Priority Occupations
10010 Financial managers
10011 Human resources managers
10012 Purchasing managers
000 15 Senior managers – construction, transportation, production and utilities
10019 Other administrative services managers
10020 Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers
10021 Banking, credit and other investment managers
10022 Advertising, marketing and public relations managers
10029 Other business services managers
10030 Telecommunication carriers managers
70021 Postal and courier services managers
20010 Engineering managers
20012 Computer and information systems managers
20011 Architecture and science managers
20012 Computer and information systems managers
60010 Corporate sales managers
60020 Retail and wholesale trade managers
60030 Restaurant and food service managers
60031 Accommodation service managers
60040 Managers in customer and personal services
70010 Construction managers
70011 Home building and renovation managers
70012 Facility operation and maintenance managers
70020 Managers in transportation
11200 Human resources professionals
11100 Financial auditors and accountants
11101 Financial and investment analysts
11109 Other financial officers
21100 Physicists and astronomers
21101 Chemists
21102 Geoscientists and oceanographers
21109 Other professional occupations in physical sciences
21110 Biologists and related scientists
21111 Forestry professionals
21300 Civil engineers
21301 Mechanical engineers
21310 Electrical and electronics engineers
21320 Chemical engineers
21321 Industrial and manufacturing engineers
21322 Metallurgical and materials engineers
21330 Mining engineers
21331 Geological engineers
21390 Aerospace engineers
21311 Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
21399 Other professional engineers
21202 Urban and land use planners
21203 Land surveyors
31202 Physiotherapists
31301 Registered Nurse
31303 Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals
31110 Dentists
41402 Business development officers and market researchers and analysts
41302 Religious leaders
12010 Supervisors, general office and administrative support workers
12011 Supervisors, finance and insurance office workers
12103 Conference and event planners
12013 Supervisors, supply chain, tracking and scheduling coordination occupations
12100 Executive assistants
12101 Human resources and recruitment officers
12102 Procurement and purchasing agents and officers
12111 Health information management occupations
12112 Records management technicians
12200 Accounting technicians and bookkeepers
12201 Insurance adjusters and claims examiners
12202 Insurance underwriters
22100 Chemical technologists and technicians
22101 Geological and mineral technologists and technicians
32109 Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
22110 Biological technologists and technicians
22111 Agricultural and fish products inspectors
22112 Forestry technologists and technicians
22114 Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists
22211 Industrial designers
22221 User support technicians
22232 Occupational health and safety specialists
22300 Civil engineering technologists and technicians
22301 Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
22302 Industrial engineering and manufacturing technologists and technicians
22303 Construction estimators
22310 Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians
22311 Electronic service technicians (household and business equipment)
22312 Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics
22313 Aircraft instrument, electrical and avionics mechanics, technicians and inspectors
32120 Medical laboratory technologists
32104 Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians
32103 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
32121 Medical radiation technologists
32122 Medical sonographers
32123 Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists
32124 Pharmacy technicians
32129 Other medical technologists and technicians
32110 Denturists
32111 Dental hygienists and dental therapists
32112 Dental technologists and technicians
32100 Opticians
32101 Licensed practical nurses
32102 Paramedical occupations
32109 Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
42201 Social and community service workers
42202 Early childhood educators and assistants
62010 Retail sales supervisors
62020 Food service supervisors
62022 Accommodation, travel, tourism and related services supervisors
62024 Cleaning supervisors
62029 Other services supervisors
62200 Chefs
72020 Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
72106 Welders and related machine operators
72201 Industrial electricians
72300 Plumbers
72021 Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews
72025 Supervisors, mail and message distribution occupations
72400 Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
72401 Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
72404 Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors
72410 Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers
72411 Auto body collision, refinishing and glass technicians and damage repair estimators
72600 Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors
92014 Supervisors, forest products processing
92100 Power engineers and power systems operators
13110 Administrative assistants
13100 Administrative officers
13101 Property administrators
13111 Legal administrative assistants
13112 Medical administrative assistants
33101 Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
33102 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associate
33103 Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
33100 Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
33109 Other assisting occupations in support of health services
63200 Cooks
63201 Butchers – retail and wholesale
63202 Bakers
73201 General building maintenance workers and building superintendents
73402 Drillers and blasters – surface mining, quarrying and construction
73200 Residential and commercial installers and servicers
73209 Other repairers and servicers
73300 Transport truck drivers
73400 Heavy equipment operators
83100 Underground production and development miners
83110 Logging machinery operators
14100 -Ward Clerk, hospital
14200 Accounting and related clerks
14201 Banking, insurance and other financial clerks
44101 Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations
64101 Sales and account representatives – wholesale trade (non-technical)
64100 Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers
64301 Bartenders
64314 Hotel front desk clerks
64410 Security guards and related security service occupations
64409 Other customer and information services representatives
74102 Couriers and messengers
74202 Air transport ramp attendants
74204 Utility maintenance workers
74203 Automotive and heavy truck and equipment parts installers and servicers
84100 Underground mine service and support workers
94100 Machine operators, mineral and metal processing
94101 Foundry workers
94103 Concrete, clay and stone forming operators
94104 Inspectors and testers, mineral and metal processing
94105 Metalworking and forging machine operators
94106 Machining tool operators
94107 Machine operators of other metal products
94110 Chemical plant machine operators
94111 Plastics processing machine operators
94112 Rubber processing machine operators and related workers
94120 Sawmill machine operators
94121 Pulp mill, papermaking and finishing machine operators
94121 Pulp mill, papermaking and finishing machine operators
94129 Other wood processing machine operators
94122 Paper converting machine operators
94123 Lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders
94124 Woodworking machine operators
94140 Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing
94141 Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
94203 Assemblers, fabricators and inspectors, industrial electrical motors and transformers
94204 Mechanical assemblers and inspectors
94205 Machine operators and inspectors, electrical apparatus manufacturing
94213 Industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing process operators
65310 Light duty cleaners
65311 Specialized cleaners
65312 Janitors, caretakers and heavy-duty cleaners
75110 Construction trades helpers and labourers
75101 Material handlers
75110 Construction trades helpers and labourers
75119 Other trades helpers and labourers
75201 Delivery service drivers and door-to-door distributors
85110 Mine labourers
85103 Nursery and greenhouse labourers
95102 Labourers in chemical products processing and utilities
Ready to Apply?
Recruit and Retain under the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP)
If your business or organization is struggling to employ enough qualified people, consider hiring foreign workers to meet your labour force needs. Eligible employers can use the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) Thunder Bay and Area to recruit a new employee to a priority occupation or retain a foreign worker they already employ.
How it works
Employers must be approved to make job offers under the RNIP Thunder Bay before their candidate(s) can be considered for a community recommendation. In addition to meeting eligibility requirements, approved employers must commit to a culturally-safe workplace and assisting newcomer employees with settlement and integration (see below criteria and suggested activities).
Employers must ensure that candidate(s) meet all federal eligibility criteria before making a qualifying job offer. Qualifying job offers may fall under three categories:
Type 1: Priority Occupation
- The job offer is for a position that has been deemed a priority occupation
Type 2: French Essential Position
- The occupation is in any skill level and any NOC code
- The job requires the use of the French language to perform the main duties
Type 3: Any other occupation
- The occupation has not been deemed priority
- The candidate has lived in the community for at least two (2) years and is currently employed with the employer
Employers are required to document the offer of employment with the IMM 5984 form and provide it to the candidate to submit along with their application for a community recommendation. If needed, the employer can obtain a work permit specific to the RNIP through the IRCC Employer Portal after the candidate has received a community recommendation. With a work permit, candidates may be employed while applying for permanent residence and awaiting the status of their application.
To be designated to make offers of employment under the RNIP in Thunder Bay, an employer must:
- Be located within the Thunder Bay and Area catchment which includes
- City of Thunder Bay
- Town of Atikokan
- Town of Fort Frances
- Town of Rainy River
- City of Dryden
- Town of Emo
- Municipality (town) of Greenstone
- Town of Marathon
- Township of Dorion
- Township of Manitouwadge
- Township of Nipigon
- Township of Schreiber
- Township of Terrace Bay
- Township of Red Rock
- Municipality of Sioux Lookout
- Township of Ignace
- Be a recognized business that has operated in Thunder Bay as defined by the Ministerial Instructions for at least two (2) years OR be a new company that has recently moved to Thunder Bay and set up operations, but has existed as a company elsewhere in Canada for a minimum of three (3) years
- Not be in violation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act or Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
- Not be listed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as an ineligible company to participate in immigration programs, nor have been found to have been in material violation of any bylaw of the City of Thunder Bay, or any statute or regulation of Province of Ontario or the government of Canada;
- Offer full-time, permanent employment in a priority occupation as defined by Thunder Bay CEDC
- Demonstrate their efforts to recruit a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident prior to providing the job offer
- Attest that they did not receive any form of payment in exchange for the job offer Approach to Newcomer Integration
In order to increase the likelihood of newcomers becoming economically established and settling permanently in the community, eligible employers must demonstrate a commitment to a culturally-safe workplace and support for the newcomer’s community integration. Employers must commit to at least three (3) of the following activities:
- Assign a culturally sensitive on-the-job mentor, who is not their supervisor, to help the newcomer(s) understand company principles, norms, rules and culture; provide regular, detailed feedback to the newcomer(s) on their job performance; and to help with day-to-day questions;
- Support the newcomer employee(s) with finding and securing housing and/or providing the newcomer employee(s) with housing;
- Introduce newcomer employee(s) to opportunities to join groups, associations and/or community organizations;
- Provide financial assistance, where necessary, for newcomer employees’ language and/or skills development;
- Grant newcomer employee time away from work to attend CEDC or community-sponsored events for which the main objective is to facilitate community integration;
- Provide diversity training to staff that are in a supervisory role or work directly with a newcomer employee;
- Provide proof of the employer’s completion and/or attendance at educational seminars, conferences or information sessions related to supporting and/or retaining newcomers;
- Grant time to newcomer employees who require information or support with enrolling children in schools, applying for health cards, and obtaining a driver’s license and finding accommodations;
- Offer team-building activities within the workplace that promote cross-cultural understanding and awareness; and/or
- Make appropriate referrals for newcomers to access community resources and settlement services as the need arises.
- Processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators
I need to hire for positions not on the priority list. Can I use the RNIP?
Workers can be recruited or retained to non-priority positions only by way of Job Offer Types 2 (the position requires the use of the French language) and 3 (the position is currently filled by someone who has resided in the community for at least two years). See above information on job offer types.
I need to hire part-time and seasonal workers. Can I use the RNIP?
No. Qualifying job offers made under the RNIP must be for permanent, full-time, non-seasonal positions (at least 30 hours per week).
Is there funding available to employers who use the RNIP?
There is no funding affiliated with the use of the RNIP. Employers looking to further develop their businesses or access loans and grants are encouraged to access the services of the Thunder Bay & District Entrepreneur Centre. More business support services are listed at gotothunderbay.ca/business.
How does Thunder Bay CEDC help me find employees?
Thunder Bay CEDC does not assist with hiring as part of the administration of the RNIP. Employers looking to further develop their businesses are encouraged access the services of the Thunder Bay & District Entrepreneur Centre. More business support services are listed at gotothunderbay.ca/business.
Employers interested in the RNIP Thunder Bay and Area are encouraged to submit an Employer Application or contact immigration@thunderbay.ca to discuss how the RNIP can assist in their workforce development.
