Sudbury (Mar 6) – Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced two new regional pilot programs to address labour shortages in rural and Francophone minority communities.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will open the community application process this spring to select communities who will participate in the pilots and will share more details in the coming months. Meanwhile IRCC will continue working towards creating a permanent rural immigration program.
“Rural and northern communities face unique economic and demographic challenges,” Miller said in a written. However, through the RNIP, rural communities have been able to attract and retain skilled workers that they’ve needed for years to ensure their economic growth. That is why we will make RNIP (Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot) a permanent program, and why we are introducing these two new pilot programs. We’ll continue to work closely with these communities, as we work to connect businesses with the skilled workers they need to thrive.”
The Rural Community Immigration Pilot will launch this fall. It aims to ensure that rural communities continue to have the ability to access programs that address labour shortages and help local businesses find the workers they need. It will also provide pathways to permanent residence for newcomers who can help to overcome critical labour job shortages and want to live long term in these smaller communities.
IRCC will also launch the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot this fall. The pilot will focus on increasing the number of French-speaking newcomers settling in Francophone minority communities outside of Quebec and will help ensure the economic development of Francophone minority communities, while also helping to restore and increase their demographic weight.
