Candidates

Would you like to live and work in the North Bay & Area long-term?

If you are a temporary resident or an individual overseas looking to become a permanent resident, scroll down to learn more about the North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot.

What is the Rural Community Immigration Pilot?

The Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) offers permanent residence (PR) to skilled foreign workers who want to work and settle in rural and more remote communities.

Candidates to the North Bay & Area RCIP must be planning to work and live long-term in the North Bay & Area catchment and meet federal and community criteria.

How do I qualify for RCIP?

STEP 1 – Who Can Apply

STEP 2 – Get a job offer

Applicants must secure full-time, permanent employment in the region with a designated employer in one of the priority sectors and/or occupations listed above.

View List of Designated Employers Here

Click here to ensure the job offer meets the requirements of the Pilots.

If you are successful in securing a job offer with a designated employer and they agree to support your application, they will provide you with an Offer of Employment Form.

STEP 3 - Get a Community Recommendation

Once you have a valid job offer from a designated employer, the employer will submit an application for community recommendation during one of the monthly intake periods listed below. Ensure that you have provided them with all the necessary documents required for a complete application as any incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Click here for the RCIP Recommendation Application Guidelines

2026 Intake Periods:

February 15, 12:00 am to February 21, 11:59 pm
March 8, 12:00 am to March 14, 11:59 pm
April 5, 12:00 am to April 11, 11:59 pm
May 3, 12:00 am to May 9, 11:59 pm
June 7, 12:00 am to June 13, 11:59 pm
July 12, 12:00 am to July 18, 11:59 pm
August 9, 12:00 am to August 15, 11:59 pm
September 13, 12:00 am to September 19, 11:59 pm
October 18, 12:00 am to October 24, 11:59 pm
November 15, 12:00 am to November 21, 11:59 pm

STEP 4 - How applications are processed

The North Bay & Area RCIP ranks applications in a pool using a points-based system. Complete applications meeting the eligibility requirements with a minimum score of 50 points required will be placed into the Candidate Pool.

The North Bay & Area RCIP Federal and Community scoring system

Selection will be completed by the RCIP Coordinators once per month. The highest-scoring applications in the pool of each intake period will be further assessed by the North Bay & Area RCIP and reviewed by the Community Recommendation Committee at the end of every month. Candidates deemed to satisfy the requirements of the Ministerial Instructions will be issued a community recommendation certificate.

*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).

Applications not selected for further review by the Committee will be brought forward to the following month. Applications will not be considered if they are incomplete or do not meet federal eligibility requirements. It is up to employers to ensure they meet the program requirements, and their application is complete.

STEP 5 – Apply for Permanent Residence

If your employer’s recommendation application is approved, you will receive a recommendation certificate that allows you to apply to IRCC for permanent residence. The recommendation certificate is valid for a period of six (6) months.

Click the link below for instructions on how to apply for permanent residence, including a document checklist and instructions for filling out forms:

NOTE: Receiving a community recommendation certificate from the North Bay & Area RCIP does not guarantee that you will receive permanent residence. It is up to the IRCC Processing Officer when they are reviewing the application.

STEP 6 - Settle in the North Bay & Area

Once you’ve applied for and/or received your permanent residence from the IRCC, you will be asked to communicate with the North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce (NBDCC) and your employer to share details and timelines about your relocation to the region, if applicable.

Your employer will support you by connecting you to settlement services, helping you integrate into the workplace, and welcoming you to the community.

STEP 7 – Optional: Work permit

What happens next?

North Bay & Area RCIP Recommendation Committee reviews applications

Your application will be presented to the North Bay & Area RCIP Community Recommendation Committee. These meetings are generally held once a month. Applications are submitted to the committee in the order that they are received. Your patience in this process is appreciated.

Results from Community Recommendation Meeting emailed to candidates

Following the review of your application at the Community Recommendation Meeting, you will receive an email notifying you whether or not you have been granted a community recommendation to apply for Canadian Permanent Residency.

If you receive a Community Recommendation for Permanent Residency

If you are successful, then you will receive a Community Recommendation from the North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce.
You are then eligible to apply for Permanent Residency with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
If needed, you can also apply for a two-year work permit specific to the employer while the permanent resident application is being processed.

How do I apply for the RCIP work permit?

Your spouse or common-law partner can apply for an open work permit at the same time as you apply for your 2-year work permit. Their work permit will only let them work in the same community as you.
While your application for permanent residency is being processed, applicants can apply for a two-year work permit specific to the employer who provided the Offer of Employment. (More details coming soon)

What else do I need to know?

Timeline

Responsiveness

Other Pathways to immigration

Incomplete Applications

Applications WILL NOT be considered if the following documents are incomplete and do not meet minimum qualifications:

A valid job offer from a North Bay & Area designated employer
Valid English or French language test results that meet the requirements of the job offer. Learn more.
Canadian educational credential or the foreign equivalent with an ECA (Education Credential Assessment). Learn more.
Proof of related work experience (one year/ 1,560 hours) in the last three years, unless you are exempt
If not working in Canada, proof that you have enough money to support yourself, and your family, where applicable

Immigration Representative

The North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot is not affiliated with any Immigration Representative, nor do we give preferential treatment to applicants who have hired an Immigration Representative.

If you choose to have paperwork completed by an Immigration Representative, we suggest that you read Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s guidelines for using an immigration and citizenship representative.

Candidates can use a representative to act on their behalf or to assist them with finding a qualifying job offer, completing their RCIP application for recommendation, and/or completing their Permanent Resident application.

There are different types of representatives: paid and unpaid, authorized and unauthorized. The North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot will not communicate with, or allow for, unauthorized representatives to assist with RCIP application. If an applicant uses an unauthorized representative, in Canada or abroad, we may return your application or refuse it.

Immigration Representatives are authorized if they are:

Lawyers and paralegals who are members in good standing of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society
Notaries who are members in good standing of the Chambre des notaires du Québec, and
Citizenship or immigration consultants who are members in good standing of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants

Please Note: using an Immigration Representative does not change how the application will be reviewed or whether it will be approved or rejected. All applications are handled the same. Immigration Representatives cannot and should not guarantee Community Recommendation, Permanent Residence, or a more expedient processing of an application.

Fraud and Misrepresentation

Fraud and misrepresentation are taken very seriously by the North Bay & Area RCIP and by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Any business and/or individuals found to be misrepresenting themselves or committing fraud will be banned from applying for recommendation for the duration of the pilot, along with any associated parties. 

Misrepresentation and fraud can take many forms including but not limited to:

Submission of fraudulent documents
Accepting or offering money for a job offer
Intentionally misleading the North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot

Decision Making

It is important to note the following:

All decisions made by the North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot are final and are not subject to appeal.
Receiving a recommendation from the North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot does not guarantee permanent residence. Only Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has the authority to approve or refuse all applications for permanent residency.