Canada is making its Rural Community Immigration Pilot a permanent programme from January 1, 2027, giving eligible skilled workers another route to permanent residence through participating rural communities. The programme has a target of 5,500 admission spaces under Canada’s 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan.
Announced on November 9 by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab, the new Rural Community Immigration Program will build on a pilot launched in January 2025. It's designed to help smaller communities address labour shortages by connecting employers that cannot find workers locally with skilled newcomers willing to live and work there.
For Nigerians exploring opportunities to move to Canada, the programme could offer another route to permanent residence. But it's not an open pathway for anyone who wants to move to a rural area. Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements, secure a qualifying job offer, and receive a recommendation from a participating community.
David Adubiina
Which communities are participating?
The 14 communities involved in the existing pilot are expected to continue under the permanent programme. They are spread across six Canadian provinces:
- Nova Scotia: Pictou County
- Ontario: North Bay, Sudbury, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay
- Manitoba: Steinbach, Altona/Rhineland and Brandon
- Saskatchewan: Moose Jaw
- Alberta: Claresholm
- British Columbia: West Kootenay, North Okanagan, Shuswap and Peace Liard
Canada also plans to expand the programme to additional communities in the future, although the eligibility criteria for new communities will be announced separately.
Participating communities identify the sectors and occupations where they need workers. They also designate employers that can recruit through the programme. This means a job vacancy in one of these locations will not automatically qualify, even if the employer is willing to hire someone from overseas.
Who is eligible for Canada's Rural Community Immigration Program?
To qualify for permanent residence through the Rural Community Immigration Program, applicants must meet several requirements.
They must have a valid recommendation certificate from a participating community, along with a qualifying job offer from a designated employer in that community. The job must fall within a priority sector or occupation identified by the community.
Applicants must also demonstrate at least one year of related work experience, equivalent to 1,560 hours, within the previous three years. They need to take an approved English or French language test, hold a Canadian educational credential or an equivalent foreign qualification, and show that they have enough money to support themselves and their family when required.
The minimum language level depends on the job’s National Occupational Classification Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (NOC TEER) category. Applicants generally need Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 6 for TEER 0 or 1 jobs, level 5 for TEER 2 or 3 jobs, and level 4 for TEER 4 or 5 jobs.
For English-language testing, approved options include IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General and PTE Core. Applicants can also use approved French-language tests.
People with qualifications earned outside Canada may need an Educational Credential Assessment from a designated organisation to establish that their education is equivalent to a Canadian credential.
How much does the application cost?
The permanent programme lists a permanent residence application fee starting at CAD $1,590 (US$1,120) for the principal applicant. This comprises a CAD $990 (US$697) processing fee and a CAD $600 (US$422) right of permanent residence fee.
Additional costs may apply depending on the applicant’s circumstances. These can include fees for a spouse or partner and dependent children, biometrics, language tests, educational credential assessments, medical examinations and police certificates.
Applicants must also demonstrate sufficient settlement funds unless they qualify for an exemption. The published minimum for a single applicant is CAD $10,507 ($7,405). The amount required increases with family size, so applicants should check the latest official table before applying.
These costs are separate from travel, accommodation, and other expenses associated with relocating to Canada. Anyone planning to apply should budget for the full process rather than relying on the application fee alone.
How do you apply?
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