North Bay has launched the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot stream

North Bay, the northern community in Ontario, has launched its immigration stream for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot. There are twelve communities that have participated in the RNIP. North Bay becomes the eleventh one to launch its immigration program for the RNIP. Now, the only community that has still not started accepting applications for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot is Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan. North Bay has more than 50,000 residents. The city is only a three hours’ drive from the north of Toronto. Further, it has well-developed tourism, mining, and health sectors that help in boosting economic growth. Also, North Bay is a significant city in terms of Education. It has various post-secondary academic institutions.

Overview of Rural and Northern Immigration Program

It is a community-driven program that is specially launched to help communities attract proficient immigrants. Due to low birth rates, growing retirement rates, and youth migration, the small communities face a huge labor shortage. So, this five-year initiative will address the labor market needs of the communities. And, it will act as an alternative immigration option for candidates who fail to secure permanent residence through the Express Entry system.

Eligibility Requirements for the RNIP

There are certain requirements that candidates have to meet for all the communities participating in the RNIP:

Minimum one year of work experience;
Minimum Canadian Language Benchmark Level in French or English;
High school diploma as a minimum qualification;
Financial ability to support themselves along with their immediate family members;
Job offer from a participating community;

The job offer should match the skill level of an immigration candidate’s work experience.

Community recommendation from North Bay

Following are the points that increase the chances of getting community recommendation from North Bay:

Knowledge of one of the official languages of Canada
Experience of staying in the rural communities of Canada
Connections to someone already living in North Bay
Education from a post-secondary institution in North Bay
A candidate who has lived or is currently living in the North Bay.
Having an occupation that is necessary for North Bay’s labor market requirement.