Rural Community Immigration Pilot
West Kootenay Region, British Columbia
The West Kootenay RCIP June 2026 intake received 281 applications. Our staff assessed the top-scoring applications (approximately 120 applications) and the Steering Committee approved 70 candidates for community recommendations. The lowest score assessed was 91 points. All applications that were not approved in this intake will remain in the recommendation pool for the September 2026 … Read more
Employer designation applications are temporarily on hold while we process the June 2026 intake of Community Recommendation applications. We will resume processing employer designation applications before the September 2026 intake opens, so that newly designated employers are ready to apply for a community recommendation when the next intake begins. Thank you for your patience and … Read more
Applicants who are on maintained status may be subject to additional review by West Kootenay RCIP. Maintained status allows a temporary resident to remain in Canada under the conditions of their previous permit while Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) processes their application to extend or change their status. However, not all maintained status situations are the … Read more
Following the April 2026 intake and feedback from employers and applicants, the West Kootenay Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) revised its intake process for the remainder of 2026. The updated process is designed to improve fairness, reduce pressure on employers and applicants, support merit-based assessment, and strengthen program integrity. For 2026, West Kootenay RCIP received … Read more
Assessing work experience can be challenging. It can be a complex parts of the RCIP application, and it is the topic we receive the most questions about. There are many details to consider, including the number of hours worked, how recent the experience is, whether it matches the job offer, and how it is documented. … Read more
February 2026 West Kootenay Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) will reopen for community recommendation applications on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time. Before reopening, we wanted to let all employers know about some important changes for 2026. Please review all 2026 program details carefully before preparing an application. 2026 Allocations Immigration, Refugees … Read more
We are aware of serious concerns about employers and applicants misusing the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) in some areas of Canada. This includes situations where employers ask for money or other favours in exchange for RCIP-endorsed job offers — and where some applicants offer payment to get those jobs. These actions are illegal and … Read more
Are you an employer in the West Kootenay Rural Community Immigration Pilot region who is hiring or planning to hire a skilled foreign worker? Curious about how the Rural Community Immigration Pilot can support your recruitment efforts? Bring your questions to our online Employer Information Session hosted by the West Kootenay Rural Community Immigration Pilot … Read more
May 27, 2025: We are working to finalize the list of priority sectors and occupations that will guide which job offers are eligible for recommendation. Once this step is complete, we will begin accepting applications from employers who wish to become designated under the pilot. After employers are designated, they will be able to submit … Read more