Sault Ste Marie and Brandon announce priority sectors

Two more Canadian communities have released their lists of priority sectors and occupations for the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP).

The cities are Sault Ste. Marie, located in Northern Ontario across the border from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and Brandon, the second-largest city in Manitoba.

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The Rural Community Immigration Pilot (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;
• Manufacturing and utilities;
• Sales and service; and
• Trades and transport.

Eligible occupations have not been announced as of the time of writing.

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

Brandon

The city of Brandon has revealed the following priority sectors with corresponding National Occupation Classification code and minimum language CLB requirements.

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-served basis.

What is the significance of the priority sectors and occupations under RCIP?

The Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) is an employer-driven pathway to permanent residence in Canada.

To be eligible, candidates 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 means that only applicants with work experience in the associated occupations will likely qualify for the RCIP permanent residence pathway.

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

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

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

What is RCIP?

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

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; and
• 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 candidates 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.

Details for each of the eligibility criteria can be found here.

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