Claresholm, Population 3,800, Receives 5,000 Applications For Rural & Northern Immigration Pilot
Claresholm, Alberta, with a population of 3,800, has been flooded with more than 5,000 applications from Seventy (70) different countries for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot.
The town, located Ninety (90) minutes south of Calgary, only opened applications in February, and officials are shocked by the level of interest shown.
It plans to welcome Twenty (20) candidates in the first year of the three-year pilot, and more in the next two (2) years.
Choosing twenty (20) candidates from a list of 5,000 promises to be difficult for the local officials, with jobs available ranging from coffee shop attendants to food production workers.
Criteria for the RNIP include language, educational qualifications, work experience and settlement funds. Candidates are also needed to have a job offer on the table to stand a chance.
Claresholm is one of Eleven (11) communities chosen for the pilot, out of fifty-five (55) locations that applied.
Claresholm, Alberta becomes the sixth community to launch its website for the RNIP. The others are Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay in Ontario, Vernon in British Columbia and Brandon and Altona/Rhineland in Manitoba.
Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Participating Communities
| Community | Community website |
| North Bay, ON | Coming soon |
| Sudbury, ON | Coming soon |
| Timmins, ON | Coming soon |
| Sault Ste. Marie, ON | www.welcometosm.com |
| Thunder Bay, ON | www.gothunderbay.com |
| Brandon, MB | www.economicdevelopmentbrandon.com |
| Altona/Rhineland, MB | www.seedrgpa.com |
| Moose Jaw, SK | Coming soon |
| Claresholm, AB | www.claresholm.ca/rural-northern-immigration-pilot |
| Vernon, BC | www.rnip-vernon.ca |
| West Kootenay (Castlegar, Trail, Rossland, Nelson), BC | Â Also Coming soon |
RNIP Federal Government Eligibility Requirement
1) Work Experience/International Student Exemptions
Candidates must have qualifying work experiences or have graduated from a publicly-funded post-secondary or tertiary institution in the recommending community.
Candidate must have at least one year of continuous part-time or part-time work experience (1,560 hours) in the last three years. The work experience must be in one occupation and must include most of the major duties and all of the main duties listed in the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
International Students
Candidates who are international students do not require work experience provided they meet the following requirements:
Scenario 1
- They graduated with a certificate from a minimum two-year-long post-secondary course in the recommending community.
- They were studying as a regular student for the full duration of the two or more years.
- They received the credential no more than eighteen (18) months before the date of application for permanent residence.
- They were in the community for at least Sixteen (16) of the last twenty-four (24) months spent studying to get the credential.
Scenario 2
- They graduated with a master’s degree or higher
- They studied as a full-time regular student for the duration of the degree in the recommending community.
- They received the degree no more than eighteen (18) months before the date of applications for permanent residence.
- They were in the community for the length period of their studies.
2) Language Requirements
Candidates must meet the Niveaux de compétence Linguistique canadiens (NCLC) or Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) based on the National Occupational Classification of their job.
The least language requirements for each NOC category are
- NOC 0 and A: CLB/NCLC 6
- NOC B: CLB/NCLC 5
- NOC C and D: CLB/NCLC 4
3) Educational Requirements
Candidates must have a Canadian high school diploma credential or an equivalent foreign certificate with an accredited educational credential assessment (ECA) report.
4) Settlement Funds
Candidates must show that they have sufficient money to support themselves and their family members while they get settled in their community. This also includes family members who may not be coming to Canada.
Candidates already working legally in Canada does not require settlement fund.
5) Intention to Reside
To participate in the RNIP pilot, you must plan to settle in the community.
