Ontario Regions Reveal Jobs Eligible for PR Under RCIP
Ontario RCIP Communities Outline 2026 Priority Jobs for PR
Five rural regions in Ontario have now formally announced the sectors and occupations that will shape permanent residence selection under the 2026 intake of the Rural Community Immigration Pilot. This federal immigration pathway was introduced to help smaller communities outside major metropolitan areas respond to ongoing labour shortages by directly connecting local employers with qualified foreign workers.
For 2026, the participating Ontario communities, Thunder Bay, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Greater Sudbury, and Timmins have each released detailed sector priorities along with 25 specific occupations tied to National Occupational Classification codes. These lists are central to determining which foreign nationals may qualify for a community recommendation and ultimately apply for permanent residence through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Below is a detailed breakdown of each region’s 2026 priorities.
Thunder Bay Adds Manufacturing and Utilities to 2026 Strategy
Thunder Bay has expanded its economic focus for 2026 by introducing manufacturing and utilities as a new priority sector. The city continues to emphasize healthcare, skilled trades, education services, and business occupations, reflecting ongoing workforce gaps across public and private sectors. The six priority sectors for Thunder Bay in 2026 are:
- Business, finance and administration
- Health
- Sales and service
- Trades, transport, and equipment operators
- Manufacturing and utilities
To give clarity to employers and applicants, Thunder Bay has published 25 priority occupations aligned with these sectors. These occupations represent roles where labour shortages are most acute and where international recruitment is actively encouraged.
Thunder Bay – Priority Occupations for 2026
| Occupation | NOC Code |
|---|---|
| Administrative assistants | 13110 |
| Aircraft mechanics and inspectors | 72404 |
| Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics, and mechanical repairers | 72410 |
| Bakers | 63202 |
| Construction trades helpers and labourers | 75110 |
| Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 72400 |
| Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunication occupations | 72011 |
| Cooks | 63200 |
| Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants | 33100 |
| Early childhood educators and assistants | 42202 |
| General office support workers | 14100 |
| Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations | 14101 |
| Hotel front desk clerks | 64314 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 33102 |
| Payroll administrators | 13102 |
| Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants | 33103 |
| Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations | 11202 |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 |
| Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers | 64100 |
| Social and community service workers | 42201 |
| Sawmill machine operators | 94120 |
| Security guards and related security service occupations | 64410 |
| Other services supervisors | 62029 |
| Transport truck drivers, short haul and local only | 73300 |
North Bay Expands into Natural and Applied Sciences
North Bay has broadened its 2026 labour strategy by adding natural and applied sciences to its list of priority sectors. This expansion opens doors for engineers, technical specialists, and IT professionals, in addition to the ongoing demand in healthcare and trades.
The six priority sectors for North Bay in 2026 are:
- Business, finance and administration
- Health
- Education, law, social, community and government services
- Sales and service
- Trades, transport and equipment operators
- Natural and applied sciences
North Bay – Priority Occupations for 2026
| Occupation | NOC Code |
|---|---|
| Accounting technicians and bookkeepers | 12200 |
| Administrative assistants | 13110 |
| Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors | 72404 |
| Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers | 72410 |
| Civil engineers | 21300 |
| Computer network and web technicians | 22220 |
| Construction trade helpers and labourers | 75110 |
| Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants | 33100 |
| Electricians, except industrial and power system | 72200 |
| Electrical and electronics engineers | 21310 |
| Early childhood educators and assistants | 42202 |
| Financial advisors | 11102 |
| Financial auditors and accountants | 11100 |
| Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations | 44101 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 |
| Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors | 72100 |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient services associates | 33102 |
| Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants | 33103 |
| Chemical plant machine operators | 94110 |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 |
| Security guards and related security service occupations | 64410 |
| Shippers and receivers | 14400 |
| Social and community service workers | 42201 |
| Software developers and programmers | 21232 |
| Welders and related machine operators | 72106 |
Sault Ste. Marie Rebalances Its Sector Priorities
The six sectors prioritized in 2026 are:
- Health
- Education, law and social, community and government services
- Business, finance and administration
- Trades, transport and equipment operators
- Manufacturing and utilities
- Natural and applied sciences
Although natural and applied sciences is listed as a priority sector, no specific occupations have been identified under that category at this time.
Sault Ste. Marie – Priority Occupations for 2026
| Occupation | NOC Code |
|---|---|
| Accounting and related clerks | 14200 |
| Administrative officers | 13100 |
| Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors | 93200 |
| Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors | 72404 |
| Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers | 72410 |
| Computer network and web technicians | 22220 |
| Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 72400 |
| Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants | 33100 |
| Early childhood educators and assistants | 42202 |
| Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians | 22310 |
| Engineering managers | 20010 |
| Financial advisors | 11102 |
| Financial auditors and accountants | 11100 |
| Other products assemblers, finishers and inspectors | 94219 |
| General practitioners and family physicians | 31102 |
| Industrial and manufacturing engineers | 21321 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 |
| Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors | 72100 |
| Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians | 22301 |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 33102 |
| Machine operators of other metal products | 94107 |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 |
| Social and community service workers | 42201 |
| Other trades helpers and labourers | 75119 |
| Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators | 73301 |
Greater Sudbury Broadens Business and Technical Recruitment
Greater Sudbury, the largest city in Northern Ontario, has added business, finance and administration as a new priority sector for 2026. The city continues to emphasize healthcare, engineering, mining, and trades, reflecting its industrial and natural resource-driven economy.
The six priority sectors in 2026 are:
- Business, finance and administration
- Health
- Education, law and social, community and government services
- Trades, transport and equipment operators
- Natural and applied sciences
- Natural resources and agriculture
Greater Sudbury – Priority Occupations for 2026
| Occupation | NOC Code |
|---|---|
| Auto body collision, refinishing and glass technicians and damage repair estimators | 72411 |
| Automotive and heavy truck and equipment parts installers and servicers | 74203 |
| Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics, and mechanical repairers | 72410 |
| Chemical technologists and technicians | 22100 |
| Civil engineering technologists and technicians | 22300 |
| Construction estimators | 22303 |
| Construction managers | 70010 |
| Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 72400 |
| Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants | 33100 |
| Early childhood educators and assistants | 42202 |
| Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians | 22310 |
| General practitioners and family physicians | 31102 |
| Heavy duty equipment mechanics | 72401 |
| Home support workers, caregivers, and related occupations | 44101 |
| Instructors of persons with disabilities | 42203 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 |
| Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians | 22301 |
| Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations | 33101 |
| Mining engineers | 21330 |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 33102 |
| Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment | 32109 |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 |
| Social and community service workers | 42201 |
| Transport truck drivers | 73300 |
| Welders and related machine operators | 72106 |
Timmins Maintains Five Core Priority Sectors
Timmins remains the only Ontario RCIP community operating with five priority sectors instead of six. For 2026, the city has added manufacturing and utilities while removing business, finance and administration, maintaining a strong emphasis on mining, trades, and healthcare.
The five sectors for 2026 are:
- Health
- Education, law and social, community and government services
- Trades, transport and equipment operators
- Natural resources and agriculture
- Manufacturing and utilities
Timmins – Priority Occupations for 2026
| Occupation | NOC Code |
|---|---|
| Accounting technicians and bookkeepers | 12200 |
| Administrative assistants | 13110 |
| Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians | 32104 |
| Automotive and heavy truck and equipment parts installers and servicers | 74203 |
| Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers | 72410 |
| Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 72400 |
| Construction trades helpers and labourers | 75110 |
| Early childhood educators and assistants | 42202 |
| Electricians, except industrial and power system | 72200 |
| Geological and mineral technologists and technicians | 22101 |
| Health information management occupations | 12111 |
| Heavy equipment operators | 73400 |
| Heavy duty equipment mechanics | 72401 |
| Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations | 44101 |
| Labourers in wood, pulp and paper processing | 95103 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 |
| Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors | 72100 |
| Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations | 33101 |
| Mining engineers | 21330 |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 33102 |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 |
| Social and community service workers | 42201 |
| Transport truck drivers | 73300 |
| Underground mine service and support workers | 84100 |
| Welders and related machine operators | 72106 |
Key Eligibility Requirements Under the RCIP
Beyond securing a job offer in a listed occupation from a designated employer, candidates must meet federal eligibility standards. Applicants are required to demonstrate at least one year of related work experience within the past three years, meet minimum language benchmarks ranging from CLB 4 to CLB 6 depending on the TEER level, hold a recognized educational credential or obtain an Educational Credential Assessment for foreign studies, and provide proof of settlement funds based on family size.
Once a community recommendation is issued, candidates can apply for permanent residence. Those who have submitted a complete application may also qualify for a special work permit while awaiting a final decision. With updated occupation lists now public for 2026, Ontario’s rural communities are sending a clear message that skilled foreign workers remain central to their long term economic growth and workforce stability.
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