Two current pilots, one community-driven structure.
The federal rules establish minimum eligibility. A participating community then applies its own economic priorities and recommendation process before IRCC decides the permanent-residence application.
RCIP
For skilled workers who want to settle in one of 14 participating rural communities.
FCIP
For French-speaking skilled workers who want to settle in one of 6 participating Francophone communities.
Essential sequence
Designated-employer offer → community recommendation → IRCC permanent residence.
No federal points calculator
There is no single national points grid. Local priorities and recommendation methods differ by community.
Participating communities and local control.
| Pilot | Participating communities | What must be checked locally |
|---|---|---|
| RCIP — 14 | Pictou County; North Bay; Sudbury; Timmins; Sault Ste. Marie; Thunder Bay; Steinbach; Altona/Rhineland; Brandon; Moose Jaw; Claresholm; West Kootenay; North Okanagan Shuswap; Peace Liard | Designated-employer list, priority sectors/NOCs, recommendation intake, local documents and deadlines. |
| FCIP — 6 | Acadian Peninsula; Sudbury; Timmins; Superior East Region; St. Pierre Jolys; Kelowna | French-community priorities, designated employers, recommendation criteria and available intake. |
Start on the selected community's site.
Check priority sectors/NOCs, designated employers, vacancies, intake, recommendation forms and any local scoring grid. Designated does not mean hiring.
Pictou County
Open official siteNorth Bay & Area
Open official siteSudbury
Open official site Local score: Interactive local gridTimmins
Open official siteSault Ste. Marie
Open official siteThunder Bay
Open official site Local score: 2026 grid · minimum 50Steinbach
Open official siteAltona/Rhineland
Open official siteBrandon
Open official siteMoose Jaw
Open official siteClaresholm
Open official site Local score: 2026 grid · minimum 50West Kootenay
Open official siteNorth Okanagan Shuswap
Open official sitePeace Liard
Open official siteAcadian Peninsula
Open official siteSudbury
Open official siteTimmins
Open official siteSuperior East Region
Open official siteSt-Pierre-Jolys
Open official site Local score: Local pool · minimum 50Kelowna
Open official siteWarning: never pay an employer or intermediary for a job offer or interview. The community is not the employer; it manages designation and recommendation.
The job offer must pass both employer and occupation tests.
Designated employer
The employer must be designated by the same participating community. A job offer from another employer is not enough.
Genuine, full-time work
The offer must satisfy the federal pilot rules and the community's economic priorities; wages, duties, location and licensing are reviewed.
NOC match
Use the five-digit NOC 2021 code that best matches the lead statement and most main duties—not the job title alone.
Community recommendation
The community assesses the candidate, employer and local priority. A recommendation is required before applying to IRCC.
Work experience must relate to the offer under the federal TEER table.
Normally, at least 1 year / 1,560 hours of paid, non-self-employed related work is required in the 3 years before applying. The experience must match the NOC lead statement and most main duties. Special health-care matching permits NOC 31301 experience for offers in NOC 33102 or 44101.
| Job-offer TEER | Permitted experience TEER |
|---|---|
| 0 or 1 | 0, 1, 2 or 3 |
| 2 | 1, 2, 3 or 4 |
| 3 or 4 | 2, 3 or 4 |
| 5 | The same five-digit NOC as the offer |
Some recent local graduates do not need the work-experience minimum.
- 01
A credential of 2 years or more: full-time study at a public post-secondary institution in the recommending community, graduation within 18 months, and presence in the community for at least 16 of the final 24 months.
- 02
A master's degree or higher completed in 2 years or less: full-time study, graduation within 18 months, and residence in the community for the duration of the program.
- 03
The exemption is not available where more than half the program was language study or distance learning, or where a scholarship required return to the home country.
- 04
Education, language, job offer, community recommendation and other federal requirements still apply.
Language depends on the pilot and the job's TEER.
Approved results must normally be less than 2 years old when you apply.
| Pilot / offer | Minimum |
|---|---|
| RCIP — TEER 0 or 1 | CLB/NCLC 6 in each ability |
| RCIP — TEER 2 or 3 | CLB/NCLC 5 in each ability |
| RCIP — TEER 4 or 5 | CLB/NCLC 4 in each ability |
| FCIP — every TEER | NCLC 5 in French in every ability; TEF Canada or TCF Canada |
Application sequence and optional work permit.
- 01
Choose a participating community; open its official page and confirm the current priority occupations, designated employers, vacancies, intake and local score method.
- 02
Apply directly for a genuine advertised position. Confirm the employer is designated and verify the NOC, TEER, duties, wage, location and licensing.
- 03
Prove federal work experience or the qualifying local-graduate exemption, language, education/ECA and settlement funds.
- 04
Work with the employer on the recommendation package. Under the federal process, the employer submits it directly to the community; an LMIA is not required for this designated-employer route.
- 05
After the community issues the recommendation certificate, submit the permanent-residence application to IRCC.
- 06
If eligible, use the offer and recommendation to request the optional 2-year employer-specific work permit while PR is processed; an eligible spouse may request an open permit limited to the same community.
Do not use the old RNIP lists for a new application.
The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot ended on August 31, 2024. Its former communities, employer lists and recommendation forms do not establish eligibility for RCIP or FCIP.
The right tools for this pathway
There is no Canada-wide RCIP/FCIP points total. Use the federal readiness checker below, then open the selected community's official scoring grid and current cut-off where one is published.
Are you ready for the PR stage?
This tool checks RCIP/FCIP minimums. Local ranking and cut-offs must still be checked on the community website.
Complete or review the items below
- ○ Eligible offer from a designated employer in a current local priority
- ○ Related work experience or qualifying local-graduate exemption
- ○ Canadian education or a valid ECA for foreign education
- ○ CLB/NCLC 6+ in every ability with a valid test
- ○ Settlement-funds rule addressed
- ○ Community recommendation obtained before the PR application
This is a preliminary result. The community and IRCC assess evidence, NOC/TEER relationships, wage, licensing and admissibility.
Official sources
Verify current rules at the authority.
This guide provides general information, not legal advice. Program status, intake and criteria can change.