To become an eligible employer under the RCIP program, your business must operate in one of the following priority sectors:

• Business, Finance, and Administration

• Health Occupations

• Education, Law, Social, Community, and Government Services

• Sales and Service

• Trades, Transport, and Equipment Operation or other related fields

Additionally, you must have a full-time, permanent position available in one of the following 25 priority occupations:

• 11102 – Financial Advisors

• 13110 – Administrative Assistants

• 14100 – General Office Support Workers

• 31204 – Kinesiologists and Other Professional Occupations in Therapy and Assessment

• 31301 – Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses

• 32101 – Licensed Practical Nurses

• 33102 – Nurse Aides, Orderlies, and Patient Service Associates

• 33103 – Pharmacy Technical Assistants and Pharmacy Assistants

• 41300 – Social Workers

• 41301 – Therapists in Counselling and Related Specialized Therapies

• 42201 – Social and Community Service Workers

• 42202 – Early Childhood Educators and Assistants

• 44101 – Home Support Workers, Caregivers, and Related Occupations

• 60020 – Retail and Wholesale Trade Managers

• 62010 – Retail Sales Supervisors

• 62020 – Food Service Supervisors

• 63200 – Cooks

• 64100 – Retail Salespersons and Visual Merchandisers

• 65102 – Store Shelf Stockers, Clerks, and Order Fillers

• 65201 – Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers, and Related Support Occupations

• 65310 – Light Duty Cleaners

• 72400 – Construction Millwrights and Industrial Mechanics

• 72410 – Automotive Service Technicians, Truck and Bus Mechanics, and Mechanical Repairers

• 73400 – Heavy Equipment Operators

• 75110 – Construction Trades Helpers and Labourers

If you do operate in one of the priority sectors and have an available position on one of the priority occupations, please follow the steps below to become designated.  

Important: If your business does not operate within one of the listed priority sectors, and if you do not have a full-time, permanent position available in one of the specified priority occupations, you are not eligible to participate in the RCIP program.  

There are other immigration pathways available please explore the Regional Economic Development through Immigration Pilot

Ensure you meet the Employer Requirements

To participate in the Thunder Bay Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP), an employer must be designated.

Please note that French versions of the forms are available. Please contact us for more information.

To be designated, an employer must meet the following requirements:

• Be an active, genuine business that has been operating continuously for at least 2 years within the Thunder Bay CMA.
• Do business in at least one priority occupation identified.
• Do at least 75% of business work inside the Thunder Bay CMA.
• Complete the free onboarding training. (click here to access the onboarding training)
• Complete the free intercultural competence training. (click here to access the intercultural competence training)
• Agree to support the settlement of each applicant and any accompanying family member, including facilitating access to settlement and social service support.
• Agree to be listed publicly on the Thunder Bay CEDC RCIP website.
• Not be in violation of the employer compliance regime under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) or Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), and be in good standing and comply with the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 or the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• Have no outstanding penalties or charges with any Thunder Bay CMA municipal office- including but not limited to: property taxes, water and sewer accounts, etc.
• Not have directly or indirectly misrepresented or withheld any fact relating to a relevant matter that could influence the decision of allowing them to participate in the program.

NOTE: The following businesses/organizations are not eligible to participate in RCIP

• A consulate
• A staffing or employment agency
• A business owned by an authorized immigration representative
• A business that an applicant (or their spouse or common-law partner) owns or controls
• An employer referred to in paragraphs 200(3)(g.1) and (h) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations

Apply for designation

There is no cost to becoming a designated employer. You can apply for designation in advance of hiring a foreign national or when you find someone you wish to hire or retain. Designation applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Once you have completed the two online training sessions, please ensure you have added your name and organization prior to downloading the Certificates of Completion. Submit them along with a completed Employer Designation Application Form. Please complete the application using our simple digital survey via Adobe Fill & Sign. Please ensure you use the employer guidelines when completing your application form. Handwritten submissions and blank Certificates of Completion will NOT be accepted. 

Once an employer meets federal criteria and provides proof of training completion, the CEDC will issue a Confirmation of Designation and list the employer as a RCIP Designated Employer (DE) on our website.

NOTE: Employers are only required to be designated once to participate in the Pilot. However, an employer’s designation status may be revoked for any of the following reasons:

• Pilot priority sectors and/or occupations change and the employer no longer falls within priorities;
• The designated employer voluntarily requests withdrawal from the Pilot;
• The CEDC becomes aware the employer no longer meets the employer designation criteria; or
• Any of the reasons set out in section (4) of the Ministerial Instructions with respect to the RCIP.

Hire a candidate

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

NOTE: The CEDC does not match candidates with jobs. You may find a candidate on your own or a candidate may approach you.

Click here to ensure your job offer meets the requirements of the Pilot.

Click here to ensure your candidate meets the candidate requirements.

If the job and candidate meet the requirements of the Pilot, provide the candidate with a completed Offer of Employment Form.

Encourage your candidate to get their documents ready for you to include along with the completed Recommendation Application Form.

NOTE: If a candidate is not currently working with you, the employer will have to demonstrate that they have made efforts to recruit a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident prior to providing the offer of employment to the candidate.

Apply for recommendation

RCIP applications will be assessed on an on-going basis. When you are ready, submit the Recommendation Application Form (1 per candidate) and upload all required documentation using our portal as provided in the confirmation email.

The Recommendation Application Form confirms:

• That you haven’t been able to fill the job with a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident;
• That the job offer meets the pilot requirements;
• That the candidate meets the requirements for the pilot;
• That you commit to connecting your candidate with immigrant settlement services

How applications are processed

The Thunder Bay CEDC RCIP ranks applications in a pool using a points-based system. Complete applications meeting the eligibility requirements / minimum score of 50 points required will be placed into the Candidate Pool.

For more information, view the Thunder Bay CMA Community Scoring Grid. Please note that the CEDC was responsible for the grid associated with Sectors and NOCs, and the IRCC set the grid for all other factors/categories.

Draws will be completed by the CEDC approximately once every two months. The highest-scoring applications in the pool as of each draw date will be further assessed by the CEDC. Candidates and/or employers may be requested to participate in a formal interview to further assess their application. Candidates deemed to satisfy the requirements of the Ministerial Instructions and who score the highest will be issued a Recommendation Certificate.

Approximately one third of our Recommendation Certificates will be issued at the end of each window. Sector targets are in place as follows:

15% for Business, Finance and Administration Occupations

30% for Health Occupations

15% for Occupations in Education, Law & Social, Community & Government Services

15% for Sales & Service Occupations

15% for Trades and Transport Occupations

10% allowance for adjustments to the above

*Tie-breaking rule: If more than one application has the lowest score, the cut-off is based on the date and time the applications were submitted (i.e. whichever was submitted first would be considered for the Recommendation Certificate).

Applications not selected for further review remain in the pool for up to six months and may be selected later if their ranking is within the highest scores of that window. Applications will not be considered if they are incomplete or do not meet federal eligibility requirements. It is up to employers to ensure that their candidate(s) meet the program requirements and that all applications and documentation are up to date and complete.

Support your candidate

If your Recommendation Application is approved, your candidate will receive a Recommendation Certificate that allows them to apply to the IRCC for permanent residence.

Continue to support your candidate by implementing the commitments to settlement supports that you outlined on the Recommendation Application Form to help the candidate integrate into your business/organization and to feel welcome in the community.

NOTE: Receiving a Recommendation Certificate from the CEDC does not guarantee that your candidate will receive permanent residence. It is up to the IRCC Processing Officer’s discretion when they are reviewing the application.

Optional: Work permit

If your candidate requires a temporary work permit while their permanent residence application is being processed at the IRCC, click here to learn about the steps involved.