On January 30, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the launch of the Rural Community Immigration Pilot and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot, and the communities chosen to participate. These pilots will provide 18 communities with a permanent residence pathway to attract and retain newcomers who can fill key jobs and who want to live long-term in these areas.
- The Rural Community Immigration Pilot ensures that rural communities have access to programs that address labour shortages and help local businesses find the workers they need.
- The Francophone Community Immigration Pilot focuses on increasing the number of French-speaking newcomers settling in Francophone minority communities outside of Quebec. This ensures the economic development of Francophone minority communities, while also helping to restore and increase their demographic weight.
Each selected community is represented by a local economic development organization, which will work with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to identify its critical labour gaps, designate trustworthy employers and recommend suitable candidates to IRCC for permanent residence. IRCC has begun training the economic development organizations, and each community will provide details and timelines on when employers and prospective permanent residence candidates can expect to have a chance to apply.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
As of December 31, 2024, 8,580 newcomers have been granted permanent residence through the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP), helping address labour shortages in key sectors such as health care and manufacturing.
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.