Sault Ste Marie and Brandon declare a new PR pathway. The list of priority sectors and professions has been released for the RCIP, i.e., Rural Community Immigration Pilot.

The RCIP is a pathway to permanent residence for workers with job offers in rural communities.

Sault Ste Marie

The city of Sault Ste Marie has listed the following as priority sectors: 

  • Education, law, and social, community, and government services
  • Health
  • Sales and service
  • Manufacturing and utilities 
  • Trades and transport 

Eligible professions have not been declared as of the time of writing.

Sault Ste Marie has been allocated 300 spots for the RCIP in 2025. 

Brandon 

Sault Ste. Marie and Brandon declare a new PR pathway. Well, the city of Brandon has revealed the following priority sectors with corresponding National Occupation Classification and minimum language CLB requirements. 

Sector Occupation NOC code Minimum language –  CLB Required
Education, Law & Social, Community & Government Services Early childhood educators and assistants 42202 5
Health Dentists 31110 6
General practitioners and family physicians 31102 6
Licensed practical nurses 32101 5
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates 33102 5
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses 31301 6
Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine 31100 6
Specialists in surgery 31101 6
Manufacturing & Utilities Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers 94141 4
Natural & Applied Science Civil engineering technologists and technicians 22300 5
Civil engineers 21300 6
Industrial and manufacturing engineers 21321 6
Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians 22301 5
Mechanical engineers 21301 6
User support technicians 22221 5
Trade & Transport Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers 72410 5
Carpenters 72310 5
Concrete finishers 73100 5
Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics 72400 5
Construction trades helpers and labourers 75110 4
Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics 72402 5
Heavy-duty equipment mechanics 72401 5
Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) 73112 5
Plumbers 72300 5
Welders and related machine operators 72106 5

Brandon has been allocated 180 slots in 2025. 

The city has also stated that 15% of its allocation for 2025 will be dedicated to the healthcare sector. The remaining will be distributed among other sectors listed above on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

What Is The Significance Of The Priority Sectors And Professions Under RCIP? 

Sault Ste Marie and Brandon declare a new PR pathway. The Rural Community Immigration Pilot is an employer-driven pathway to permanent residence in Canada. 

In order to be eligible, applicants must secure a job offer from a designated employer – one that has been approved by an economic development organization in a participating community. 

However, it is expected that only employers operating within specific priority sectors will be eligible for designation. In turn, this implies that only applicants with work experience in the associated professions will likely qualify for the RCIP permanent residence pathway. 

As of publication, communities such as Sault Ste Marie and Brandon have not yet released lists of designated employers. 

Last week, Timmins, a community in Northern Ontario, became the first to reveal its list of priority professions and sectors.

There are also 14 communities participating in the RCIP in total. More communities are expected to name their priority professions and sectors in the coming months. 

What Is RCIP? 

The Rural Community Immigration Pilot is a federal PR pathway that was launched earlier this year. It is a five-year pilot program aimed at helping designated rural communities outside of Quebec address chronic labor shortages by attracting foreign nationals who wish to live and work in these communities long term. 

In order to be eligible, foreign nationals must have a job offer from an employer in one of the designated communities participating in the pilot. In addition, they must meet criteria related to: 

  • Work experience 
  • Education
  • Language proficiency 
  • Proof of funds
  • Intent to reside in the community 

Applicants already in Canada must hold valid temporary resident status at the time they apply and must maintain it until they receive PR. 

Like most federal pilots, eligible applicants apply directly to the federal government. However, the RCIP will stop accepting applications once it reaches its annual cap, so those interested are encouraged to apply early. 

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