
BIG POSSIBILITIES
NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO

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Priority Occupations
10010 | Financial managers |
10011 | Human resources managers |
10012 | Purchasing managers |
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 |
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 |
31303 | Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals |
31110 Dentists
41402 Business development officers and market researchers and analysts
22221 | User support technicians |
22232 | Occupational health and safety specialists |
12010 | Supervisors, general office and administrative support workers |
12011 | Supervisors, finance and insurance office workers |
72025 | Supervisors, mail and message distribution occupations |
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 |
22110 | Biological technologists and technicians |
22111 | Agricultural and fish products inspectors |
22112 | Forestry technologists and technicians |
22114 | Landscape and horticulture technicians and 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 |
62029 | Other services supervisors |
62200 | Chefs |
72106 | Welders and related machine operators |
72300 | Plumbers |
72021 | Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews 72400 Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics |
92014 | Supervisors, forest products processing |
13110 | Administrative assistants |
13100 | Administrative officers |
13101 | Property administrators |
13112 | Medical administrative assistants |
33101 | Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations |
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 |
74202 | Air transport ramp attendants |
74102 | Couriers and messengers |
44101 | Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations |
64101 | Sales and account representatives – wholesale trade (non-technical) |
64100 | Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers |
64314 | Hotel front desk clerks |
64410 | Security guards and related security service occupations |
64409 | Other customer and information services representatives |
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 |
14200 Accounting and related clerks
75201 | Delivery service drivers and door-to-door distributors |
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 |
85110 | Mine 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.