Felix Koros moved from Kenya to Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., with his family in early December, and thanks to an immigration pilot program, he says he’s on track to become a permanent resident soon.
“Thank God we’re here in Canada,” said Koros, who was an engineer in his home country and now works as an aircraft mechanic for a company called JD Aero.
“We see that the environment is very good for us and for our children and for the future.”
When he applied for the job, he learned about the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program (RNIP), which expedites the process of obtaining permanent residency for newcomers who find work in 11 participating small towns across Canada.
In northeastern Ontario, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Timmins and North Bay participate in the program.
By working with the municipality, Koros’ employer will be able to get him a letter of recommendation for permanent residence, allowing him to build a life in Canada without having to worry about a temporary work permit.
Permanent residency is also an important step before someone becomes a Canadian citizen.
“For me personally, it’s been a pretty seamless process and I’ve seen things go well, especially during that time,” Koros said of the program.
Fatima Pacheco transferred to Saul State. Marie in September 2021, where she is attending Sault College to update her nursing credentials. She now works at Chartwell Collegiate Heights Retirement Residence in the northern Ontario city. (Submitted by Fatima Pacheco)
Fatima Pacheco has arrived at Sault Ste. Marie in September 2021, where she enrolled at Sault College to update her nursing credentials.
Pacheco is from the Philippines and worked as a nurse in Saudi Arabia for seven years before coming to Canada.
In Saudi Arabia, there were more barriers to becoming a permanent resident, and Pacheco said she always dreamed of coming to Canada as a safe place to raise her young daughter.
“That’s why 10 years ago, before I went to Saudi Arabia, I really dreamed of this country,” she said.
After a year of training, Pacheco was able to work as a registered practical nurse at Chartwell Collegiate Heights Retirement Residence in Sault Ste. Marie.
She applied for permanent residency in September 2022 and was approved in December.
Without a letter of recommendation from the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program, she said the process could have taken up to 18 months instead of two.
She is also now studying to further update her credentials to work as a registered nurse in Canada.
City of Salt State. Marie says the program exceeded expectations last year.
The city set out to recommend 125 people for permanent residency in 2022, instead issuing 213 letters of recommendation.
Before being elected Mayor of Timmins in October 2022, Michelle Boileau served on the Select Committee for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program. (Jimmy Chabot/Radio-Canada)
In Timmins, the city failed to meet its goals for the program last year. The goal was to send 170 letters of recommendation, but instead the community recommended 148 newcomers.
But Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau said she still sees the pilot as a success.
“I’ve heard firsthand from employers that if it wasn’t for the (RNIP) program, you know, they might not be able to stay open next year,” she said.
“So it has a very positive impact on our business community.”
Boileau said the program has helped employers address labor shortages and noted that 39 percent of approved applicants in the community work as early childhood educators.
David Prince arrived in Timmins in August 2021 from Colombia to work as a heavy equipment mechanic in the forestry sector.
Thanks to the pilot program, he became a permanent resident last December.
“I would like to encourage people to look into or research the program and hopefully the program will last longer than it takes for people to get permanent residency,” he said.
Meredith Armstrong is the Director of Economic Development for the City of Greater Sudbury. (Eric White/CBC)
The pilot is due to end in 2024
The RNIP program started in late 2019 and is scheduled to end next year.
Meredith Armstrong, director of economic development for the City of Greater Sudbury, said she believes the program will become permanent thanks to the high number of approvals in 2022.
She noted that a similar pattern in Atlantic Canada became permanent after a pilot.
“We see this as a long-term play for northern and rural communities,” Armstrong said.
“We know it takes time for people to, you know, be able to consider these communities, and judging by the continued status of the Atlantic model that this is based on, we really feel very hopeful and optimistic that it could be an opportunity for RNIP to become permanent.”
Add Comment