An expansion of the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP), announced in Timmins today should allow more employers to attract foreign workers to fill their vacancies.
"Newcomers are vital to the future of rural and northern communities across the country," says a federal news release. "The Government of Canada is committed to supporting these communities, expanding immigration to create jobs, addressing our labour shortage, and helping businesses grow."
Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, today announced the expansion of RNIP, increasing the benefits of immigration in the 11 participating communities, including North Bay.
See: Rural and Northern Immigration pilot project sees 21 new immigrants settling in this area
A number of new improvements will be implemented this fall and will support community partners, employers and candidates by expanding the geographic boundaries of North Bay, Timmins, Sudbury, and Thunder Bay as well as seven other Canadian communities.
Fraser says it will make it easier to fill labour market needs in the health care and trades sectors, by expanding the range of job offers available to candidates, with specific work experience, and allow communities to participate for a longer period, until August 2024, when the pilot comes to an end.
The program is also reducing the amount of settlement funds participants are required to have.
"Based on the recommendations of our community partners, these changes take another step in meeting their needs and promoting growth in smaller and rural communities across the country. With expanded geographic boundaries, the RNIP will support more employers in filling crucial labour market needs," explains the release.
“Rural and northern communities face unique economic and demographic challenges, and the expansion of RNIP announced today makes it that much easier for communities to fill their critical labour market needs. They also expand community boundaries so that employers in remote areas can access the program, helping to support economic development and growth in smaller communities across the country,” added Fraser.
There is already interest in northern Ontario to have the RNIP as a permanent program as well.
“My hope when we had launched pilot programs is that we discovered a new way to meet the needs of a community and if the pilot’s a success, then, of course, we would seek to make it permanent,” said Fraser.
The key markers Fraser said the government looks for when making a program permanent is if it's working and whether can it be expanded or shifted to make sure the needs of local communities are met.
Because of the pandemic, he explained that they need to understand RNIP in a world where the borders are more open and it's easier for people to arrive.
Over the next couple of years, he said they'll see if the pilot is meeting the needs of the communities.
“My personal previous position is that this program has been a success and with certain minor changes along the way, and a potential expansion to other regions in Canada, it could potentially become a permanent source of newcomers to rural and northern communities,” he said.
As of June 30, 2022, 1,130 newcomers have arrived in RNIP communities, helping address labour shortages in key sectors, such as health care, hospitality and food services, retail, manufacturing and transportation.
It is estimated that an average of 125 newcomers and their family members could be welcomed into each of the participating communities, every year.
