Rules change often, confirm with the community
Rural and francophone community pilots · 2026
18 communities across seven provinces can recommend you for permanent residence if a designated local employer offers you a job. Here is every community, what it prioritises, when it opens and what it takes to score.
The directory
Each community sets its own priority sectors, occupation list, intake windows, employer caps and minimum score. Filter, then go straight to the source.
West Kootenay Regional Immigration Initiative
Closed for 2026: the 2-7 September intake was the last of the year, with a minimum score of 93 (the June intake closed at 91). The next intake is in 2027, dates not yet set. Employer designation is closed to new applications. 330 designated employers, 148 recommendations in 2025 and 123 in 2026. Verified October 9, 2026.
Community Futures North Okanagan & Community Futures Shuswap
Five intake windows in 2026. Cut-off scores so far: Intake 1 = 91, Intake 2 = 93, Intake 3 = 94 (2025 was 84, 84 and 90). Intake 4 ran 12-20 September, with its selection meeting moved to 28 October; Intake 5 is 8-15 November, with a meeting on 7 December. Boundary is the whole Regional District of North Okanagan plus Columbia Shuswap electoral areas C, D, E, F and G and the City of Salmon Arm.
Northeast BC Immigration
Covers the Peace River Regional District and the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality: Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, Tumbler Ridge, Taylor, Pouce Coupe, Hudson's Hope and Fort Nelson. 56 recommendations issued through the April 2026 intake. IRCC granted 25 more for 2026, and the second 2026 intake window ran from noon 13 October to noon 20 October 2026 and has closed; it was open only to designated employers that had not yet received a recommendation this year. Verified October 9, 2026.
Societe de developpement economique de la Colombie-Britannique (SDECB)
Francophone pilot. Candidates need French at NCLC 5, a credential at least equal to Canadian secondary school, experience in an eligible occupation, a genuine offer from a designated employer and the intention to settle in Kelowna.
Town of Claresholm Economic Development
36 allocations for 2026 released 3 per month. Boundary is a 25 km radius including Granum and Stavely. Intake opens on the 1st and closes the second-last Tuesday; the committee meets the following Thursday and recommendations go to the highest scorers two business days later. Sales & Service is capped at 6 for the year and occupations are locked to their listed sector.
Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce
Nine 2026 intake windows, each Monday to Friday 8am-4pm CST. Cooks (63200) and Retail Sales Supervisors (62010) reached their 2026 caps and are closed. Employers must hold a Saskatchewan Certificate of Registration. Visitor status, including maintained visitor status, is not eligible.
Steinbach Economic Development Corporation
Employer-initiated only. Boundary covers the City of Steinbach plus the RMs of Ste. Anne, Piney and La Broquerie, Landmark and Vita. Monthly intakes open on the first business day and close at the 15th or after 7 applications, whichever comes first. Up to 5 recommendations per intake, first come first served, with a maximum of 1 per occupation per month and 2 per occupation per year.
Altona & Rhineland Economic Development (A.R.E.D.)
Designation starts with a meeting at the economic development office in Altona. Runs a job board with candidate profiles and career alerts. Candidates may hold only one active application at a time.
Economic Development Brandon
A former RNIP community, now open for community recommendation applications. Publishes a Sector & Labour Market Priorities list and a public designated employer list.
Village of St-Pierre-Jolys with AMBM and CDEM
Francophone pilot delivered with the Association des municipalites bilingues du Manitoba and the Conseil de developpement economique des municipalites bilingues du Manitoba.
North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce
102 community recommendations issued in 2026 to the end of June (about 40% of the year's allocation), 24 of them in June. Boundary covers Nipissing District, Parry Sound District and the Town of Latchford. From 1 July 2026 Security Guards (64410) and Administrative Assistants (13110) were removed and Plumbers (72300) and Construction Millwrights & Industrial Mechanics (72400) added. All fast food and retail, including convenience stores and gas stations, are excluded.
City of Greater Sudbury Economic Development
Runs both RCIP and FCIP. Funded by FedNor, the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation and the City. Publishes a Community Scoring Grid; applicants on maintained status now face extra documentation requirements.
Timmins Economic Development Corporation
Runs both pilots and covers Hearst, Kapuskasing, Cochrane, Kirkland Lake and Temiskaming Shores. Minimum community score of 79 for RCIP effective 30 July 2026. Maximum 4 applications per employer per intake; from August 2026 there is no cap on total applications. Visitors and people without status are not eligible.
Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation
The 17-23 August 2026 portal window was the last intake of 2026, and the community warns that working through those applications will take several months. Verified October 9, 2026. Six priority sectors. Effective 1 July 2026 Natural & Applied Sciences was removed and Sales & Service added, with a maximum of 2 applications per employer for unlisted Sales & Service occupations. Fast-food, restaurant-based businesses and security companies are excluded.
Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission
Covers the Thunder Bay census metropolitan area. 25 priority occupations with headcount-based employer limits. Retail Salespersons (64100) and Security Guards (64410) capped at 24 each; the retail cap was reached in June 2026 and is closed. Short-haul local truck drivers (73300) need six months of CVOR logbooks. From 1 August 2026 case-by-case exemptions are considered for unlisted TEER 0-3 occupations where the candidate has six or more months in the same role and location.
Superior East Community Futures Development Corporation
Francophone pilot covering Chapleau, Dubreuilville, Wawa, White River, Hornepayne and Manitouwadge plus surrounding First Nations. 25 eligible occupations. Candidate questions must go through the employer.
Commission de services regionaux Peninsule acadienne
Francophone pilot only, operating in French. Six priority sectors. The employer starts the process.
Pictou County Partnership
Atlantic Canada's only RCIP community. Employer designation and candidate recommendation both run through the Partnership in New Glasgow.
No community matches that search.
The two pilots
Both followed the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, which ended on 31 August 2024. Both are employer-driven and community-gated: you need a job offer from an employer the community has designated, and then the community recommends you to IRCC. The difference is the language you bring.
Rural Community Immigration Pilot
Francophone Community Immigration Pilot
Eligibility
A year of related work, a recognised credential, the language minimum, and a job offer that matches your experience under the TEER rule below.
1,560 hours in 3 years
Canadian or assessed
| Job offer at | Exp. TEER 0 | Exp. TEER 1 | Exp. TEER 2 | Exp. TEER 3 | Exp. TEER 4 | Exp. TEER 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEER 0 or 1 | counts | counts | counts | counts | does not count | does not count |
| TEER 2 | does not count | counts | counts | counts | counts | does not count |
| TEER 3 or 4 | does not count | does not count | counts | counts | counts | does not count |
| TEER 5 | The same 5-digit NOC code as the job offer | |||||
Skip the work experience if all four hold
A master’s degree or higher qualifies with a shorter programme, up to two years, provided you were in the community for the whole length of the programme and apply within 18 months.
Any one of these
Before you commit
You sign an intent to live in the community, your work permit is tied to it, and your partner’s open permit is restricted to it. Choose the place, not just the cut-off.
For employers
Only a designated employer can make a job offer that counts. Designation is free, comes from the community’s economic development organisation rather than IRCC, and there is no LMIA.
All of these
Any of these
Several communities add their own exclusions: fast food, convenience stores, gas stations, security companies and restaurant-based businesses are the most common.
The flow
Four moves, and a two-year work permit so you can start while IRCC processes your permanent residence.
Check its priority occupations, boundary and whether it is open. Your occupation has to be on that specific community’s list.
From an employer already designated by that community, full time and non-seasonal, meeting the TEER matrix.
The employer or you apply during an intake window. The community scores, ranks and issues a recommendation to the highest scorers.
File the permanent residence application with the recommendation, plus the optional work permit so you can start earning.
Up to two years
Restricted to the community
Questions
For some profiles it is the only realistic route to permanent residence. For others it is a two-year detour that a stronger Express Entry profile would beat. As a licensed RCIC we will tell you which one you are.
This page summarises public information from IRCC and the designated communities and is not legal advice.
Next on your path
The checklist, free tools and guides that usually come next.
RCIP / FCIP review
Send a few details. A licensed RCIC reads your profile personally, then replies with the routes that genuinely fit, the ones that do not, and the consultation fee and next available times.
CHK Immigration Services, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (CICC). Offices in Brampton and London, Ontario. Submitting this form does not create a client–consultant relationship; IRCC makes all final decisions. Prefer to talk first? Call 647-948-7200 or book a paid consultation.
Free, fee-exempt options exist. Your employer or partner is not asked.
Want to know where you stand on immigration? A licensed RCIC can review your situation in confidence. Call 647-948-7200 when it is safe, or book a private consultation.
