Immigration Guides 5 min read

Rural Community Immigration Program: Job Offer, Wage and Employer Rules for 2027

Under the permanent Rural Community Immigration Program, a job offer must be full-time, non-seasonal and indefinite, pay at least the Job Bank wage, and keep 75% of hours in the community. Here are the rules for candidates and employers.

The Rural Community Immigration Program becomes permanent on January 1, 2027. Its gateway is the job offer. Without a valid offer from a designated employer, a community cannot recommend you, and without a recommendation you cannot apply for permanent residence.

The rules below come from the new regulations (SOR/2026-217) and IRCC's program pages.

How the process works

  1. A community designates employers in its priority sectors and posts them on its website.
  2. A designated employer offers you a job.
  3. The employer sends the community recommendation application to the community.
  4. The community checks that the job is in a priority sector or occupation, the offer is genuine, and you meet the program requirements.
  5. If recommended, you receive a certificate and apply to IRCC for permanent residence.

What makes a valid job offer

RequirementRule
EmployerA designated employer, actively operating the business
OwnershipNot majority-owned or controlled by you or your spouse or partner
Type of jobNon-seasonal, full-time, continuous and indeterminate (no end date)
LocationAt least 75% of work hours in the designated community
SectorOn the community's priority sector or occupation list
LanguageCannot require a language other than English or French
GenuinenessConsistent with the employer's real needs, with terms it can fulfill
FitYou must be qualified and likely to accept and do the job

Wage

The offer must pay within or above the Job Bank wage range for the occupation. For a recommendation, the wage must be at least the highest of:

  • the minimum wage that applies,
  • the lowest Job Bank wage for that occupation, and
  • any higher wage the community sets for its local market.

Check the Job Bank wage for your NOC code in the community's region before you accept.

Work experience must match the job

Your past experience must be in a TEER category similar to the job offer:

Job offer TEERAccepted experience TEER
0 or 10, 1, 2 or 3
21, 2, 3 or 4
3 or 42, 3 or 4
5Same 5-digit NOC code

Registered nurse experience (NOC 31301) can support an offer in NOC 33102 or NOC 44101.

The recommendation certificate

  • Valid until the first anniversary of issue, or until it is revoked, whichever comes first.
  • It must be revoked if you did not meet the criteria when it was issued, stop meeting them before you become a permanent resident, or if the employer loses its designation.
  • It can be amended to reflect a new eligible job offer.

Rules for employers

To be designated, a business generally needs:

  • Two or more years of continuous operation under the same ownership in the community, or operations elsewhere that the community considers a substantial contribution to its economy.
  • A business in a priority sector or occupation.
  • A representative who completes intercultural competency training and onboarding training.
  • A commitment to support the settlement of each hire and their family, including access to settlement services.
  • Compliance with worker protection laws.

Some businesses cannot be designated, including those partly owned by immigration lawyers, Quebec notaries or licensed immigration consultants, and certain recruitment businesses. A community may revoke a designation for reasons that include misrepresentation, breaking worker protection laws, or charging fees to foreign nationals.

Red flags for candidates

  • An "employer" asks you to pay for the job offer or the recommendation. This is grounds for revoking the employer's designation.
  • The job is seasonal, part-time, or mostly outside the community.
  • The wage is below the Job Bank figure for the occupation.
  • The employer is not on the community's published designated list.

What to do now

Find the community's designated employer list, check the job's NOC code and TEER, and compare the wage with Job Bank. Before signing, confirm the offer meets every row in the table above. Next: the full eligibility checklist.

Sources

Prepared by Verixa from official Government of Canada publications. This article is general information, not legal advice. Confirm details on the official IRCC site and speak with a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) or lawyer about your situation.