Thunder Bay Lists Jobs for New PR Immigration Program

Thunder Bay has shared a new list of jobs that qualify for permanent residency (PR) through its Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP). This program helps skilled workers settle in smaller communities with a job offer from approved local employers.

To qualify, foreign workers must have a valid job offer from a designated employer in Thunder Bay. The employer must be part of the program and approved by the local economic group partnered with the immigration office.

The community’s economic body has listed five main job sectors it wants to hire for. These include:

• Business and office jobs
  
• Healthcare roles
  
• Education and community services
  
• Sales and service positions
  
• Trades, transport, and equipment jobs
  

Some specific job titles under these sectors are:

• Administrative assistants
  
• Financial advisors
  
• Nurses and nurse aides
  
• Early childhood educators
  
• Home support workers
  
• Social workers
  
• Cooks and kitchen staff
  
• Store clerks and salespeople
  
• Retail managers and supervisors
  
• Mechanics and repair technicians
  
• Heavy equipment operators
  
• Construction workers
  

At this time, Thunder Bay has not yet released the list of designated employers. More information is expected in the coming months.

To apply for PR through this program, foreign workers must meet a few conditions:

1. Have a full-time job offer from a designated employer.
   
2. Show proof of at least one year of related work experience in the last three years.
   
3. Take a language test to prove they can speak English or French.
   
4. Hold a Canadian diploma or an accepted foreign education credential.
   
5. Show enough funds to support themselves and their families during the move.
   

Candidates cannot apply directly to the community. Instead, the employer must submit the application to the community body for a recommendation. Once the foreign worker gets this recommendation and meets all requirements, they can apply to the federal government for permanent residency.

Work experience must match the job's skill level under Canada’s job classification system (called NOC TEER levels). For example:

• Jobs in TEER 0 or 1 need experience in TEER 0 to 3.
  
• Jobs in TEER 2 need experience from TEER 1 to 4.
  
• Jobs in TEER 3 or 4 need experience in TEER 2 to 4.
  
• Jobs in TEER 5 require exact NOC job code experience.
  

Some healthcare workers and people who studied in Thunder Bay may qualify even if they don’t meet all the experience rules.

This pilot gives foreign workers a new chance to live and work in Thunder Bay. As the city grows, it wants to fill key labor gaps and help new residents make Thunder Bay their home.