Eligibility
Applicants
Applicant Eligibility
- The candidate must meet the federal eligibility criteria.
- The candidate must intend to live in the Community.
- The wage offered in your offer of employment must meet or exceed $22/hour and must be above or within the range of wages for that particular occupation in the Job Bank for similar jobs in the region. The following exemption applies:
- Candidates who are currently working, studying, and/or residing for at least the last six months in the Community will be exempt from the Community specific wage criteria of $22/hour if their wage/job offer is between $18/hour and $21.99/hour.
- To apply to the West Kootenay RNIP, submit a complete application through our portal. Be sure to read the applicants webpage thoroughly before you do so.
Employers
Definition of “Employer”
“Employer” refers to a business registered and/or an individual who owns any part in one or more businesses, numbered companies, franchise outlets, or companies with multiple locations in the RNIP region.
Employer Eligibility
To ensure that the job offers are genuine, these requirements must be met:
- The Employer must be based within the Community boundaries of West Kootenay and be eligible to issue genuine job offers, as defined in the RNIP website.
- The Employer must attest to their efforts made to recruit a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident prior to providing an eligible job offer.
- The Employer must have operated in the West Kootenays for a minimum of two years (as defined in the Ministerial Instructions) or have made a business investment of at least $200,000 in the West Kootenay region.
- The Employer must not be in violation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) and/or provincial employment standards.
- The Employer must not request or accept any form of payment in exchange for providing a job offer.
- The wage in the Job Offer must:
- Meet or exceed $22/hour
- Be above or within the range of wages for that particular occupation in the Job Bank for similar jobs in the region
- Exemption: Candidates who are currently working and/or residing in the West Kootenay region for the last six months will be exempt from the Community Specific Wage Criteria of $22/hour if their wage/job offer is between $18/hour and $21.99/hour.
Employer Recommendation Limit
To ensure that RNIP is available to as many employers in the region as possible, an Employer Recommendation Limit has been created. The number of times an Employer can use the Pilot will be based on the number of full-time employees (30 hours/ week) they have. The RNIP Coordinator will ask the employer for proof of the number of full-time employees currently employed.
RNIP Recommendations Per Employer
- 1-14 full-time employees: 4 recommendations per year
- 15-29 full-time employees: 6 recommendations per year
- 30+ full-time employees: 8 recommendations per year
Recommendation Limit Exemption: Job offers in priority NOCs, as outlined above, will not count towards this cap.
Note: Candidates must meet the minimum of 26 Community Criteria points to be eligible, unless the job offer is for a Priority NOC [see top of page].
West Kootenay Community Criteria
The West Kootenay Community Criteria is developed by the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Steering Committee. It is done in consultation with local businesses and stakeholders.
The Community Criteria is designed to:
- Find candidates who best fit the community’s skilled workforce needs
- Prioritize those who intend to reside in the community
The Community Criteria may be adjusted over time, depending on the workforce needs of the region.
All Candidates applying to the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot must complete the Community Criteria Form and score 26 points or higher. The only exception are Candidates who have a job offer in a West Kootenay Priority NOC (see below).
West Kootenay Priority NOC Jobs
The Steering Committee meets quarterly, and if needed, identifies new priority jobs that need to be filled in the region. These are referred to as “West Kootenay Priority NOCs”. The priority NOC jobs may change over time, depending on the needs of the community.
Candidates with a job offer for a priority occupation/ NOC are exempt from meeting the 26 points on our Community Criteria form.
Below is a list of the current West Kootenay Priority NOCs. Click the job title for information on the NOC, TEER, and additional eligibility requirements.
Accountants, Accounting Technicians & Bookkeepers
| Job Offer | NOC | TEER | Additional Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountants | 11100 | 1 | Before applying to RNIP, the Candidate must work for the employer on the IMM5984 (Job Offer Form) in that job for a minimum of 6 months full-time or 1 year part time. Wage must be $18/hour or more. Pay stub documentation will be required as proof. |
| Accounting technicians and bookkeepers | 12200 | 2 | Before applying to RNIP, the Candidate must work for the employer on the IMM5984 (Job Offer Form) in that job for a minimum of 6 months full-time or 1 year part time. Wage must be $18/hour or more. Pay stub documentation will be required as proof. |
Industrial, Electrical, and Construction Trades (Major NOC group)
This group is based on the 2016 NOC Major Category 72. Follow link to learn about the different jobs this includes.
Computer Systems Developers & Programmers, Software Developers and Programmers
| Job Offer | NOC | TEER | Additional Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer systems developers and programmers | 21230 | 1 | none |
| Software developers and programmers | 21232 | 1 | none |
Nursing and Health Care Aides
| Job Offer | NOC | TEER | Additional Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 | 1 | none |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 | 2 | none |
| Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates | 33102 | 3 | none |
Social and Community Service Workers
| Job Offer | NOC | TEER | Additional Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social and community service workers | 42201 | 2 | Before applying to RNIP, the Candidate must work for the employer on the IMM5984 (Job Offer Form) in that job for a minimum of 6 months full-time or 1 year part time. Wage must be $18/hour or more. Pay stub documentation will be required as proof. |
Early Childhood Educators and Early Childhood Educator Assistants
| Job Offer | NOC | TEER | Additional Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early childhood educators | 42202 | 2 | |
| Early childhood educator assistants | 42202 | 2 | Before applying to RNIP, the Candidate must work for the employer on the IMM5984 (Job Offer Form) in that job for a minimum of 6 months full-time or 1 year. Wage must be $18/hour or more. Pay stub documentation will be required as proof. Must meet all Federal eligibility requirements for this job. |
Chefs, Cooks, and Bakers
NOTE: fast food franchise employees are not eligible to apply under this exemption.
| Job Offer | NOC | TEER | Additional Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chefs | 62200 | 2 | Before applying to RNIP, the Candidate must work for the employer on the IMM5984 (Job Offer Form) in that job for a minimum of 6 months full-time or 1 year part-time. Wage must be $18/hour or more. Pay stub documentation will be required as proof. |
| Cooks | 63200 | 3 | Before applying to RNIP, the Candidate must work for the employer on the IMM5984 (Job Offer Form) in that job for a minimum of 6 months full-time or 1 year part-time. Wage must be $18/hour or more. Pay stub documentation will be required as proof. |
| Bakers | 63202 | 3 | Before applying to RNIP, the Candidate must work for the employer on the IMM5984 (Job Offer Form) in that job for a minimum of 6 months full-time or 1 year part-time. Wage must be $18/hour or more. Pay stub documentation will be required as proof. |
Hotel Front Desk Clerks
| Job Offer | NOC | TEER | Additional Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel front desk clerks | 64314 | 4 | Before applying to RNIP, the Candidate must work for the employer on the IMM5984 (Job Offer Form) in that job for a minimum of 6 months full-time or 1 year part-time. Wage must be $18/hour or more. Pay stub documentation will be required as proof. |
Construction Managers
| Job Offer | NOC | TEER | Additional Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction managers | 70010 | 0 | none |
Mechanics
| Job Offer | NOC | TEER | Additional Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automotive service mechanics | 72410 | 2 | none |
| Heavy-duty equipment mechanics | 72401 | 2 | none |
Transport Truck Drivers and Taxi drivers
| Job Offer | NOC | TEER | Additional Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transport truck drivers | 73300 | 3 | none |
| Taxi Driver | 75200 | 5 | Before applying to RNIP, the Candidate must work for the employer on the IMM5984 (Job Offer Form) in that job for a minimum of 6 months full-time or 1 year part-time. Wage must be $18/hour or more. Pay stub documentation will be required as proof. |
