Manitoba regions list priority jobs for PR under the RCIP, i.e., the three regions participating in the federal Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) have shared their 2026 priority sectors and occupations, with several areas showing similar workforce needs.

To receive permanent residence through the RCIP, candidates must hold a valid job offer from a community-designated employer in an eligible occupation.

An applicant’s TEER category, visible in the second digit of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code, decides the language level required. 

This article reviews the sectors and the 25 occupations that each participating Manitoba region has selected as priorities for 2026.

Participating regions in Manitoba include:

  • Altona/Rhineland
  • Brandon
  • Steinbach

It is important to note that candidates may still be considered under the RCIP even if their occupation does not appear on a region’s priority list.

Altona/Rhineland Prioritizes Key Workforce Areas

The Altona/Rhineland region, made up of the Town of Altona and the surrounding Rural Municipality of Rhineland has identified the following sectors as high priority for 2026:

  • Education, law and social, community and government services
  • Sales and services
  • Trades, transport, and equipment operators
  • Natural resources and agriculture
  • Manufacturing and utilities
  • Health

In the previous year, the region listed five priority sectors. The health sector is the only new addition for 2026.

Below is the region’s list of 25 occupations (and associated NOCs) designated as high priority in 2026:

Eligible Priority Occupations

  • Agricultural service contactors and farm supervisors (82030)
  • Binding and finishing machine operators (94152)
  • Cooks (63200)
  • Customer service representatives – financial institutions (64400)
  • Drafting technologists and technicians (22212)
  • Early childhood educators and assistants (42202)
  • Food service supervisors (62020)
  • Heavy-duty equipment mechanics (72401)
  • Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers (94141)
  • Industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing process operators (94213)
  • Labourers in food and beverage processing (95106)
  • Livestock labourers (85100)
  • Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors (72100)
  • Material handlers (75101)
  • Nurse aids, orderlies and patient service associates (33102)
  • Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities (95109)
  • Printing press operators (73401)
  • Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing (94140)
  • Mechanical assemblers and inspectors (94204)
  • Metalworking and forging machine operators (94105)
  • Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (31301)
  • Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators (84120)
  • Supervisors, food and beverage processing (92012)
  • Technical sales specialists – wholesale trade (62100)
  • Welders and related machine operators (72106)

Altona/Rhineland has not released specific wage requirements for job offers.

According to the official RCIP website for Altona and Rhineland, recommendations will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the year.

The list of designated employers in the region will continue to expand as more businesses receive approval.

Brandon Expands Priority Sectors In 2026

Brandon, the second-largest city in Manitoba, is located in the southwestern part of the province along the Assiniboine River. For 2026, the city is focusing on workers with job offers in these high-priority sectors:

  • Health
  • Trades, transport and equipment operators
  • Manufacturing and utilities
  • Natural and applied sciences
  • Education, law and social, community and government services
  • Natural resources and agriculture

Most of Brandon’s priority sectors remain the same as in 2025. The only change this year is the addition of the natural resources and agriculture sector.

The city has published the following list of priority occupations for the RCIP in 2026.

Eligible Priority Occupations

  • Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors (82030)
  • Automotive and heavy truck and equipment parts installers and servicers (74203)
  • Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers (72410)
  • Carpenters (72310)
  • Civil engineering technologists and technicians (22300)
  • Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics (72400)
  • Construction trades helpers and labourers (75110)
  • Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants (33100)
  • Dental hygienists and dental therapists (32111)
  • Dietitians and nutritionists (31121)
  • *Early childhood educators and assistants (42202)
  • Electrical and electronics engineers (21310)
  • General practitioners and family physicians (31102)
  • Heavy-duty equipment mechanics (72401)
  • Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers (94141)
  • Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics (22312)
  • Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors (72100)
  • Medical radiation technologists (32121)
  • Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians (22301)
  • Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (33102)
  • Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (31301)
  • Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine (31100)
  • Specialists in surgery (31101)
  • User support technicians (22221)
  • Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics (72402)

General note: Occupations not listed above, that fall under priority sectors, may be considered if employers can demonstrate significant benefit to the community (e.g., a civil engineering position = significant economic benefit, or a dentist position = significant health benefit).

*The city of Brandon notes that under this NOC code, only the following positions are eligible:

  • Child Care Assistant
  • Early Childhood Educator II (ECE II)
  • Early Childhood Educator III (ECE III)

To qualify under the RCIP, the job offer must meet or exceed the Canada Job Bank minimum wage for the specific NOC.

The list of designated employers in Brandon will be updated regularly throughout the year.

Steinbach Maintains Similar Priorities

Steinbach, one of the fastest-growing cities in southeastern Manitoba, has also identified six priority sectors for the 2026 RCIP intake:

  • Health
  • Education, law and social, community and government services
  • Sales and service
  • Trades, transport and equipment operators
  • Manufacturing and utilities
  • Natural resources and agriculture

These sectors closely match the previous year’s selections. The only new addition for 2026 is natural resources and agriculture.

Below is the full list of 25 priority occupations for Steinbach.

Eligible Priority Occupations

  • Accounting and related clerks (14200)
  • Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors (72404)
  • Auto body collision, refinishing and glass technicians and damage repair estimators (72411)
  • Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers (72410)
  • Civil engineers (21300)
  • Construction estimators (22303)
  • Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants (33100)
  • Drafting technologists and technicians (22212)
  • Early childhood educators and assistants (42202)
  • Food service supervisors (62020)
  • General building maintenance workers and building superintendents (73201)
  • *Heavy-duty equipment mechanics (72401)
  • Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations (44101)
  • Insurance adjusters and claims examiners (12201)
  • Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (33102)
  • Pharmacist (31120)
  • Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations (11202)
  • Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (31301)
  • Residential and commercial installers and servicers (73200)
  • Roofers and shinglers (73110)
  • **Software engineers and designers (21231)
  • Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators (84120)
  • Public and environmental health and safety professionals (21120)
  • Welders and related machine operators (72106)
  • Woodworking machine operators (94124)

*Under this NOC, specifically agricultural equipment technicians are being sought.

**Under this NOC, specifically software and IT project managers are being sought.

Steinbach has not yet announced wage requirements for job offers under the pilot.

The region’s list of designated employers is available online and will continue to grow as more employers are approved.

Who Qualifies Under The RCIP?

The Rural Community Immigration Pilot is a five-year program launched in 2025 and scheduled to run until 2030. Its goal is to help rural communities outside Quebec fill labour shortages by attracting foreign workers.

A total of 14 communities take part in the pilot. Each community can select up to six priority sectors and 25 occupations that reflect local labour needs.

This pathway is employer-driven. Candidates must first secure a job offer from a designated employer within the community.

After that, the employer provides a recommendation to the community. If the recommendation is approved, the candidate can apply for permanent residence with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Beyond the job offer requirement, applicants must also meet several core eligibility conditions.

Work Experience:

Candidates must show at least one year (1,560 hours) of related work experience gained within the past three years.

Education:

Applicants must hold a Canadian credential or a recognized foreign equivalent. If the education was completed outside Canada, a valid Educational Credential Assessment is required.

Language Proficiency:

Required language levels depend on the TEER category of the job offer:

  • TEER 0–1: CLB 6
  • TEER 2–3: CLB 5
  • TEER 4–5: CLB 4
Proof Of Funds:

Applicants must show enough settlement funds to support themselves and their family members. Required amounts range from $10,507 for a single applicant to $27,806 for a family of seven.

Candidates are also expected to demonstrate a genuine intention to live in the recommending community.

Overall, the RCIP continues to provide an important permanent residence pathway for foreign workers willing to settle in smaller Canadian communities that need skilled labour.

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