TORONTO – The government of Canada has announced two new immigration pilots as the country focuses on long-term growth and reaping economic benefits.
Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced new pilots for rural and Francophone minority communities, as Canada aims to create a permanent rural immigration program.
The immigration pilots are named as Rural Community Immigration Pilot and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot.
As far as the details are concerned, the Rural Community Immigration Pilot will launch in the fall of 2024 and aims to ensure that rural communities continue to have the ability to access programs that address labour shortages and help local businesses find the workers they need.
‘It will provide pathways to permanent residence for newcomers who can help to overcome critical labour job shortages and want to live long term in these smaller communities,’ said an official statement.
The government has also announced to launch the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot in the fall of 2024 which will focus on increasing the number of French-speaking newcomers settling in Francophone minority communities outside of Quebec and will help ensure the economic development of Francophone minority communities, while also helping to restore and increase their demographic weight.
‘IRCC will open the community application process this spring to select communities who will participate in the pilots and will share more details in the coming months,’ read the official statement.
The government has announced that the new pilots will help attract and retain skilled foreign workers in rural and Francophone minority communities, contributing to their economic and linguistic vitality.
Commenting on the new programs, Marc Miller said that employers across the region from many sectors have been calling for more ways to build their workforce due to unprecedented skilled worker shortages.
The minister continued that by launching the Rural Community Immigration Pilot and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot, the government will further support a pathway towards RNIP (Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot) becoming a permanent program.
