Since we published the best and easiest ways to finally relocate to Canada from Nigerian which went viral, a lot of Nigerians have asked of the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot. You know why?

Because the Rural and Northern Immigration pathway is the best next thing apart from the Home Care Pilot Program.

In this guide, we will go on to explain everything you need to know about it as a Nigerian and a way out because since the EndSARS saga a lot of Nigerians have clearly seen that the government is not for them hence the need to seek greener pasture in a SANE country that openly accepts new immigrants like Canada to fill her population.   

 

What is Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program?

Denoted as RNIP, The “Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot” program is a community-driven immigration program that is designed to address the labor needs in Rural and Northern areas of Canada that are mostly ignored by immigrants based on the fact that they are not popular as the top provinces/cities in Canada like Toronto, Vancouver and more.   

Why the Rural and Northern Immigration Program?

 

Based on the popularity of some Canadian provinces, a lot of immigrants apply for visas and permanent residence there neglecting the other smaller cities or less popular provinces.

Because this continued which meant that there were imbalances in population concentration in major cities than others, the Canadian government came up with a new community-based program that will & is addressing this problem.

The solution is to spread the benefits of economic immigration to smaller communities by creating a path to permanent residence for qualified skilled foreign workers who want to work and live in one of the participating communities.

The good news about this is that they’ve reduced the requirements you need to live and work in Canada as compared to using a route like the Express Entry or the Provincial Nominee Pilot.

 

When Was the Rural and Northern Immigration Launched?

The program was launched in 2019 November.

Actually, it is a 5-year long program which means that when the required number of immigrants is complete they will take it off.

So, a good piece of advice is, if you qualify for the RNIP then #1. you want to do it fast and #2. follow it to the end.

 

How the Canadian Communities Assess Candidates’ Eligibility for RNIP

Before we see the communities currently operating the RNIP, here is how they weigh candidates.

• The communities assess prospective candidates who best fit the economic needs of their community.
• They assess prospective candidates that have a genuine employment opportunity that meets their community requirements.
• They assess prospective candidates that have the intention of staying in the community.

When a prospective candidate (you), fulfills the above requirements,

• They now recommend candidates (you) for permanent residence to IRCC for a final decision.
• They connect newcomers (you) with settlement services and mentoring opportunities with established members of the community.

As I said, the good news about this is that the requirements are not competitive as compared to Express Entry and other popular immigration routes.  

 

But note, this relocation path to Canadian permanent residence is ONLY for people who WANT TO WORK and LIVE in one of the participating communities.

So, the big question is, do you want to WANT TO WORK and LIVE in Canada? If yes, then read on.

 

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot vs Express Entry Pilot vs Provincial Nominee

1. Express Entry and Provincial Nominee are point-based immigration programs while Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot is community-based.
2. The educational requirements for Express Entry and Provincial Nominee are stricter as compared to Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot.
3. The language requirements are lessen as compared to Express Entry and Provincial Nominee
4. Your chances of getting a Visa via the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot are higher than the Express Entry & PNP due to the competition.
5. With Express Entry, you are not restricted to a particular community as seen with Provincial Nominee and the Rural and Northern Pilot.
6. While the job letter from an employer in the community is mandatory for the RNIP pathway (and related to PNP based on the option you are qualified for), the Express Entry program doesn’t require any job letter from an employer for immigration.

 

Just before we see the steps to applying for permanent residence under this pilot in Nigeria, let’s consider the eligibility requirements we talked about. 

6 Steps & Eligibility Requirements for Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program for Nigerians

To be eligible for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program, you must meet all IRCC eligibility requirements as follows.

 

1. Have Qualifying Work Experience

According to the RNIP, you need to have the required work experience.

That is to say, you need 1 year of continuous work experience (at least 1,560 hours) in the past 3 years that includes most of the main duties and all the essential duties listed in your National Occupational Classification (NOC).

 

How to count 1,560 hours for RNIP

• Count the hours worked in part-time and full-time jobs

The hours must be in 1 occupation, but they can be with different employers.

The hours must be over a period of at least 12 months.

These working hours can be inside or outside Canada.

If you worked in Canada, you must have been allowed to work in Canada.

• Don’t count hours you weren’t paid for (volunteering or unpaid internships don’t count)
• Don’t count hours when you were self-employed

 

2. Meet the Language Requirements

According to the RNIP, you need to meet or exceed the language requirements.

In essence, it means, you must meet the minimum language requirements based on the NOC category that applies to the job offer in your preferred community.

As a Nigerian, the best option is the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) which is via IELTS.

For instance, you may fall into NOC category 1 or any of the following.

• NOC 0 and A: CLB/NCLC 6 (IELTS L:5.5 R:5 W:5.5 S:5.5)
• NOC B: CLB/NCLC 5 (IELTS L:5 R:4 W:5 S:5)
• NOC C and D: CLB/NCLC 4 (IELTS L:4.5 R:3.5 W:4 S:4)

And of course, the results must be less than 2 years old when you apply.

You can learn more about language testing here.

 

3. Meet or Exceed the Educational Requirements

Again, you need to meet or exceed the educational requirements.

As in, you must have a Canadian secondary school (high school) diploma, or a Canadian post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree equivalent.

As a Nigerian, you can only present this via an educational credential assessment (ECA) report, from a designated organization or professional body, showing that you completed a foreign credential that’s equal to a Canadian secondary school (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree.

The best and recommended educational credential assessment (ECA) body is WES. 

 

Note: your credential report from WES must be less than 5 years old on the date of your RNIP application.

 

4. Proof of Funds

You need to prove you have enough money to support your transition into the community.

 

Proof of Funds Requirements for Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program

First off, Proof of funds is the money you are required to present as proof to the Canadian Immigration Authority that you can support yourself and your family after you get to Canada.

 

Why is the Proof of funds important for a Nigerian Immigrant?

Because it is from these funds that you will use to pay the costs of living for your family (even if they’re not coming with you).

 

Forms or Types of Proof of Funds for RNIP

Here are a few ways you can present your Proof of Funds for RNIP.

1. POF can be presented via Banking Statement.

This is simple. If you’re operating mobile banking, all you need to do is print the statement account or go to your bank and ask customer care to do the same.

You also have the option to ask for a downloaded format.

2. Real property or other investments

Apart from banking statements, you can present documents that show the real property or other investments (such as stocks, bonds, debentures, treasury bills, etc.)

3. Amount of money payable to you

The last option is presenting documents that guarantee payment of a set amount of money payable to you (such as banker’s drafts, cheques, traveler’s cheques, or money orders).

 

Funds Required for Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot for Nigerians

While the numbers below are subject to change based on the economic situation or other factors, it is worthy to note that the funds required to sponsor the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot is directly dependent on your family size.

Let’s see it for clarity.

Number of Family Members	Funds you need (in Canadian dollars)	Funds you need (in Naira)
1	$8,922	N2,592,805.54
2	$11,107	N3,227,784.26
3	$13,654	N3,967,963.11
4	$16,579	N4,817,991.83
5	$18,803	N5,464,304.26
6	$21,207	N6,162,926.15
7 or more	$23,611	N6,861,548.04

Note #1: Number of family members also includes those you support who aren’t immigrating with you. This is necessary for the correct assessment.

Note #2: for the latest currency rate click on this link.

 

5. Intend to Live in the Community

Just as we stated before, to enroll in this immigration program you want to make sure you have the intention to live in the community.

 

6. Meet Community-Specific Requirements

When once you meet the requirements of the particular Canadian community, then you are one leg in.

Going on, each community website will tell you #1. How the application process works and #2. What documents you’ll need to apply?

 

Before anything, here are the general rule of thumb and what to look out for. 

 

For all community applications, you must prove that you meet all the requirements for the pilot and must have an eligible job offer.

If a community recommends you, you can then go ahead and apply for permanent residence (as we will see later on).

When applying to a community for a recommendation, you’ll be asked to provide supporting documents.

1. Don’t provide original versions. You’ll need them when you apply for permanent residence.

2. Do provide copies of your documents.

 

To find out the whole requirements of each Canadian community for the Rural and Northern Immigration path, all you need to do is visit their respective websites as listed for you below.

 

Top 11 Provinces and Communities Participating in the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

While the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot launches in participating communities at different times, here are the active ones to check out their requirements.

Community	Community website & Requirements
North Bay, Ontario	https://northbayrnip.ca/
Sudbury, ON	https://investsudbury.ca
Timmins, ON	www.timminsedc.com
Sault Ste. Marie, ON	www.welcometossm.com
Thunder Bay, ON	www.gotothunderbay.com
Brandon, MB	www.economicdevelopmentbrandon.com
Altona/Rhineland, MB	www.seedrgpa.com
Moose Jaw, SK	https://www.moosejawrnip.ca/
Claresholm, AB	www.claresholm.ca
Vernon, BC	https://rnip-vernon.ca
West Kootenay (Trail, Castlegar, Rossland, Nelson), BC	https://wk-rnip.ca/

7.   Find a Job in the Community

When once you are good with the requirements of the particular community then you are favorably one leg in.

The next step of action is to look for an eligible job in the same community.

 

Observation: we all know that Canada is a dream-location for Nigerians and non-Nigerians, therefore, DO NOT just stop at one community.

As in, after checking out the requirements of one community and it is not favorable, go ahead and check others till you meet the one that best fits your qualification.

 

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Always note: At Relocation Garland, we seek to provide you with the best information as far as relocation to Canada is concerned.

#No-Procrastination #Get-Started-Today

 

Having seen all the requirements you need to relocate to Canada via the RNIP from Nigeria, let’s now see the 4 Permanent Residence Application steps and call it a day.

 

How to Apply for Permanent Residence via the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot as a Nigerian in 4 Steps

 

Needless to say, the RNIP application doesn’t need any savvy person or agent to get on with it for you.

In fact, some agents may not really know this NEW relocation path except for the popular Express Entry and Provincial Nominee.

With that out of the way, I shall be highlighting 2 ways to apply for Permanent Residence via Rural and Northern Immigration as a Nigerian.

1. Going with the steps as will be seen on the Canadians RNIP website.
2. Getting first-hand info from Daniel Ola.

Later on, you will see why I tend to recommend Ola’s RNIP Blueprint. 

Let’s get started.

 

Step 1. Get your information on point.

The first step is making sure you gather all the necessary documents as we saw the requirements a few times ago.

This is important to avoid all forms of epileptic application (starting and stopping halfway – not completing).

For instance, you might want to confirm if you need to give your biometrics.

Also, you can get the requirements once again.

 

Step 2. Get the correct Checklist and Forms

As required by the RNIP, you need to tick yes to all the needed CHECKLIST. You can download it here.

During submission, you’ll need to place the checklist on top, as a cover to your application package.

Talking about the FORMS, your employer in the Canadian Community you applied for the job will have to fill in the Offer of Employment to a Foreign National – Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot form.

When your employer would have finished filling it, your part is to sign the declaration at the bottom before you submit your application.

When your employer finishes filling all the required forms, you are just 2 steps away.

 

Step 3. Pay your PR in Canada Application fees online

Having done with number 2, the next step is making your payment online.

You can check out how to pay your fees here.

 

Step 4. Submit your PR Application

Having made your payment, you don’t have to waste time anymore.

What you want to do is submit your application to the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) from which they will contact you if there is anything else, and if not, then your application will be submitted for processing.

 

Below is the address to send your application – you want to send it via a recognized courier service to make it swift or you locate the next post office in your area and make inquiries of delivery time if you use their services.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program
Centralized Intake Office
PO BOX 1500
Sydney, NS
B1P 0J4
Canada.

 

That is all about the application process for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot for Nigerians willing to move to Canada.

Read also – How To Relocate To Canada Without IELTS from Nigeria & Anywhere

Final Note on RNIP for Nigerians

Gone are the days the only popular and live line for Canadian immigration from Nigeria was using the Express Entry or paying millions of Naira via Business or Tourists visa.

Today, because of the necessity to fill the underpopulation in Canada, the government didn’t just introduce a lenient relocation route but one that the core drawbacks (High language test and factors that increases CRS points – in point-based) is completely avoided.  

With the RNIP, you can comfortably relocate to Canada as a Nigerian using the Rural and Northern paths if only you are willing before they shut it down.

As soon as the number of candidates needed would have relocated to the Canadian communities, this relocation pilot program will be closed.

 

All in all. If you are serious about the relocation process via this route then get started today by following the steps above.

 

Read also – How To Finally Relocate To Canada Without IELTS + PDF By Victor Ola

Photo by Omar Lopez, Providence Doucet, Magnet.me on Unsplash