The initiative assists smaller rural and northern areas in luring in and keeping talented foreign employees to fill labor market and economic growth gaps.

Community Participation
You must work for a company in one of the participating towns in order to qualify as a candidate.
You’ll relocate to work and live in a community if it supports you and you’re successful in your application for permanent residency.

Participating communities in the pilot include:

• North Bay, ON

• Sudbury, ON

• Timmins, ON

• Sault Ste. Marie, ON

• Thunder Bay, ON

• Brandon, MB

• Altona/Rhineland, MB

• Moose Jaw, SK

• Claresholm, AB

• Vernon, BC

• West Kootenay (Trail, Castlegar, Rossland, Nelson), BC

Experience at Work
1 continuous year of employment (at least 1,560 hours) within the previous three years.

Employment Offer

To work in one of the participating towns, you must have a legitimate job offer that is permanent, full-time, and not seasonal.

Skill level
The NOC that applies to your work experience must be at the same skill level, 1 level above, or 1 level below the job offer. However, the job you’re being offered must be in the same occupation if your experience is at NOC skill level D. For instance

NOC 0 job offer: work experience in NOC 0 or A

NOC A job offer: work experience in NOC 0, A or B

NOC B job offer: work experience in NOC A, B or C

NOC C job offer: work experience in NOC B or C

NOC D job offer: work experience in the same occupation

International Students
If you are an international student who completed at least two years of post-secondary full-time study and graduated with a master’s degree or above, you are excused from the requirements for work experience listed above.

Language proficiency
For each NOC category, the required language proficiency is as follows: NOC 0 and A: CLB/NCLC 6, NOC B: CLB/NCLC 5, NOC C and D: CLB/NCLC 4.

Education prerequisites
A high school certificate from Canada or, in the case of international schooling, an educational credential assessment (ECA) report

Fund settlement
You must demonstrate that you have the resources to support yourself and any dependents while you settle in your new neighborhood, unless you are already employed lawfully in Canada at the time of application. The endorsing community may impose extra conditions on applicants.