Welcome. Thank you for your interest in coming to Vernon and the North Okanagan. You must have an offer for a full-time job in our community before you can apply for permanent residency through this pilot. Applicants are encouraged to set up their online profile to be considered for jobs on our job board. Please read the information below. Follow the steps.
For all questions related to the Vernon-North Okanagan Pilot please send an email to Ward at wardmercer@futuresbc.com. For all other questions regarding the pilot and permanent residency in Canada , please click on IRCC’s website.
The Application Process.
Make sure that you meet the Federal Eligibility Requirements and Community Criteria for RNIP Vernon-North Okanagan
If you meet both federal and community criteria, you can start applying for the jobs in our Community. All RNIP pre-approved positions will be posted on our RNIP job board.
Other jobs may be eligible for RNIP that are not listed on the RNIP job board and applicants are encouraged to search for employment on other public job boards such as Indeed and the Canada Job Bank.
Before you will be considered for Permanent Residency recommendation under this pilot, complete the following steps:
- create your Applicant/Candidate profile on
RNIP Website - upload all necessary documents
- have a valid full time job offer in our community.
You must have a Candidate Profile to apply for jobs that meet the RNIP Criteria on the RNIP Vernon North Okanagan job board.
Click Here to Create Your Applicant/Candidate Profile
For more information about eligible jobs, read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
It is up to you to find a suitable job in the Community. The RNIP staff will not help you look for a job.
Applying for a job is not the same as applying for a recommendation through the Pilot. You must send your fully completed application through your online Candidate Profile to be considered for recommendation.
After you have been offered a job, ask the employer to complete and sign the RNIP Offer of Employment Form.
The form signed by your employer is part of your application. It is up to you to upload the signed form to your Candidate Profile.
It is your responsibility to obtain the completed and signed RNIP Offer of Employment from your new employer.
After the step 3 is completed, upload ALL completed mandatory documents below to your Candidate Profile to apply for community based recommendation. Also provide supporting documents if applicable.
Only two recommendations will be granted to the candidate for the duration of the pilot. This rule takes effect on Sept 1, 2022.
As of Sept 1, 2022 the applications submitted in full through the NorthStar candidate profile will be added to the list of candidates, prioritizing in the following order:
- Preferred NOC codes,
- First-come-first-serve basis, depending on the date the full application was formally received
The Mandatory Documents are:
1. VCRF-001-2.1 – Applicant Document Checklist
2. IMMM 5894 – Offer of Employment Form
3. VCRF-004-2.1 – Community Recommendation Questionnaire
4. Schedule 1 – Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (IMM5911)
5. Proof of Current and Previous Employment
- Reference letter form your employer printed on company letterhead stating all of the following:
- Candidates name,
- company contact information,
- the name title and signature of the immediate supervisor or personnel officer at the company
- job title
- duties and responsibilities
- job status (if current job)
- dates worked for the company
- number of work hours per week and annual salary plus benefits
If the candidate is unable to get a reference or experience letter from their employer, they may include other documents to satisfy the requirements such as:
- a letter of appointment from the employer,
- contracts or agreements with the employer,
- pay stubs to help confirm the period of employment or bank statements showing regular deposits,
- other documents, such as tax records.
Any periods of self-employment will not be included when calculating the period of qualifying work experience.
6. Proof of Education Credentials
Candidates must demonstrate that they have a minimum of a completed Canadian high school diploma or equivalent. This must be evidenced by:
- a completed Canadian educational credential (high school or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree), OR
- a completed foreign educational credential and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from an organization designated by IRCC, confirming that their foreign credential(s) is/are valid and equal to at least a completed Canadian high school credential.
The ECA report must:
- be issued on or after the date the organization was designated by IRCC, and
- be less than five years old on the date that IRCC receives the application for permanent residence.
7. Proof of Language Proficiency (CLB 4 and higher) Candidates must take a language test by an IRCC- designated testing agency to demonstrate that they meet the minimum required language proficiency level in all four language abilities: reading, writing, listening and speaking.
8. Proof of your current status in Canada (copy of your Work Permit, Study Permit, Temporary Resident Visa or a declaration you are visiting Canada as a national of a designated (visa exempt) country)
9. Copy of passport
10. IMM 5476 – Use of Representative (if applicable)
Supporting documents which may apply to you (these documents become mandatory when applying with a wage exemption):
- Proof of Previous Employment in the community (reference letter, pay stubs, summary of duties, etc.)
- Proof of Spouse’s Employment in the community (reference letter, pay stubs, summary of duties, etc.)
- Proof of Address (deed, lease agreement, letter from a recognized institution with your name and address – such as bank, utility bill, etc.)
- Proof of Family in the community (name, address and relationship to you)
- Proof of Previous Travel to the Community (itineraries, hotel receipts, etc.)
If your computer browser window does not open the document (it is in Adobe PDF form), you may be able to click the “fill and sign” button or follow this link to the IRCC’s Help Centre.
Please note, Step 5 will come into effect on September 1, 2022. Applications received prior to this date will not be subject to these conditions.
An application is formally received by the RNIP Vernon Selection Committee when:
- The candidate has uploaded all of the required documents to their candidate profile under the additional document section, individually with proper name. (Multiple documents uploaded as one will not be accepted)
- The candidate notifies the RNIP coordinator via email indicating the above step has been competed
- The coordinator will review the application and if the application is deemed complete, the status of the application on the candidate profile will be changed to “Application formally received”. This will generate an automatic email informing the candidate about the application status update. The date of this confirmation email will be recognized as the date the application was formally received in full. At this point, the program coordinator determines only whether the required documents are included.
- When the application is placed into processing, the coordinator will assess the validity of the information and full eligibility of the candidate one week prior to the relevant recommendation meeting. Once the eligibility of the candidate has been confirmed, the status of the application will be changed to “Application under consideration”. This will generate an automatic email informing the candidate about the application status update.
Due to the introduction of the priority NOC codes to the RNIP application process, the coordinator is unable to confirm when your application will be presented to the committee.
If the committee has recommended you for the PR application, you will receive the “Letter of Recommendation” that must be submitted with your PR application. Make sure all the requested documents on this checklist IMM5987 are submitted with your application.
Guide 0118 – Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot
Right after your PR application has been submitted, you can apply for work permit.
The following NOC codes are exempt from the employer cap. All other NOC codes will be included in the yearly employer cap.
- 3012 Registered nurses
- 3211 Medical Lab Tech
- 3212 Medical Lab Technicians and pathologists’ assistants
- 3233 Licensed practical nurses
- 3413 Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates
- 4214 Early childhood educators and assistants
- 7241 Electricians
- 7251 Plumbers
- 7271 Carpenters
- 7272 Cabinetmakers
- 7283 Tile setters
- 7391 Roofers and Shinglers
- 7313 Heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning mechanics
Immigration Representatives
You may choose to use a representative to act on your behalf or to assist you with finding a qualifying job offer, completing your RNIP application for recommendation or completing your Permanent Resident application. There are different types of representatives: paid and unpaid and authorized and unauthorized. Representatives are authorized if they are:
- lawyers and paralegals who are members in good standing of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society
- notaries who are members in good standing of the Chambre des notaires du Québec and
- citizenship or immigration consultants who are members in good standing of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council
The Community will not communicate with, or allow for, unauthorized representatives to assist with your RNIP application. If you use an unauthorized representative, in Canada or abroad, we may return your application or refuse it.
It is important to note that using a representative does not change how your application will be reviewed or whether it will be approved or rejected. All applications are handled the same regardless of whether a representative is used or not. Immigration representatives cannot guarantee Community Recommendation, Permanent Residence, or a more expedient processing of an application.
Fraud and Mis-representation
Fraud and mis-representation are taken very seriously by the Community and by IRCC. Any applicant found to be mis-representing themselves or committing fraud will be banned from applying for recommendation for the duration of the pilot along with any associated parties.
Mis-representation and fraud can take many forms including but not limited to:
- Submission of fraudulent documents
- Accepting or offering money for a job offer
- Intentionally misleading the Community
It is important to note the following:
- All decisions made by the Community are final and are not subject to appeal.
- Receiving a recommendation from the Community does not guarantee permanent residence; IRCC has sole authority to approve or refuse all applications for permanent residency.