IRCC has announced two new immigration pilot programs for the Rural and French minority communities. The immigration minister during a press conference today, emphasized the importance of franco and rural immigration. It has also been confirmed that the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program will also transition into a permanent immigration stream.
The Rural Immigration Pilot program will be launched in the fall of this year. This will make sure that the rural areas also get the workers they need to build a stronger economy and fulfill their labor shortage needs. The targeted candidates are those who are in critical need in the labor market and who want to settle in rural communities permanently.
The same is true for the Francophone minority communities. This program will also be launched in the fall of 2024. The main aim of the program is to increase the number of French speakers in the Francophone communities outside Quebec and to set the economic development of the Francophone communities.
Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship said on this occasion:
“Rural and northern communities face unique economic and demographic challenges. However, through the RNIP, rural communities have been able to attract and retain skilled workers that they’ve needed for years to ensure their economic growth. That is why we will make RNIP a permanent program, and why we are introducing these two new pilot programs. We’ll continue to work closely with these communities, as we work to connect businesses with the skilled workers they need to thrive.”
The announcement of setting the already-established Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program permanent will help overcome the shortage of workers in the following sectors:
- health care,
- accommodation and food services,
- retail,
- manufacturing,
- scientific and,
- technical services.
This was first announced as a pilot program with time-to-time extensions. IRCC on February 21, 2024, extended the deadline for current RNIP communities to recommend candidates for permanent residence until July 31, 2024. The number of candidates has also been increased which the communities can recommend. Read here more about this program.