption from the work experience requirement if they meet certain conditions.

Canada Plans to Expand the Program to More Rural Communities

The government plans to expand the Rural Community Immigration Program beyond the 14 communities currently participating.

According to IRCC, communities interested in joining the program must meet certain requirements, including:

• A population of fewer than 200,000 people.
• A score of at least 0.20 on Statistics Canada’s Index of Remoteness, which measures how accessible a community is from major population centres.

Communities must also show that they face labour shortages, have the resources to welcome and support newcomers, and can manage the program locally.

This includes access to housing, health care, education and settlement services.

IRCC has not yet announced which communities will be added or when the next expression of interest process will open.