The changes made to the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

Marco Mendicino, the Immigration Minister of Canada, has recently announced some major modifications to the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot program. As per the recent changes, candidates who apply to the RNIP do not need to show continuous work experience. If an applicant has work experience within the last three years of the date he or she applied to the RNIP, his or her work experience will be counted. However, applicants still need to have at least a year of work experience. It does not matter if an applicant has discontinuous work experience with some breaks in employment. And this change is applicable to all the applicants including the ones who have already applied to the pilot. Further, the IRCC has allowed RNIP applicants to apply for a work permit while they wait for the result of their PR application. This is a temporary measure that the government has taken due to the circumstances created by COVID-19. So, these are the changes that the immigration minister announced on December 14. In addition to this, applicants still require to meet all other eligibility criteria and requirements of the RNIP.

What is RNIP?

RNIP is a community-driven program launched by the Government of Canada to help rural communities attract proficient immigrants. Due to low birth rates, growing retirement rates, and youth migration, the smaller communities have a huge shortage of labor. So, this five-year initiative will address the labor market needs of the communities. Moreover, it will provide an alternative immigration option for unsuccessful Express Entry candidates.