Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot – West KootenayAbout the Region:
West Kootenay is a beautiful and vibrant region of British Columbia. The population of the area is approximately 30,000 people and growing! In addition to beautiful lakes, majestic mountains, and stunning nature, the region has a strong economy and offers many jobs and business opportunities.The main economic drivers of the region are forestry, mining, resource extraction, agriculture, and tourism. Participating communities include: Castlegar, Rossland, Nelson, Castlegar, City of Trail, Nakusp, Creston Valley and Kootenay Lake, Kaslo and the area, Grand Forks and area. Kootenay National Park
About the Pilot:
The West Kootenay Immigration Pilot program is a community-led immigration program designed to attract skilled workers to rural communities. It has been developed with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to fulfill the needs of communities in terms of bringing international talents and experienced workers that will bring skills to the region. There is an option for Permanent Residency (PR) support and work permit support.
Eligibility:
The applicant would need to satisfy both Federal Eligibility and Community Criteria. There is Employer Eligibility as well.
1. Federal Eligibility:
1. a) Work Experience. You need 1 year of full-time work experience (at least 1,560 hours) in the past 3 years. That experience must meet the National Occupation Classification (NOC) Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) category provided in the job offer:
Exceptions
1. b) Language requirements
You must submit the minimum language requirements based on the NOC category that applies to the employment offer, s follows:
These results can’t be older than 2 years.
1. c) Educational requirements
You must complete a minimum high school diploma, either in Canada or abroad. You would need to possess Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for diplomas obtained abroad.
1. d) Settlement funds
If you are applying directly from abroad, you would need to prove you have enough funds to support yourself and your family members during the first several months in your community. If you are currently authorized to work in Canada, you are exempted from this requirement. More about the settlement funds Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot: Proof of funds – Canada.ca
2. Community Criteria:
2. a) Above mentioned Federal Eligibility criteria.
2. b) Intention to live in the Community.
2. c) Wage offered must be at min $22/h per hour or at Job Bank’s median rate of pay, whichever is higher. Candidates currently working in the community for a minimum of 6 months are exempted from this requirement but will need to earn a minimum of $18/h or more.
2. d) You would need to score min 26 points in the West Kootenay RNIP points grid WK_Community_Criteria_2021.pdf (wk-rnip.ca). There are some exceptions here based on the Priority NOC codes. However, it would be great to achieve 26 points regardless of the occupation, as it might be requested by the RNIP Officer.
3. Employer Eligibility:
3. a) Business incorporation and being legally allowed to operate a business in the region. An employer must have operated in the West Kootenay region min 2 years OR have made a business investment of at least $200,000 in the West Kootenay Region.
3. b) Employment Offer: An Employment Offer would need to be a genuine one. The min rate of pay will have to be per the Job Bank or previously explained range.
3. c) Attestation that their efforts to hire Canadian PRs were/are genuine. You might have to submit proof of advertisement and prove you genuinely tried to recruit Canadians and PRs first.
If you fulfill all criteria mentioned, you may complete West Kootenay Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (WK RNIP) application form. If successful, you will receive a Community Recommendation and be able to apply for Permanent Residency. You may apply for an employer-specific work permit as well.
We provide free immigration and recruitment consultations for employers. Please contact us today for more information!
The Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) is a regional district in British Columbia. In 2021 the Regional District of North Okanagan had a population of 91,610.
The Shuswap is situated in south-central British Columbia between Vancouver, BC, and Calgary, AB. The area features four seasons that include abundant outdoor activities, camping opportunities, hiking, biking, fishing, cross-country skiing, and more. Shuswap Lake is one of the most popular tourism and recreational destinations in beautiful British Columbia.
Here are the top 5 reasons to live in the North Okanagan-Shuswap:
A strong economy with natural resources, forestry, agriculture and tourism being the major economic drives.
Participating communities include:
About the Pilot:
The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot is a community-driven program created to enable the benefits of economic immigration to smaller communities, their employers, and businesses. The Pilot program created a path to Permanent Residence (PR) for skilled international workers who want to work and live in one of the participating communities.
Eligibility:
The applicant would need to satisfy both Federal Eligibility and Community Criteria. There is Employer Eligibility as well.
1. Federal Eligibility
2. Community Criteria:
2.a) Above mentioned Federal Eligibility criteria.
2.b) Intention to live in the Community.
2.c) Wage offered must be at min $23/h per hour or at Job Bank’s median rate of pay, whichever is higher. Points requirement: There is no minimal community criteria points requirements.
Candidates currently working in the community for a minimum of 6 months are exempted from this requirement but will need to earn a minimum of $18/h or more.
Points Requirements: Minimum of 30 points from our Comprehension Ranking System is needed to become eligible to apply with the wage exception: Community Criteria for Applicants – RNIP North Okanagan Shuswap
3. Employer Eligibility:
Must be based in the Community and being legally allowed to operate a business in the region. An employer must have operated in Canada for min of 5 years with min of 2 years in the community OR have made a business investment of at least $100,000 in the West Kootenay Region AND have operated in Canada for at least 2 years, have a physical business location in the Community for at least 6 months, consent to site visit and interview by RNIP Coordinator
3.b) Employment Offer: An Employment Offer would need to be a genuine one.
3.c) Attestation that their efforts to hire Canadian PRs were/are genuine. Must prove their efforts to hire a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident before hiring a foreign worker.
3.d) Employers must go through a required training session about settlement, eligibility, and program integrity before posting a job through RNIP.
Recommendations:
The Community has been awarded 220 recommendations for each remaining year of the pilot. The committee will make up to 75% of the annual recommendations available to those applicants who do not meet the Community wage criteria, as described in Employer Filter 9. This exemption will be granted to applicants who have been offered a job in the Community with a wage between $18.00 and $22.99 and meet or exceed 30 points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (VCRS).
An employer may request up to 6 candidates to be recommended by the committee per calendar year with the exception of preferred NOC codes.
The following NOC codes are exempt from the employer cap. All other NOC codes will be included in the yearly employer cap.
Premier Visa and Immigration Services is providing immigration consulting services on various categories of immigration including permanent residence visas and temporary residence visas. We specialize in temporary foreign worker program and business immigration.
Our consultants are registered members of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.
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