Eligibility

Please note, the West Kootenay Rural Community Immigration Pilot is in development and eligibility is not yet finalized.

Employers

The West Kootenay RCIP will assess whether the employer meets the federal designation criteria, which include:

  • The business must be genuine and active for at least two years under the same management in the community.
  • If relocating from another area, the employer must show that the move benefits the local economy.
  • The employer operates in a priority occupation, and at least 75% of the work is to be performed within the community.
  • Completion of intercultural competency training.
  • Completion of mandatory onboarding training for the pilot.
  • Commitment to support the settlement of the candidate and their family (e.g., connecting them with local services).
  • The employer must not be:
    • In violation of immigration or employment standards.
    • A consulate or certain categories of employers restricted by Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada.
    • A recruitment agency pooling workers for other companies.
    • A business controlled by the candidate or their spouse.
    • Owned by an immigration consultant or representative.

Candidates

Learn more about who can apply to the Rural Community Immigration Pilot

Job Eligibility

The job must be

  • within the boundaries of West Kootenay Rural Community Immigration Pilot (see complete map).
  • full time (at least 30 paid hours per week)
  • non-seasonal (year-round)
  • indeterminate (no end date)
    • Volunteer work and unpaid internships don’t count.
  • at a similar skill level as your candidate’s qualifying work experience (see the IRCC’s table on qualifying work experience)
Exemptions:
  • West Kootenay International Students: Your candidate does not need qualifying work experience if they are an international student who graduated from a public post-secondary institution in the West Kootenay Rural Community Immigration Pilot region (map).
  • Healthcare Workers: If your candidate’s work experience is in NOC 31301 (Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses – TEER 1), you can make a job offer in one of the following occupation categories: NOC 33102 (TEER 3): Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates or NOC 44101 (TEER 4): Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations.

West Kootenay Community Criteria

Coming soon

West Kootenay Priority Jobs & Sectors

The West Kootenay Rural Community Immigration Pilot will determine priority jobs and sectors for this region, based on data from the West Kootenay Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot and input from the Steering Committee members.

Priority jobs and sectors will be announced by May 2025.

Note: the priority NOC jobs and sectors may change over time, depending on the workforce needs of the West Kootenay Rural Community Immigration Pilot region.