ELIGIBILITY AND COMMUNITY CRITERIA
Understand the Eligibility and Designation Requirements
If you’re an employer interested in supporting skilled foreign workers through the North Bay & Area RCIP, this section outlines everything you need to know—from job and candidate eligibility to becoming a designated employer. Learn about the federal requirements, priority sectors and occupations, and how to maintain compliance throughout the process.
Employment and Job Eligibility
The job must be...
- Within the boundaries of North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot
- Full time (at least 30 paid hours per week)
- Indeterminate (with no end date, no contract) and non-seasonal (must be year-round)
- Volunteer work and unpaid internships don’t count.
- At a skill level similar to the qualifying work experience (see the IRCC’s table on qualifying work experience)
Exemptions
Healthcare Workers
If your candidate’s work experience is in NOC 31301 (Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses – TEER 1), you can make a job offer in one of the following occupation categories:
- NOC 33102 (TEER 3): Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
- NOC 44101 (TEER 4): Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations.
North Bay & Area International Students
Candidate does not need qualifying work experience if they are an international student who graduated from a DLI (Designated Learning Institution) within the North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot region.
Important Information
- Please refer to the Rural Community Immigration Pilot: Get a job offer for information on genuine job offers, required work experience, and international students information.
- Interested job seekers must apply directly to designated North Bay & Area employers following the instructions outlined in the job advertisement.
- The North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot does not provide job matching services. Do not send resumes or cover letters to the North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot.
- Employers will not be accepting inquiries from third parties (e.g., immigration consultants) regarding job applications.
Job Search Resources
Candidates can use websites, such as the following, to search for employment in the area:
Next Steps
Securing employment or a job offer does not guarantee a Community Recommendation or Permanent Residence through the North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot.
Once you have a valid job offer from a designated employer, they will send your community recommendation application directly to the North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot to review. A list of designated employers will be updated regularly on this site. (List of designated employers coming soon)
North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot will check to make sure
- your job is in a priority sector or occupation and the job offer is real, and
- you meet all the requirements for the pilot
If the North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot decides to provide you with a recommendation, you can then apply for your Permanent Residence.
Federal Government Requirements
Employer Requirements
As a first step, all employers wishing to participate in the RCIP programs must meet the legal requirements of a designated employer, as outlined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which are outlined below. The employer must prove:
- (a) it carries on a genuine business that has been in continuous, active operation under the same management for at least two years within the designated community or it can demonstrate continuous, active operation in another location, in which case the economic development organization must confirm that the relocation of the business to the designated community will make or has made a substantial contribution to that community’s economy;
- (b) it carries on business in relation to at least one priority occupation and at least 75% of the work is performed within the designated community;
- (c) has successfully completed intercultural competency training;
- (d) it has successfully completed mandatory onboarding training;
- (e) it commits to supporting the settlement of each applicant and any accompanying family members, including by facilitating access to the settlement and social service support;
- (f) it is not in contravention of employment standards and occupational health and safety legislation; and
- (g) it is not
- (i) a consulate,
- (ii) an employer referred to in paragraph 200(3)(g.1) or (h) of the Regulations,
- (iii) a business that recruits individuals in order to establish a pool of candidates who are intended to be transferred or contracted to other businesses,
- (iv) a business in which a majority of voting or ownership interests are held, either individually or collectively, by the foreign national or their spouse or common-law partner or that is controlled, directly or indirectly, by the foreign national or their spouse or common-law partner, or
- (v) a business owned by a representative who is a person referred to in subsection 91(2) of the Act.
Employers must also take the required training that is offered by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Information on this is available on the IRCC’s website.
Employer Designation
- Every employer is required to be designated by North Bay & Area RCIP community before they can submit applications on behalf of their staff. This requirement includes all businesses, including those who participated in RNIP.
- Every employer must complete two training sessions; Employer Onboarding Training and Building Welcoming Workplaces. Following the training, each employer must then submit their certificates and application form to the RCIP team to be considered.
- Once an application has been submitted, the RCIP staff will review the application to ensure the employer is eligible. If the employer is deemed eligible, they will be listed as a designated employer and will be able to participate in RCIP. All designated employers will be listed publicly by the community.
After Designation
Once an employer has been designated by the community, they now have the ability to apply to RCIP on behalf of their employee (s). RCIP differs from RNIP in the fact that employers are the only ones who submit applications. Candidates do not directly apply to the community as was the case with RNIP.
De-Designation of Employers
Employers who have been found to be in violation of immigration laws, federal or provincial labour requirements, and/or community requirements may be de-designated by the RCIP team.
The North Bay & Area RCIP can revoke the designation of an employer if:
- (a) the economic development organization becomes aware that a designated employer is in violation of the employer compliance regime under the Act or the Regulations and an order or administrative monetary penalty is issued;
- (b) the economic development organization becomes aware of fraud or misrepresentation in a designated employer’s application for designation or recommendation or the offer of employment;
- (c) the economic development organization has program integrity and quality assurance concerns or becomes aware of fraud, misrepresentation or non-compliance by a designated employer with provincial or federal legislation related to employment standards or occupational health and safety that occur after initial designation;
- (d) the economic development organization becomes aware that the designated employer no longer meets the designation criteria set out in subsection (3);
- (e) the economic development organization becomes aware that a designated employer has been found to be non-compliant with the Canadian Human Rights Act, provincial labour and employment legislation or provincial human rights legislation by the body responsible for the administration of the federal or provincial legislation, as applicable;
- (f) the designated employer or any person who recruits the foreign national for the designated employer has, directly or indirectly, charged or recovered fees from the foreign national; or
- (g) the designated employer has voluntarily requested withdrawal from participating in the rural community immigration class.
Click here for further information.
Candidate Requirements - Click here to ensure you follow the IRCC eligibility
North Bay & Area RCIP Priority Sectors and NOCs
PLEASE NOTE: While all occupations contribute to the economic growth of North Bay and Area, we are required to prioritize sectors and select only 25 total occupations for our pilot. These occupations have been determined in consultation with local stakeholders and labour market information/data to support community economic development. These occupations will be reviewed annually.
Only employers who do business in at least one priority occupation and sector listed below will be eligible to become a designated employer and participate in the North Bay & Area RCIP.
Priority Occupations
| Occupation Code | Occupation Name |
|---|---|
| 11100 | Financial auditors and accountants |
| 12200 | Accounting technicians and bookkeepers |
| 11200 | Human resources professional |
| 13110 | Administrative assistants |
| 14201 | Banking, insurance and financial clerks |
| 14400 | Shippers & Receivers |
| 31301 | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses |
| 33100 | Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants |
| 33102 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient services associates |
| 33103 | Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants |
| 42202 | Early childhood educators and assistants |
| 42201 | Social and community service workers |
| 44101 | Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations |
| 43100 | Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants |
| 64410 | Security guards and related security service occupations |
| 64314 | Hotel front desk clerks |
| 60010 | Corporate sales manager |
| 72100 | Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors |
| 72200 | Electricians |
| 72404 | Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors |
| 72402 | Heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning mechanics |
| 72410 | Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers |
| 72106 | Welders and related machine operators |
| 72310 | Carpenters (includes apprentices) |
| 75110 | Construction trade helpers and labourers |
PLEASE NOTE: At this time, we are excluding all fast food and retail occupations, which includes convenience store and gas station occupations for this pilot. Priority sectors and occupations will be reviewed annually.
Priority Sectors
Business, Finance and Administration
Health
Education, law and social, community and government services
Sales and service
Trades and transport
Don’t see your Priority Sector and/or NOC listed among those accepted for the North Bay and Area RCIP?
We would appreciate your input and want to hear from you.
Please email RCIP Coordinators at [email protected] to provide information as we continue to enhance the pilot over the next 5 years.