Canada eases eligibility requirements for Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

Canada’s minister of immigration, Marco Mendicino, made two announcements on changes to the Rural and North Immigration Pilot (RNIP)

Applicants no longer need to have accumulated work experience over a continuous period of time. Instead, Canada will count the work experience requirement if it was completed within the three years preceding the application. One year of eligible work experience is still required for the program, but having breaks in employment does not make someone ineligible for the program. This applies to all who have already applied for the pilot, as well as those who apply in the future.
Also, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is also allowing RNIP applicants who are waiting for a decision on their permanent residence application to apply for a work permit without being penalized due to processing delays. This temporary measure applies to people who are going through the process during the pandemic.
Despite these changes, applicants will still need to meet the admissibility and program requirements of the RNIP in order to immigrate to Canada through the pilot.

“The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, and other pilots, are helping to get the workers we need to places like Sault Ste. Marie, where we need them,” Mendicino said. “We’re going to continue working to ensure that the benefits of immigration are felt in cities and towns across our country.”
There are 11 rural communities participating in the pilot including:
• North Bay, Ontario;
• Sudbury, Onatario;
• Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario;
• Timmins, Ontario;
• Thunder Bay, Ontario;
• Brandon, Manitoba;
• Altona/Rhineland, Manitoba;
• Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan;
• Claresholm, Alberta;
• Vernon, British Columbia; and
• West Kootenay, British Columbia

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