Employers

Looking to hire a skilled foreign worker?

If you are an employer looking to recruit, hire and retain skilled foreign workers (an immigrant, temporary resident or overseas candidate) who wants to live and work in the North Bay & area and is seeking permanent residency, this section will guide you. 

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Why choose RCIP?

The North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) makes it easier for employers to hire skilled foreign workers to help fill their labour shortages in certain sectors and occupations.

Candidates for the North Bay & Area RCIP must be planning to work and live long term in the Nipissing and Parry Sound Districts and meet the federal and community criteria.

Participating Communities - Boundary

The North Bay & Area RCIP boundary is comprised of the census division of the Nipissing District, the Parry Sound District, and the Town of Latchford, extending south to the northern boundary of the Nipissing District. 

Map of Boundary Coming Soon

North Bay & Area RCIP Priority Sectors and NOCs

PLEASE NOTE: While all occupations contribute to the economic growth of North Bay and Area, we are required to prioritize sectors and select only 25 total occupations for our pilot.  These occupations have been determined in consultation with local stakeholders and labour market information/data to support community economic development. These occupations will be reviewed annually. 

Only employers who do business in at least one priority occupation and sector listed below will be eligible to become a designated employer and participate in the North Bay & Area RCIP. 

Priority Occupations

Occupation Code Occupation Name
11100 Financial auditors and accountants
12200 Accounting technicians and bookkeepers
11200 Human resources professional
13110 Administrative assistants
14201 Banking, insurance and financial clerks
14400 Shippers & Receivers
31301 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
33100 Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
33102 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient services associates
33103 Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
42202 Early childhood educators and assistants
42201 Social and community service workers
44101 Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations
43100 Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants
64410 Security guards and related security service occupations
64314 Hotel front desk clerks
60010 Corporate sales manager
72100 Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors
72200 Electricians
72404 Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors
72402 Heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning mechanics
72410 Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers
72106 Welders and related machine operators
72310 Carpenters (includes apprentices)
75110 Construction trade helpers and labourers

PLEASE NOTE: At this time, we are excluding all fast food and retail occupations, which includes convenience store and gas station occupations for this pilot.  Priority sectors and occupations will be reviewed annually. 

Priority Sectors

Business, Finance and Administration

Health

Education, law and social, community and government services

Sales and service

Trades and transport

Don’t see your Priority Sector and/or NOC listed among those accepted for the North Bay and Area RCIP?

We would appreciate your input and want to hear from you.

Please email RCIP Coordinators at [email protected] to provide information as we continue to enhance the pilot over the next 5 years.

Employer Requirements

Here are the steps to participate and hire a candidate through the Rural Community Immigration Pilot. 

PLEASE NOTE: The pilot does not facilitate hiring; it is up to the employers to find qualified candidates for the job(s).

In order to participate in the North Bay & Area RCIP, an employer must be designated.

To be designated, an employer must:

  • Be an active, genuine business that has been operating continuously for at least 2 years within the community boundary;
  • Do business in at least one priority occupation identified above;
  • Do at least 75% of business work inside the community boundaries;
  • Complete the free onboarding training;
  • Complete the free intercultural competency training;
  • Agree to support the settlement of each applicant and any accompanying family member, including by facilitating access to the settlement and social service support;
  • Agree to be listed publicly on the North Bay & Area RCIP website;
  • Not be in violation of the employer compliance regime under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) or Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), and be in good standing and comply with the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 or the Occupational Health and Safety Act;
  • Have no outstanding penalties or charges with the Municipal Planning & Building Department, and that both property taxes and water and sewer accounts are current with no past due balances; and
  • Not have directly or indirectly misrepresented or withheld any fact relating to a relevant matter that could influence the decision of allowing them to participate in the program.

The following businesses/organizations are NOT eligible to participate in the North Bay & Area RCIP:

There is no cost to becoming a designated employer. You can apply for designation in advance of hiring a foreign national or when you find someone you wish to hire. Designation applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Contact the RCIP Coordinator by email at [email protected] to discuss and confirm:

  • Your business/organization’s eligibility for the Pilot;
  • Your prospective job offer; and/or
  • Your candidate’s eligibility (if applicable);
  • Receive the links to the mandatory online training; and
  • Obtain the Employer Designation Application Form.

Click here for the RCIP Employer Designation Guideline Document 

Once you have completed the online training and downloaded the Certificates of Completion, submit them along with your completed Designation for Application Form to [email protected] (online portal coming soon)

Please Note: Employers are only required to be designated once, in order to participate in the Pilot. However, an employer’s designation status may be revoked for any of the following reasons:

  • Pilot priority sectors and/or occupations change and the employer no longer falls within priorities;
  • The designated employer voluntarily requests withdrawal from the Pilot;
  • The NBDCC becomes aware that the employer no longer meets the employer designation criteria; or
  • Any of the reasons set out in section (4) of the Ministerial Instructions with respect to the Rural Community Immigration Class or Francophone Community Immigration Class.

Once you’re designated, you can offer jobs to eligible candidates. 

Please Note: The North Bay & Area RCIP doesn’t match candidates with jobs. You may find a candidate on your own or a candidate may approach you. 

Click here to ensure your job offer meets the requirements of the Pilot. 

Click the link below to ensure your candidate meets the candidate requirements: 

Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) – Candidate Requirements 

If the job and candidate meet the requirements of the Pilots, provide the candidate with a completed Offer of Employment Form: 

Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) – Offer of Employment to a Foreign National 

Encourage your candidate to get their documents ready to submit with their recommendation application. 

Please Note: If a candidate is not currently working with you, the employer will have to demonstrate that they have made efforts to recruit a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident prior to providing the offer of employment to the candidate. 

Click here for the RCIP Recommendation Application Guidelines

When you are ready, connect with the RCIP Coordinator by email [email protected] to obtain a link to the Recommendation Application Form.

The Recommendation Application Form confirms:

  • That you haven’t been able to fill the job with someone locally;
  • That the job offer meets the pilot requirements;
  • That the candidate meets all of the requirements for the pilot;
  • That you commit to connecting your candidate with immigrant settlement services in your community.

Once you complete the Recommendation Application Form and have gathered all the required documents from the candidate, submit your application for recommendation through our online portal (coming soon).

Please Note: Recommendation applications can only be submitted during one of the monthly intake periods listed below.

The North Bay & Area RCIP staff are here to support employers throughout the process and answer any questions you may have.

2025 Intake Periods:

  • May 25 12:00 am to May 31 11:59 pm
  • June 22 12:00 am to June 28 11:59 pm
  • July 27 12:00 am to August 2 11:59 pm
  • August 24 12:00 am to August 30 11:59 pm
  • September 21 12:00 am to September 27 11:59 pm
  • October 26 12:00 am to November 1 11:59 pm
  • November 23 12:00 am to November 29 11:59 pm

We will be issuing up to 25 community recommendations for each intake period.

The North Bay & Area RCIP ranks applications in a pool using a points-based system. Complete applications meeting the eligibility requirements with a minimum score of 50 points will be placed into the Candidate Pool.

The North Bay & Area RCIP Federal and Community scoring system (COMING SOON)

The North Bay & Area RCIP ranks applications in a pool using a points-based system. Complete applications meeting the eligibility requirements with a minimum score of 50 points required will be placed into the Candidate Pool. 

The North Bay & Area RCIP Federal and Community scoring system (COMING SOON) 

Selection will be completed by the RCIP Coordinators once per month. The highest-scoring applications in the pool of each intake period will be further assessed by the North Bay & Area RCIP and reviewed by the Community Recommendation Committee at the end of every month. Candidates deemed to satisfy the requirements of the Ministerial Instructions will be issued a community recommendation certificate. 

*Tie-breaking rule: If more than one application has the lowest score, the cut-off is based on the date and time the applications were submitted (i.e. whichever was submitted first). 

Applications not selected for further review by the Committee will be brought forward to the following month. Applications will not be considered if they are incomplete or do not meet federal eligibility requirements. It is up to employers to ensure they meet the program requirements, and their application is complete. 

If the application for a recommendation is approved, your candidate will receive a recommendation certificate that allows them to apply to IRCC for permanent residence. 

Click here for the RCIP PR application document checklist  

Continue to support your candidate by implementing the commitments to settling that you outlined on the Recommendation Application Form to help the candidate integrate into your business/organization and to feel welcome in the community. 

Please Note: Receiving a community recommendation certificate from the North Bay & Area RCIP does not guarantee that your candidate will receive permanent residence. It is up to the IRCC Processing Officer’s discretion when they are reviewing the application. 

If your candidate requires a temporary work permit while their permanent residence application is being processed at the IRCC, click here to learn about the steps involved. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can use RCIP for current employees, as long as they meet the following eligibility requirements: 

To hire an overseas candidate through the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP):

  1. Find a candidate and make sure they meet all candidate requirements.
  2. Ensure your job offer meets RCIP job offer requirements.
  3. Check that the candidate has their required documents ready.
  4. If this is your first time using RCIP, you must become a designated employer.

Once these steps are complete, you can make a job offer and begin the RCIP application process.

Yes, you can hire international students, as long as the following eligibility requirements are met:

North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot sets wage requirements to ensure that the candidates are able to support themselves in the region. As an employer, you must provide:

  • A wage that meets or exceeds the Job Bank’s minimum wage for your job offer’s National Occupational Classification (NOC), based on the North Eastern region.

The North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot is not affiliated with any Immigration Representative, nor do we give preferential treatment to applications from an Immigration Representative.

If employers and candidates choose to have their paperwork completed by an Immigration Representative, we suggest they read Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s guidelines for using an immigration and citizenship representative.

Employers and candidates may use a representative to act on their behalf or to assist them with finding a qualifying job offer, completing their RCIP application for recommendation, and/or completing their Permanent Resident application.

There are different types of representatives: paid and unpaid, authorized and unauthorized. The North Bay & Area RCIP will not communicate with, or allow for, unauthorized representatives to assist with an RCIP application. If an applicant uses an unauthorized representative, in Canada or abroad, we may return your application or refuse it.

Immigration Representatives are authorized if they are:

  • Lawyers and paralegals who are members in good standing of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society
  • Notaries who are members in good standing of the Chambre des notaires du Québec
  • Citizenship or immigration consultants who are members in good standing of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants

Please Note: Using an Immigration Representative does not change how the application will be reviewed or whether it will be approved or rejected. All applications are handled equally. Immigration Representatives cannot and should not guarantee Community Recommendation, Permanent Residence, or a more expedited processing of an application.

As a designated employer you have extra resources to help you succeed. You will get support from the IRCC Dedicated Service Channel and you can also reach out to the North Bay & Area Pilot Coordinators. Find out about the additional support you can get from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada as a designated employer. 

Incomplete Documents:

Applications WILL NOT be considered if the following documents are incomplete and do not meet minimum qualifications:

  • A valid job offer from a designated North Bay & Area employer
  • Valid English or French language test results that meet the requirements of the job offer. Learn more.
  • Canadian educational credential or the foreign equivalent. Learn more.
  • Proof of related work experience (one year/1,560 hours) in the last three years, unless they are exempt.
  • If not currently working in Canada, proof that the candidate has enough money to support themselves and their family.

Fraud and Misrepresentation

Fraud and misrepresentation are taken very seriously by the North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) and by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Any business and/or individuals found to be misrepresenting themselves or committing fraud will be banned from applying for recommendation for the duration of the pilot, along with any associated parties.

Misrepresentation and fraud can take many forms including but not limited to:

  • Submission of fraudulent documents
  • Accepting or offering money for a job offer
  • Intentionally misleading the North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot

Rural Community Immigration Pilot Decision Making

It is important to note the following:

  • All decisions made by the North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot are final and are not subject to appeal.
  • Receiving a recommendation from the North Bay & Area Rural Community Immigration Pilot does not guarantee permanent residence. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has sole authority to approve or refuse all applications for permanent residency.