NICKEL BELT – GREATER SUDBURY - The Federal Government announced today that Sudbury is one of only 18 communities selected across the country for a new immigration employment program. Additionally, Sudbury was selected as one of only six communities across Canada for a new Francophone immigration program.

Rural and Francophone minority communities make vital contributions to Canada’s economy, but they frequently face unique labour market and demographic challenges. The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) addressed many of these challenges and produced positive results in connecting businesses and employers in communities like Sudbury with the skilled newcomers they need to thrive.

Building upon that success, today, Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury, and Marc G. Serré, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt, announced the launch of the Rural Community Immigration Program (RCIP) and the Francophone Community Immigration Program (FCIP). These two new programs will provide a permanent residence pathway to attract and retain newcomers who can fill key jobs and who want to live long-term in our community.

The City of Greater Sudbury will receive an allocation of 525 employments for RCIP and 45 for FCIP.

RCIP ensures that communities have access to programs that address labour shortages and help local businesses find the workers they need. FCIP focuses on increasing the number of French-speaking newcomers settling in Francophone communities. This ensures the economic development of Francophone communities, while also helping to restore and increase their demographic weight.

Sudbury will be represented by the City of Greater Sudbury Economic Development Corporation (GSDC), which will work with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to identify its critical labour gaps, designate employers, and recommend suitable candidates to IRCC for permanent residence. IRCC has begun training the economic development organizations, and each community will provide details and timelines on when employers and prospective permanent residence candidates can expect to be able to apply.

Quotes

“Many business owners in Sudbury have told me that attracting skilled labour is their biggest challenge. The two new employment programs coming to Sudbury address these issues in a very effective way. Addressing the labour shortage will help drive economic growth for our region.”
- Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury

“Rural and Francophone minority communities are crucial to Canada’s economy but face unique labour market and demographic challenges. The Rural Community Immigration Program (RCIP) and the Francophone Community Immigration Program (FCIP) are innovative ways to use targeted immigration to attract and retain skilled newcomers, ensuring long-term growth and prosperity in Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury.” - Marc G. Serré, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Official Languages

“I want to thank the Federal Government for advancing the RCIP and FCIP programs, which provide critical support to local employers while strengthening our workforce and creating new opportunities for growth. As a bilingual city, we are uniquely positioned to benefit from the FCIP program, which highlights the vital role of Francophone talent in our economic success. This is a proud moment for our community and a testament to the power of collaboration to build a prosperous future.” - Paul Lefebvre, Mayor of the City of Greater Sudbury

Quick Facts

• On October 31, 2023, IRCC released An Immigration System for Canada’s Future, a report that lays out a pathway to strengthen our immigration system to better meet the needs of our country and newcomers. As part of the work to implement the actions identified in the report, IRCC continues exploring opportunities to enhance regional immigration, including through these new pilots.
• The inclusion of new Francophone communities in regional economic immigration programs is a core measure of IRCC’s Policy on Francophone Immigration.
• Part of the Acadian Peninsula, Sudbury, Timmins, and St. Pierre Jolys are also participants in the Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative, which will help them settle and integrate French-speaking newcomers who arrive in their communities under the FCIP.
• Preliminary findings suggest strong retention in RNIP communities. In October 2022, 87% of RNIP newcomer survey respondents stated that they stayed and planned to stay in their RNIP communities.
• As of November 2024, 9,738 newcomers have been granted permanent residence through the RNIP, helping address labour shortages in key sectors such as health care and manufacturing.

Associated Links

• Rural and Francophone Community Immigration Pilots
• Canada announces new immigration pilots
• Community applications now open for new rural and Francophone pilots
• Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative
• Rural economic development

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More information
Kaylie Dudgeon,
Communications Manager
705-507-2416
[email protected]