To participate in the Northeast BC Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP), an employer must be designated.

To be designated, an employer must meet the following requirements:

• Be an active, genuine business that has been operating continuously for at least 2 years under the same management within the Peace Liard region of Northeast BC.

• Operate in at least one of the priority sectors and employ individuals in at least one of the priority occupations identified by the Northeast BC RCIP Steering Committee.

• Do at least 75% of business work inside the Peace Liard region of Northeast BC.

• Complete the free onboarding training which can be accessed here.

• Complete the free intercultural competence training which can be accessed here.

• Agree to support the settlement of each applicant and any accompanying family member, including facilitating access to settlement and social service support.

• Agree to be listed publicly on the Northeast BC RCIP website.

• Not be in violation of the employer compliance regime under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) or Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR).

• Be in good standing and comply with employment standards and occupational health and safety legislation.

• Not have directly or indirectly misrepresented or withheld any fact relating to a relevant matter that could influence the decision of allowing them to participate in the program.

NOTE: The following businesses/organizations are not eligible to participate in RCIP:

• A consulate

• A staffing or employment agency

• A business owned by an authorized immigration representative

• A business that an applicant (or their spouse or common-law partner) owns or controls

• An employer referred to in paragraphs 200(3)(g.1) and (h) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations

There is no cost to becoming a Designated Employer (DE) under the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP). Employers can apply for designation either in advance of hiring a foreign national or when they find someone they wish to hire or retain. Designation applications are accepted throughout the length of the pilot as capacity allows. Applications are reviewed in the order they are received.

To become a Designated Employer, your business must fall within one of the five eligible sectors and 25 eligible National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes for 2025.

Training Process

Employers are required to complete two online training sessions:

1. Employer Onboarding Training

2. Building Welcoming Workplaces

Each session will generate a Certificate of Completion, which must be submitted as part of your Employer Designation application.

Next Steps

1. Download the Employer Designation Application Form and complete it in full, following the provided Employer Designation Guidelines. We recommend using the Fill & Sign feature in Adobe Acrobat for best results.

2. Use our SimpleSurvey portal to submit your application by uploading the following documents:

• Completed Employer Designation Application Form

• Certificates of Completion from both training modules (unless already emailed to the RCIP Coordinator)

• Business Registration/Articles of Incorporation

• Worksafe BC Clearance Letter

NOTE: Employers are only required to be designated once to participate in the Pilot. However, an employer’s designation status may be revoked for any of the following reasons:

• Pilot priority sectors and/or occupations change and the employer no longer falls within priorities;

• The designated employer voluntarily requests withdrawal from the Pilot;

• The employer no longer meets the employer designation criteria; or

• Any of the reasons set out in section (4) of the Ministerial Instructions with respect to the RCIP.

Once you’re designated by the Northeast BC RCIP, you can offer jobs to eligible candidates.

NOTE: We do not match candidates with jobs. You may find a candidate on your own or a candidate may approach you.

Click here to ensure your job offer meets the requirements of the Pilot.

Click here to ensure your candidate meets the candidate requirements.

If the job and candidate meet the requirements of the Pilot, provide the candidate with a completed Offer of Employment Form.

At this stage, you can encourage your candidate to start collecting the documents they’ll need for the next step, which is for you to submit a candidate application on their behalf.

NOTE: If a candidate is not currently working with you, the employer will have to demonstrate that they have made efforts to recruit a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident prior to providing the offer of employment to the candidate.

On August 1st 2025 12:00PM we will begin accepting Candidate Recommendation Applications from Designated Employers. The SimpleSurvey portal link will be shared with Designated Employers approx. 2 days prior.

The Designated Employer will need to upload the Recommendation Application Form and all supporting documents using the portal link provided to them. Please use the Recommendation Application Guidelines to complete the application form.

The Recommendation Application Form confirms:

• That you haven’t been able to fill the job with a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident;

• That the job offer meets the pilot requirements;

• That the candidate meets the pilot requirements;

• That you commit to connecting your candidate with immigrant settlement services.

All sections of the form MUST be filled out. If a section is not applicable to you, please write "N/A". We recommend using the Adobe Acrobat Fill & Sign feature for best results. If handwritten, it must be legible or it will not be considered.

Due to high demand and a limited number of recommendations available, we will only accept ONE Candidate Recommendation Application per Designated Employer. This is to ensure regional and sector equity. This cap may be lifted later in the year if allocations remain unfilled.

Please ensure the following list of documents are included along with the Application Form:

 Language test results

 Proof of Education (alongside ECA if necessary)

 Intent to Reside form filled by candidate

 IMM 0247 (Offer of Employment to a Foreign National for the Rural Community Immigration Pilot)

 IMM 0248 Schedule 1 – Rural Community Immigration Pilot

 Proof of previous relevant work experience - This can include pay stubs, letter of employment, copy of T4 tax information slips, etc.

 Proof of exemption from work experience (if applicable)

 If the candidate is already in Canada, copy of their legal status in the country

 Copy of the biographical data page of a passport or travel document

 Any other necessary supporting documents

Note: Applications must be submitted through the official SimpleSurvey portal. Do not send your application by email. It will not be accepted under any circumstances.

We are authorized to issue up to 60 candidate recommendations for the Northeast BC – Peace Liard region in the 2025 intake year. Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received until capacity is reached.

Please note:

• The application portal will pause automatically once 100 applications have been submitted.

• It will only reopen if recommendation spots remain.

• Once capacity is reached, leftover applications will not be processed or retained.

• We encourage employers to apply early to ensure their application can be considered.

• We will not be making any exceptions once the portal is closed.

Applications will not be considered if they are incomplete or if the candidate does not meet federal eligibility requirements. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that their candidate(s) meet all program criteria and that all required documentation is complete and up to date.

To ensure regional and sectoral equity, each Designated Employer may submit only ONE (1) Candidate Recommendation Application. This cap may be lifted later in the year, but only if we are unable to fill our recommendation allocations with the applications received.

In addition to the employer cap, there is also a sector cap. No more than 50% of total recommendations may be allocated to a single priority sector. For example, if 30 out of the 60 available spots are filled by candidates from the same sector, no further applications from that sector will be processed.

If your Recommendation Application is approved, your candidate will receive a Recommendation Certificate that allows them to apply to IRCC for permanent residence.

Continue to support your candidate by implementing the commitments to settlement supports that you outlined on the Recommendation Application Form to help the candidate integrate into your business/organization and to feel welcome in the community.

NOTE: Receiving a Recommendation Certificate does not guarantee that your candidate will receive permanent residence. It is up to the IRCC Processing Officer’s discretion when they are reviewing the application.

To find newcomer services near you, please visit this page.

If your candidate requires a temporary work permit while their permanent residence application is being processed by IRCC, click here to learn about the steps involved.