RCIP

Step 2

Apply for designation

There is no cost to becoming a designated employer. You can apply for designation in advance of hiring a foreign national or when you find someone you wish to hire. Designation applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Contact Gwen Reimer, RCIP Program Manager, by email  Gwen@SteinbachEDC.com to:

• Discuss:
  • Your business/organization’s eligibility for the pilot;
  • Your prospective job offer; and/or
  • Your candidate’s eligibility (if applicable);
• Abide by sector policies.
• Links to mandatory online training:
  • Employer Onboarding Training– download your certificate once complete.
  • Building Welcoming Workplaces
• RCIP Employer Designation Guidelines
• Steinbach – EN RCIP Employer Designation Application Form – Fillable
• Upload Employer Onboarding Training Certificate, Intercultural Competency Training Certificate, and Employer Designation Application Form in the SED portal, click here. – EMPLOYER PORTAL ONLY.
• After submitting your Employer Designation application, the Coordinator will review it and schedule an in-person meeting with you.
• This meeting must occur before the EDC can make a final decision on your designation.

NOTE: Employers are only required to be designated once in order to participate in the pilot. However, an employer’s designation status may be revoked for any of the following reasons:

• Pilot priority sectors and/or occupations change and the employer no longer falls within priorities;
• The designated employer voluntarily requests withdrawal from the pilot;
• SED becomes aware that the employer no longer meets the employer designation criteria; or
• Any of the reasons set out in section (4) of the Ministerial Instructions with respect to the Rural Community Immigration Pilot.

NOTE: Your organization will undergo annual reviews, which may include:

• • Site visits
  • Requests for additional documentation to verify ongoing compliance

Step 3

Hire a candidate

Once you’re designated, you can offer jobs to eligible candidates.

NOTE: RCIP – Steinbach does not match candidates with employment. You may find a candidate on your own or a candidate may approach you.

Click here to ensure your job offer meets the requirements of the Pilot.

Click the link below to ensure your candidate meets the candidate requirements:

• Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) – Candidate Requirements

If the job and candidate meet the requirements of the Pilot, provide the candidate with a completed Offer of Employer Form:

• Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) – Offer of Employment to a Foreign National

Encourage your candidate to get their documents ready to submit with their recommendation application.

If your candidate is already living in Canada, they must include proof of their current legal status as part of the community recommendation application.

This means they must submit a copy of their valid immigration document, such as:

• Work permit
• Study permit
• Temporary resident permit

The document must show that they are legally authorized to work in Canada at the time of application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for their Canadian Permanent Residence.

NOTE: Not Eligible: Visitor Visa Holders & Those Without Valid Status

• If you’re in Canada on a visitor visa or you don’t have valid immigration status you are

not eligible for a community recommendation from Steinbach RCIP. This is because:

• Visitor visa holders cannot apply for a work permit from inside Canada.
• IRCC processing times can exceed one year, making it unlikely a job offer will remain valid.
• To ensure the program remains fair and effective, recommendations are issued only to candidates who can realistically begin working and apply for permanent residence within a reasonable timeframe.

NOTE: If a candidate is not currently working with you, the employer will have to demonstrate that they have made efforts to recruit a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident prior to providing the offer of employment to the candidate. Must be advertised on Local Job Shop for a minimum of 2 months as well as either Indeed or Canada Job Bank. Proof will be requested for advertising and recruitment results.

NOTE: If you are an employer with any questions, concerns, or feedback, please contact the RCIP Coordinators directly. As this is an employer-based program, we will only communicate with employers until a candidate has been recommended at this time regarding the status of designations, applications, or eligibility.

Step 4

Apply for recommendation

When you are ready, fill out the Recommendation Application Form below.

The Recommendation Application Form confirms:

• That you haven’t been able to fill the job with someone locally;
• That the job offer meets the pilot requirements;
• That the candidate meets all of the requirements for the pilot;
• That you commit to connecting your candidate with immigrant settlement services in your community.

Once you complete the Recommendation Application Form and have gathered all the required documents from the candidate, submit your application for recommendation through our online portal.

NOTE: Recommendation applications can only be submitted during one of the monthly intake periods listed below.

Click here for a checklist of all the documents required for a complete application. 

Steinbach-EN-RCIP Recommendation Application Form – Fillable

Community Immigration Pilots – Intent to Reside Form – Fillable

Submit your Recommendation Application Form along with ALL supporting documents in the SED portal. Coming soon. 

NOTE: If any documents are expired or not provided, the application will be deemed incomplete and may be returned.

Candidates who are in Canada without valid immigration status are not eligible for the RCIP program.

If you are unsure about your candidate’s immigration status, please contact Steinbach RCIP for clarification before submitting the application.

Steinbach Economic Development is here to support employers throughout the process and answer any questions you may have.

2026 Intake Periods:

• March 2
• April 1
• May 1
• June 1
• July 2
• August 4
• September 1
• October 1
• November 2
• December 1

*The intake period will open the 1st business day of the month and will close as late as the 15th or when 7 applications are received, whichever comes first.  The review period will be the 16th-last day of the month.

Step 5

How applications are processed

• The intake period will open the 1^st of every month and will close as late as the 15^th of each month or when 7 applications are received, whichever comes first. The review period will be the 16th-last day of the month.
• Per intake period, SED will issue up to 5 recommendations on a first come, first served basis.
• A maximum of 1 recommendation per NOC code will be approved each month, for a maximum of 2 recommendations per calendar year per NOC code.
• NOC codes excluded from the above criteria are:
  • 31102, 31301, 32101, 33102, 33100, 31120, 44101 whereby, no limitations apply
  • 42202 – Early Childhood Educator & Assistant – 5 recommendation per calendar year
  • 62020 – Food Service Supervisors – will only be considered for employers with 20 or more employees, but will exclude fast food restaurants. Designated employers using this NOC code may be limited to 1 recommendation per calendar year.

Employer designation and the intake will open starting March 1, 2026

Candidates may be requested to participate in a formal interview to further assess their application. Candidates deemed to satisfy the requirements of the Ministerial Instructions  may be issued a recommendation certificate.

Applications will not be considered if they are incomplete or do not meet federal eligibility requirements.

It is up to employers to ensure they meet the program requirements and their application is complete.

NOTE:

• Obtaining a Recommendation Certificate from the CEDC does not automatically mean your candidate will receive permanent residence.
• Approval is at the discretion of the IRCC Processing Officer reviewing the application.
• Avoid assuring candidates that their application will be approved solely because they work for your organization.

Step 6

Support your candidate

If your recommendation application is approved, your candidate will receive a recommendation certificate from SED, that will allow them to apply to IRCC for permanent residence. The candidate is responsible to make application to IRCC directly.

Continue to support and welcome your candidate in the community by implementing the commitments to settlement support outlined in the Recommendation Application Form.

NOTE:

• Receiving a recommendation certificate from SED does not guarantee that your candidate will receive permanent residence. It is up to IRCC’s discretion as they are the ultimate decision maker.
• Fulfill the settlement support commitments outlined on your Recommendation Application Form.
• Help candidates settle into your workplace and the broader community.
• Connect them with local settlement programs and services.
• Foster a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive workplace

Settlement Fund Requirements

Steinbach RCIP does not require proof of settlement funds when submitting a community recommendation application. However, candidates will need to provide this proof when applying for permanent residence to IRCC. Therefore, we strongly suggest confirming that your candidate has sufficient settlement funds before submitting a recommendation.

Proof of funds is only necessary for candidates who are not already working in Canada at the time of their permanent residence application. If a candidate is currently employed in Canada with valid work authorization, this requirement does not apply.

For all other candidates, they must demonstrate that they have enough money to support themselves and their family upon arrival. The required amount is based on family size and calculated as 50% of the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) for rural areas.

For the most up-to-date settlement fund amounts and full details, please visit the Government of Canada website: Proof of funds for rural immigration

Step 7

Optional: Work permit

If your candidate requires a temporary work permit while their permanent residence application is being processed at the IRCC, click here to learn about the steps involved.

FAQ

Are there any expenses for employers to participate in this program?

RCIP is free for employers. There is no application fee. Employers do not cover travel or settlement costs for foreign workers. An optional $230 work permit compliance fee may be paid to IRCC if a work permit is needed for the skilled worker.

Can I use RCIP for a person that already works for me?

Yes, you can use RCIP for current employees as long as your business, the position and the employee meet the program requirements.

Our business has been in Steinbach and area for less than two years. Is there any exemption to the two-year operation requirement?

IRCC requires businesses to have operated under the same management for the previous two years within program boundaries. The only exemption is for businesses relocating to the Steinbach RCIP boundaries if they show continuous and active operation in another location for at least two years under the same management. They must also prove that the relocation significantly contributes to Steinbach and areas economy. This exemption is evaluated on case-by-case basis. If your business is not eligible for RCIP, we recommend you consider other immigration pathways available:

• MPNP Employer Services
• Economic Mobility Pathway Pilot (EMPP)
• Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
• Francophone Mobility Work Permit

May I use an immigration representative?

You have the option to appoint a representative to act on your behalf for your RCIP recommendation application or your Permanent Resident application. Representatives can be either paid or unpaid, and they may be authorized or unauthorized. A representative is considered authorized if they are:

• Lawyers or paralegals who are active members in good standing of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society,
• Notaires who are active members in good standing of the Chambre des notaires du Québec, or
• Citizenship or immigration consultants who are active members in good standing of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council.

The Community will not engage with unauthorized representatives or allow them to assist with your RCIP application. If you use an unauthorized representative, whether in Canada or abroad, your application may be returned or refused.

It is important to understand that having a representative does not affect how your application is assessed, nor does it influence whether it will be approved or rejected. All applications are processed in the same manner, regardless of whether a representative is involved. Authorized representatives cannot guarantee a Community Recommendation, permanent residence, or faster processing of your application.

Links

• Employer Onboarding Training
• Building Welcoming Workplaces
• Steinbach – EN-RCIP Employer Designation Application Form – Fillable
• Steinbach – EN-RCIP Recommendation Application Form – Fillable
• Job Offer Requirements
• Candidate Requirements
• Offer of Employment to a Foreign National
• Document Check List
• Optional: Work Permit