West Kootenay Lists Top Jobs For Rural Immigration Program

West Kootenay in British Columbia has announced which sectors and jobs it will focus on for the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP). This program helps foreign workers get permanent residency through job offers from local employers.

Where the Program Applies
The RCIP covers a large area in southeastern B.C. It stretches from Rock Creek in the west to Yahk in the east. It also goes up to Duncan Lake in the northeast and includes places like Nelson, Trail, Kaslo, Nakusp, and Castlegar.

Who Can Apply for This Program
To qualify, a foreign worker must get a full-time, permanent job from a designated employer in the area. The job must match one of the priority occupations. The worker must also meet other basic requirements such as:

• Language skills
  
• Education
  
• Work experience
  
• Settlement funds (unless already working in Canada)
  

Priority Sectors for Employers
Only businesses operating in the following five sectors can hire through the RCIP:

• Health
  
• Education, law, and social services
  
• Sales and service
  
• Trades, transport, and equipment
  
• Manufacturing and utilities
  

If a business operates in more than one sector, the job offer must come from one of the listed sectors.

Top Jobs That Are in Demand
The program has listed several job titles as priority occupations. These include:

• Carpenters
  
• Bakers (not in fast food)
  
• Health care aides
  
• Cooks (not in fast food)
  
• Early childhood educators
  
• Truck drivers (who mostly drive within the region)
  
• Food servers and kitchen helpers (in cafes and similar places)
  
• General labourers in manufacturing
  
• Cleaners, painters, mechanics, and more
  

Each job comes with its own required language level. Most roles need a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 4 or 5.

How Employers Can Take Part
Businesses must first become designated employers to hire through RCIP. They also face limits on how many people they can recommend each year:

• Businesses with up to 65 workers can recommend 3 people per year.
  
• Larger businesses (66+ workers) can recommend up to 6 people per year.
  

A small number of recommendations can go to other jobs, if they still fall under a priority sector and the employer has previously hired someone in a listed occupation.

What Workers Must Meet
To apply, workers need to:

• Have one year of relevant work experience in the last 3 years
  
• Meet the language level for their job
  
• Hold a Canadian diploma or an equivalent foreign credential
  
• Show they have enough money to settle in Canada
  

Graduates from local colleges like Selkirk College may apply without prior work experience.