Immigration Corner | How to qualify for the RCIP in Canada

Dear Miss Powell,

I recently graduated from college with a diploma, and I applied through the Express Entry programme, but my score was way lower than what I see them selecting. I was wondering if there is a programme in Canada that I can use to qualify for permanent residence. Your guidance would be appreciated.

RE

Dear RE,

There are several ways to apply to get permanent residence in Canada for qualified individuals based on your education, work experience, and resources. You mentioned the Express Entry system, which manages programmes such as the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trade, and some Provincial Nominee Programmes. Since you seem to be familiar with these programmes and I have written extensively about them, I will focus on The Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP), which was launched recently.

The RCIP programme was designed to help rural communities in Canada attract and retain skilled immigrants to the smaller communities. This programme offers a viable pathway to permanent residence for qualified foreign workers who choose to live and work in one of the participating communities. You can be living abroad or already be in Canada as a temporary resident at the time that you apply. The key is to follow the steps below to qualify.

STEPS TO QUALIFY FOR RCIP

1. JOB OFFER

Since this programme is community focused, your first challenge is to find a job and receive a job offer from a designated employer in one of the 18 participating rural and smaller communities listed on the government’s website. Each community will launch their own website shortly that will outline the details about the eligible employers and how to apply.

2. WORK EXPERIENCE

You don’t need skilled work experience if you recently graduated from a public post-secondary school in the community. However, if you are not a recent graduate, you need at least one year or 1,560 hours of related work experience in the past three years. This work experience should be in the same TEER as your job offer. Readers who have work experience in a regulated profession such as pharmacy, architecture, law, or medicine may need an assessment and take the necessary steps to obtain a licence from the relevant professional body before your application can be approved.

3. EDUCATIONAL CREDENTIAL ASSESSMENT

If you have an international college diploma then you must get your college diploma assessed to prove that it is equivalent to a Canadian post-secondary certificate, diploma, or degree. You can use one of the designated organisations for this assessment such as the Comparative Education Service – University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies; World Education Services; International Credential Evaluation Service – British Columbia Institute of Technology. For readers with a degree and in a regulated profession, you may need to have your credentials assessed based on your profession. The other assessors are the Canadian Architectural Certification Board, the Medical Council of Canada, and the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada.

4. LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

You must prove your language abilities by taking an approved test to demonstrate your proficiency in either English or French. The required test will depend on the language requirements of your job offer and the community you are applying to. There are francophone and rural communities under the RCIP.

The qualifying English tests are the International English Language Testing System; Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program, and the Pearson Test of English. For French you need the Test d’évaluation de français or the Test de connaissance du français.

5. SETTLEMENT FUNDS

Like most economic programmes, you are required to prove that you have enough money to support yourself and your family as you transition into the community. This is called settlement funds. The amount required will depend on the size of your family and the community you are moving to.

6. APPLY FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCE

Once you have a valid job offer from a designated employer, they will send your community recommendation application directly to the community for review and approval. It will be the duty of the community to evaluate your application to ensure that your job is in a priority sector, the offer is valid and that you meet all the requirements for the pilot. If you qualify, then the community will provide you with a referral letter recommending that you can apply for permanent residence.

The application fee is CND$1525, plus the right of permanent residence fee and biometrics fee when required.

7. WORK WHILE YOU WAIT

Once you have applied for permanent residence under the RCIP, you and your spouse may be eligible for a two-year work permit while you wait on your application to be processed. You will be restricted to working for the designated employer listed on your application.

If you require additional information about the RCIP and other Canadian immigration programmes you may contact me to schedule an online meeting.

Deidre S. Powell is a lawyer, mediator, and notary public in Canada. You may connect with her on Facebook and Instagram. You may also call or WhatsApp 613-695-8777.