RURAL NORTHERN IMMIGRATION PROGRAMME (RNIP)

The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) is a new community-driven immigration program. It is designed to spread the benefits of economic immigration to smaller communities by creating a path to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers who want to work and live in Thunder Bay and Area.

The RNIP allows eligible employers to make full-time permanent job offers to skilled foreign workers who can help fill identified labor shortages in the community.

As of June 30, 1,130 new immigrants have arrived in RNIP communities, helping address labor shortages in key sectors such as health care, hospitality and food services, retail, manufacturing, and transportation.

EMPLOYER REQUIREMENTS

Employers must be approved to make job offers under the RNIP Thunder Bay before their candidate(s) can be considered for a community recommendation. In addition to meeting eligibility requirements, approved employers must commit to a culturally safe workplace and assisting newcomer employees with settlement and integration (see below criteria and suggested activities).

To be eligible to make offers of employment under the RNIP program in Thunder Bay, the following criteria must be met:

• Be located within the Thunder Bay and Area catchment which includes
  • City of Thunder Bay
  • Town of Atikokan
  • Town of Fort Frances
  • Town of Rainy River
  • City of Dryden
  • Town of Emo
  • Municipality (town) of Greenstone
  • Town of Marathon
  • Township of Dorion
  • Township of Manitouwadge
  • Township of Nipigon
  • Township of Schreiber
  • Township of Terrace Bay
  • Township of Red Rock
  • Municipality of Sioux Lookout
  • Township of Ignace
• Be a recognized business that has operated in Thunder Bay and Area as defined by the Ministerial Instructions for at least two (2) years OR be a new company that has recently moved to Thunder Bay and Area and set up operations, but has existed as a company elsewhere in Canada for a minimum of three (3) years.
• Not be in violation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act or Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
• Not be listed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as an ineligible company to participate in immigration programs, nor have been found to have been in material violation of any bylaw of the City of Thunder Bay, or any statute or regulation of Province of Ontario or the government of Canada.
• Offer full-time, permanent employment in a priority occupation as defined by Thunder Bay CEDC
• Demonstrate their efforts to recruit a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident prior to providing the job offer
• Attest that they did not receive any form of payment in exchange for the job offer Approach to Newcomer Integration.

SUPPORT NEWCOMER INTEGRATION

In order to increase the likelihood of newcomers becoming economically established and settling permanently in the community, eligible employers must demonstrate a commitment to a culturally safe workplace and support for the newcomer’s community integration.

Employers must commit to at least three (3) of the following activities:

• Assign a culturally sensitive on-the-job mentor, who is not their supervisor, to help the newcomer(s) understand company principles, norms, rules and culture; provide regular, detailed feedback to the newcomer(s) on their job performance; and to help with day-to-day questions.
• Support the newcomer employee(s) with finding and securing housing and/or providing the newcomer employee(s) with housing.
• Introduce newcomer employee(s) to opportunities to join groups, associations and/or community organizations.
• Provide financial assistance, where necessary, for newcomer employees’ language and/or skills development.
• Grant newcomer employee time away from work to attend CEDC or community-sponsored events for which the main objective is to facilitate community integration.
• Provide diversity training to staff that are in a supervisory role or work directly with a newcomer employee.
• Provide proof of the employer’s completion and/or attendance at educational seminars, conferences or information sessions related to supporting and/or retaining newcomers.
• Grant time to newcomer employees who require information or support with enrolling children in schools, applying for health cards, and obtaining a driver’s license and finding accommodations.
• Offer team-building activities within the workplace that promote cross-cultural understanding and awareness; and/or
• Make appropriate referrals for newcomers to access community resources and settlement services as the need arises.

EMPLOYEE PROCESS

There are 4 steps to applying for permanent residence under this pilot.

1. Check that you meet both

            a.  IRCC eligibility requirements 

• 1 year of work experience (at least 1,560 hours) in the past 3 years
• Work Experience must meet the NOC category provided in the job offer
• Must meet the minimum language requirements based on the NOC category
• Must have an educational credential assessment (ECA) report from a designated organization that shows you completed a foreign credential
• Must prove you have enough money to support yourself and any family members while you get settled in your community
• Intend to live in the community

            b.  the community-specific requirements.

• Thunder Bay CEDC will prioritize candidates who are mostly like to settle and reside in the community and contribute to the local economy. Candidates are selected using a pool-and-draw system in which the top scorers with all necessary documentation are prioritized.

2. Find an eligible job with an employer in one of the participating communities.

• The job must be in the community, full time and non-seasonal
• The employment must be permanent and should meet or exceed the Job Bank’s minimum wage
• Your experience must show that you can perform the duties of the job offered

3. Once you have a job offer, submit your application for recommendation to the community.
4. If a community recommends you, apply for permanent residence.

We at CITRN, assist Canadian companies in meeting their labor shortage through the placement of foreign workers, in adherence to the mandate of the Federal Government. We are a 30-year-old licensed Immigration and Recruitment Company based in Toronto with a regional office in Thunder Bay.

We undertake all recruitment and legal procedures required to place a foreign worker in your company. CITRN is one of the few immigration consultants specializing in RNIP, that is serving local communities like Thunder Bay at a time when the need for expertise and regulated immigration consultants grows to navigate employers through the RNIP process.

WE SPECIALIZE IN CONSTRUCTION, MINING, TRANSPORTATION, HOSPITALITY, FARMING AND NURSING RECRUITMENT

 

Team Members

PROFESSIONAL TEAM

We are a diverse group of professionals who are passionate about our goal of helping clients with their labour needs.

AKHIL PATHANIA

Business Advisor

AMIT KOUL

Consultant

ASAD KHAN

Consultant (RNIP)

Afshan Shaikh

Business Development Manager

Credentials of our Candidates:

1. Highly skilled and IELTS Certified,
2. Holds relevant international work experience and certificates
3. Strong work ethic and has the potential to adapt in the Canadian Labor force,

Our interview process:

1. We provide a shortlist of qualified workers relevant to your needs
2. We arrange for zoom interviews at the convenience of the hiring manager
3. Upon selection of the employee, we process his application