Question Period Note: Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

• Canada is committed to attracting the best talent from around the world to fill skill shortages and drive local economies in rural Canada, for the benefit of all Canadians.
• Using a community-based, economic development approach, the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot supports smaller and more remote communities in accessing the economic and demographic benefits of immigration.
• The Government has partnered with 11 community economic development organizations in northern Ontario and western Canada that recommend immigrants for permanent residence in their communities based on a strong fit with local economic development and labour needs. All the communities have now launched the pilot locally.
• This community-based approach provides flexibility for partners to adjust to evolving economic realities, including those resulting from COVID-19, to ensure that immigration complements the domestic workforce across the country.

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• To address obstacles for applicants caused by the pandemic, IRCC has implemented temporary measures – such as a change from requiring “continuous” to “cumulative” work experience, so the pilot continues to welcome newcomers.

• Rural and northern communities face specific economic and demographic challenges. Under existing federal economic immigration programs, the majority of newcomers settle in large urban centres for job opportunities or because of existing social ties. As a result, smaller communities across Canada have asked the Government to help them attract and retain skilled immigrants to their regions.

• The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot complements other immigration programs, including the Provincial Nominee Program and the Atlantic Immigration Pilot. It aims to identify best practices that will inform future immigration programming, including the Municipal Nominee Program.

• The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot gives partner communities a lead role in recruiting and settling newcomers to meet their economic development and labour needs. Community partners include economic development corporations, chambers of commerce, and Community Futures organizations.

• IRCC is testing this new model in 11 communities in order to develop evidence that will inform future immigration programming. Participating communities are:
o Alberta: Claresholm
o BC: Vernon, West Kootenay
o Manitoba: Altona, Brandon
o Ontario: Timmins, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie
o Saskatchewan: Moose Jaw

• The communities were selected through an open call-out process, resulting in a large number of submissions from interested communities. Analysis and consultation (with provinces/territories, as well as the federal Regional Development Agencies) of the submissions focused on:

o Economic potential: growth in economy, diversity of key economic growth sectors, and competitive employment opportunities
o Settlement potential: availability of settlement services and social infrastructure to support integration
o Community capacity: administrative capacity and experience

• All community partners are now issuing recommendations, and the first permanent resident admissions occurred in September 2020.

• The early impacts of COVID-19 on the pilot are being monitored. Communities are continuing to move ahead with their recommendation processes, with most focusing on applicants already working or residing in their community. Communities have indicated that their long-term labour needs continue to exist despite the pandemic.

• The program offers some built-in flexibilities for communities to adjust to the current environment, for example, by prioritizing candidates in occupations that continue to face shortages despite rising unemployment. Having a local partner allows the Department to ensure job offers continue to be valid.

• Community partners have provided feedback that has allowed IRCC to address pandemic-related obstacles for RNIP applicants. IRCC has implemented temporary measures to ensure that the pilot continues to welcome candidates to fill labour shortages in smaller communities.

• These temporary measures include:

o changing the work experience requirement from one year of continuous work experience to one year of cumulative work experience. This allows applicants to be eligible for the program even with breaks in their employment.

o allowing RNIP applicants to apply for a work permit before receiving their acknowledgment of receipt letter on their PR application.

o Including RNIP applications in a new online application portal, which avoids COVID-related mailing delays and provides clients with immediate confirmation when their applications have been successfully submitted.

o Allowing communities to re-allocate RNIP spaces if an applicant becomes a permanent resident through another pathway. This approach helps communities maximize the use of RNIP and ensure they keep the same number of spaces available to other qualified applicants within the same calendar year.

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