The “low” wage associated with the NOC code for the position offered to the candidate, as identified on the IMM0247 form submitted to CEDC, may change during the PR process.

IRCC requires that the RCIP candidate’s wage continue to meet the applicable “low” wage threshold for our region, Northwestern Ontario, throughout the full PR application processing period.

In practice, when Ontario’s minimum wage increases each year, typically in October, this can affect wage levels more broadly. As a result, if you wish to continue supporting a candidate through to permanent residence, you must be prepared to ensure that their wage continues to meet the current “low” wage for that NOC in our region until IRCC has made a final decision on the PR application.

You can check the current “low” wage for the Northwest Region and the relevant NOC here: https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis/search-wages

Once a candidate receives a Recommendation Certificate (RC) from CEDC, they should prioritize submitting their Permanent Residence (PR) application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) without delay.

Key considerations:

• The Recommendation Certificate is valid for six months only from the date of issuance.
• It cannot be extended or renewed under any circumstances.
• IRCC’s current processing time for issuing an Acknowledgment of Receipt (AOR) is approximately 3–4 months.
• The RC must be valid on the date a complete application is submitted. Incomplete applications will not receive an AOR, and resubmission is only possible if the RC remains valid.

Given these constraints, timely submission is critical. Delays significantly increase the risk that, if an application is deemed incomplete, the candidate may be unable to reapply before their RC expires—potentially forfeiting their opportunity altogether.

Applications are processed on a first come first serve basis. We will advise employers:

• If your candidate is to receive a Recommendation Certificate (RC), both you and the applicant will be notified.
• If your candidate is to be refused a RC, both you and the applicant will be notified.
• If you do not hear anything, you can assume that your candidate is in the pool and their score will be measured against the pool for up to 6 months. If during that time your applicant is eligible for a score increase (e.g. they can provide proofs of additional qualifying work experience/connections to the community) then you can send us an email asking for a score review with supporting relevant documentation and it will be re-assessed against the pool with the new score.

FRAUD ALERT – Note to Employers: If approached to be a Designated Employer for any immigration programs for temporary foreign workers, remember to ask their name, contact information and credentials. You can verify registered immigration consultants through https://www.college-ic.ca/protecting-the-public/find-an-immigration-consultant, and immigration lawyers in good-standing at https://lso.ca/public-resources/finding-a-lawyer-or-paralegal/lawyer-and-paralegal-directory. Remember, if approached, be cautious.

De-designation, fines and being blacklisted can be the result, when found engaging in dishonest practices. Other examples of dishonest practices include: requesting payment for job offers, providing false documentation, engaging in abusive practices in the workplace, withholding workers’ personal documents, etc.

Please be informed and cautious when it comes to economic immigration programs. For more information regarding Immigration Fraud and Scams, including how to report suspected fraud, please visit: Protect yourself from immigration fraud – Canada.ca

Get designated as an employer

Being “designated” means you can hire candidates under the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP). The Thunder Bay CEDC is responsible for designating employers in the Thunder Bay CMA.

1.   Check that you meet the requirements

To be designated, you must:

• have been operating continuously for at least 2 years in the Thunder Bay CMA.
• comply with employment standards and occupational health and safety legislation
• do business in at least one priority occupation that the Thunder Bay CEDC has identified
  • The Thunder Bay CEDC Advisory Council has set priority sectors and occupations that can be filled through the pilot based on local economic development priorities
• do at least 75% of business work inside the community
• not be in violation of the employer compliance regime
• complete the free required onboarding training
• complete the free required intercultural competency training
• agree to support the settlement of newcomers and their families

You cannot be

• a consulate
• a staffing or employment agency
• an employer that a candidate (or their spouse or common-law partner) owns or controls
  • This includes any business that a candidate owns a majority stake (more than 50%) in, either directly or indirectly.
• an employer that:
  • runs a business offering striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massage on a regular basis
  • offers jobs that are not genuine
  • owes administrative penalties
• a business owned by an authorized immigration representative

2.   Apply to your participating community

Each community has its own application process. There is no cost to becoming a designated employer. You can find applications to become designated on our RCIP website by clicking here. 

If you have questions about the designation process, contact the Thunder Bay CEDC directly. immigration@thunderbay.ca

3.   Receive your designation

Once you’re designated, you’ll receive a Confirmation of Designation from the Thunder Bay CEDC.

You must complete 2 free online courses for designation:

• onboarding training
• intercultural competency training

You’ll get a certificate for completing each of these courses which you should include along with your Employer Designation Application Form via our portal.

Onboarding training 

This training covers:

• an introduction to Canada’s immigration system
• background on the pilot
• how the pilot works
• an overview of roles and responsibilities
• permanent residence applications
• work permit applications
• settlement and integration into the community.

Intercultural competency training 

Intercultural competency training can help you to take meaningful steps to welcome and integrate your newcomer employees. This will help you to retain internationally trained talent in the long term.

This training aims to support those who are involved in the day-to-day management of the organization, such as those responsible for hiring or managing employees in your organization. The training covers topics such as:

• creating welcoming and culturally inclusive workplaces
• newcomer experiences
• cultural awareness

Once you’re designated, you can offer jobs to eligible candidates.

The Rural Community Immigration Pilot does not match candidates with jobs. You may find a candidate on your own or a candidate may approach you.

The job you’re offering must be

• within the boundaries of Thunder Bay CMA
• full time (at least 30 paid hours per week)
• non-seasonal (year-round)
• indeterminate (no end date)
  • Volunteer work and unpaid internships don’t count.
• at a similar skill level as your candidate’s qualifying work experience (see this table)

In certain circumstances, your candidate doesn’t need qualifying work experience if they’re an international student who has graduated from Lakehead University or Confederation College. For more information, review the work experience exemption.

 If your candidate’s work experience is in NOC 31301 (Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses – TEER 1), you can make a job offer in one of the following occupation categories:

• NOC 33102 (TEER 3): Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates or
• NOC 44101 (TEER 4): Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations

Rural Community Immigration Pilots: Who can apply – Canada.ca

To apply for permanent residence through the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP), you must:

• have a valid job offer from a designated employer in the community
• have at least 1 year (1,560 hours) of related work experience in the past 3 years
• work experience exemption if you studied and graduated in the community
• prove your language abilities by taking an approved test
• have a Canadian educational credential or the foreign equivalent
• prove you have enough money to support your transition and your family’s transition into the community if the candidate is not currently in Canada

The minimum score they need depends on the NOC TEER category of the job offer. NOTE: the score must be across all categories, not based upon an average score.

• TEER 0 or 1: CLB 6
• TEER 2 or 3: CLB 5
• TEER 4 or 5: CLB 4

If the candidate has applied for permanent residence under the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP), they may also be eligible for a 2-year work permit. The work permit lets them work while their permanent residence application is being processed.

This work permit:

• is only for the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP)
• is valid for 2 years
• only lets the candidate work for the employer who offered them the job

To qualify for a work permit, the candidate must:

• have an eligible offer of employment from a designated employer
• have a Recommendation Certificate from a participating community
• be eligible to apply for a work permit

Work permits for spouses or common-law partners

• The candidate’s spouse or common-law partner can apply for an open work permit at the same time as they apply for their 2-year work permit.
• Their work permit will only let them work in the same community as the candidate.

How to apply for the work permit

The application forms and process you need to follow depend on where you’re applying from. For more information on applying for the RCIP work permit or spousal RCIP work permit, please visit: Rural Community Immigration Pilot: Optional: Work permit – Canada.ca

You must use the IRCC webform found here

You must report any changes to both the:

• IRCC using the webform found here, and
• Thunder Bay CEDC by email: immigration@thunderbay.ca

Only some people can charge you a fee or receive any other type of payment. These people are called “authorized” representatives. They are:

• lawyers and paralegals who are members in good standing of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society
• notaries who are members in good standing of the Chambre des notaires du Québec and
• citizenship or immigration consultants who are members in good standing of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants

Newcomer Legal Clinic of Thunder Bay provides free legal support to qualifying individuals in immigration, refugee, and citizenship law to immigrants, refugees and people living without status in Northwestern Ontario.