Three Manitoba communities taking part in the federal Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) have released their priority sectors and occupations for 2026. The selected fields show several similarities, with health care, trades, manufacturing and agriculture appearing across the board.
The participating regions include Altona/Rhineland, Brandon and Steinbach. Each community identified up to six sectors and 25 occupations that they plan to focus on next year.
The RCIP offers a pathway to permanent residence for foreign workers who receive a job offer from an employer approved by the community. Applicants must work in an eligible occupation to qualify.
Altona/Rhineland selected six high-priority sectors for 2026: education, law and social services; sales and services; trades and transport; natural resources and agriculture; manufacturing and utilities; and health.
Last year, the region focused on five sectors. Officials added health care to the list for 2026, marking the only change.
The region identified 25 occupations as high priority. According to the official RCIP website for Altona and Rhineland, “recommendations will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the year."
Employers in the region must receive official designation before they can hire under the program. Authorities plan to update the employer list as new businesses receive approval.
Brandon, Manitoba’s second-largest city, also confirmed six priority sectors for 2026. The city will focus on health care; trades and transport; manufacturing and utilities; natural and applied sciences; education, law and social services; and natural resources and agriculture.
City leaders kept most of the same sectors from 2025. They added natural resources and agriculture as a new priority this year.
Brandon also selected 25 specific occupations within these sectors. The city updates its list of designated employers regularly.
Steinbach, one of Manitoba’s fastest-growing cities, chose six priority sectors for 2026: health; education, law and social services; sales and service; trades and transport; manufacturing and utilities; and natural resources and agriculture.
Like Brandon, Steinbach introduced natural resources and agriculture as a new addition compared to the previous year.
The city also released a list of 25 priority occupations for the coming year. Only designated employers can offer jobs under the pilot.
The Rural Community Immigration Pilot began in 2025 and will run for five years, ending in 2030. The program helps rural communities outside Quebec fill ongoing labour shortages.
Fourteen communities across Canada participate in the pilot. Each one can select up to six sectors and 25 occupations that reflect local labour needs.
The program follows an employer-led model. A candidate must first secure a job offer from a designated employer within the community. The employer then recommends the candidate to the community. If the community approves the recommendation, the candidate may apply for permanent residence through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Applicants must also meet several other requirements. They need at least one year of related work experience within the past three years. They must hold a Canadian educational credential or a recognized foreign equivalent. Those with foreign education must provide an Educational Credential Assessment.
Language requirements depend on the job’s TEER category under Canada’s National Occupational Classification. Applicants must also show proof of funds, ranging from $10,507 for a single person to $27,806 for a family of seven.
Candidates must show they plan to live in the community that supports their application.
Having an 'Identity Verified' badge or being 'Identity Verified' simply indicates that an individual has submitted information to complete our identity verification process or we have conducted internal verification using various authorized websites. While this process includes safeguards, it does not guarantee that the person is who they claim to be.
If you encounter any issues with this profile, please report them here. While all consultants who are verified have RCIC ID, we may not have the latest data in terms of their renewal/cancellation/discontinuation of their RCIC ID.
The "Verified Consultants" profiles are created using publicly available information, including data from the IRCC website, official consultant sites, other listing platforms, and social media. Immiperts.com is an independent platform, not affiliated with IRCC or any registered immigration consultants. To update, claim, or remove your profile, please contact us at [email protected].
╳
