Ontario Rural Community Immigration Pilot 2026: Priority Sectors and Occupations Revealed

Five Ontario communities are part of the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) and have disclosed their priority sectors and occupations for 2026.

Individuals with job offers that match the labour market needs of an Ontario community can seek permanent residence (PR) through this initiative.

This article delves into the sectors and occupations that each Ontario region involved in the RCIP is emphasizing.

Participating regions in Ontario are:

  • Thunder Bay;
  • North Bay;
  • Sault Ste. Marie;
  • Sudbury; and
  • Timmins.

Thunder Bay

In 2026, Thunder Bay, situated in Northwestern Ontario, is focusing on recruiting foreign workers in six key sectors:

  • Business, finance, and administration;
  • Health;
  • Education, law, social, community, and government services;
  • Sales and service;
  • Trades, transport, and equipment operators; and
  • Manufacturing and utilities.

Notably, the manufacturing and utilities sector is a new addition this year compared to the previous one.

Below are Thunder Bay’s 25 priority occupations (along with their corresponding National Occupational Classification codes) for the RCIP:

1. Administrative assistants (13110)

2. Aircraft mechanics and inspectors (72404)

3. Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics, and mechanical repairers (72410)

4. Bakers (63202)

5. Construction trades helpers and labourers (75110)

6. Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics (724