Rural Community Immigration Pilot · Nipissing and Parry Sound Districts
RCIP North Bay 2026: intake status, priority sectors and occupations
What the North Bay Rural Community Immigration Pilot actually requires right now, taken from North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce and re-checked every month. Most guides to this programme are months out of date.
Next intake scheduled · verified 1 October 2026
Between windows. The next intake runs 18 to 24 October 2026.
A further window follows on 15 to 21 November, the last of the year. Up to 25 recommendations are issued per intake. In 2025 the November window was cancelled mid-year because of demand.
At a glance
| Administered by | North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce |
|---|---|
| Region | Nipissing and Parry Sound Districts |
| Next intake | 18-24 October 2026 |
| Priority sectors | 6 |
| Priority occupations | 25 |
| How candidates are selected | Points-ranked pool with monthly committee review. Minimum 50 points overall and at least 10 in each of five factors. Maximum 125. Ties broken by earliest submission. |
| Who submits the application | The designated employer, not the candidate |
Priority sectors for 2026
- Business, Finance and Administration
- Natural and Applied Sciences
- Health
- Education, Law and Social, Community and Government Services
- Sales and Service
- Trades, Transport and Equipment Operators
The occupation list, and its traps
North Bay publishes 25 priority occupations. Being on that list is necessary but not sufficient, and the detail below is where most self-prepared applications come apart.
The full list, with the codes and any wage requirements, is published by the community: see the official occupation list. We do not reproduce it here, because it changes mid-year and a stale copy is worse than no copy.
Caps and limits
- Up to 25 community recommendations per intake period
- Healthcare employers: up to 5 candidates per year
- All other sectors: up to 3 candidates per year
- 2026 allocation appears to be 255, based on the published monthly reports
Who cannot use this programme
- All fast food occupations
- All retail occupations, including convenience store and gas station roles
- Consulates and staffing agencies
- Businesses owned by an immigration representative
- Candidates on visitor status
What the numbers actually show
| Granted to end of August | 157 of roughly 255 |
|---|---|
| Average successful score | 97 in August |
| Highest score | 115 of a possible 125 |
| Designated employers | 243 as at August 2026 |
Intake windows in 2026
- 15-21 Feb
- 8-14 Mar
- 5-11 Apr
- 3-9 May
- 7-13 Jun
- 12-18 Jul
- 9-15 Aug
- 13-19 Sep
- 18-24 Oct
- 15-21 Nov
Processing
Committee review roughly once a month. Recommendation certificates are valid six months and will not be reissued if they expire.
Worth knowing
The published 2026 scoring grid has not been updated for the 1 July occupation change and still shows the two removed occupations. IRCC has also been slower issuing Acknowledgements of Receipt, so successful candidates are urged to file for permanent residence immediately.
Official sources
Everything above is taken from the community's own pages, not from secondary reporting:
- Programme page — North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce
- Designated employer list
- Community boundary map
- IRCC — Rural and Francophone Community Immigration Pilots
Is this route realistic for you?
Thirty minutes with a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, licence RCIC-IRB R731653. We will tell you whether North Bay is worth pursuing, and say so plainly when it is not.
Book a consultationRCIP Sault Ste. MarieRCIP Greater SudburyRCIP TimminsRCIP Thunder Bay
The full RCIP guide, all 14 communities
Verified against North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce on 1 October 2026 by Mary Unogwu Ogenyi-Igoche, RCIC-IRB R731653. We re-check monthly. This page is general information about a government programme and is not legal advice on your own situation.
