Sault Ste. Marie is the first rural community to participate in the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP).
The community is now officially accepting applications from skilled newcomers. Sault’s goal is to settle 100 candidates and their families in the program’s first year.
Since June, the “Welcome to Sault Ste. Marie” website received about 4,000 expressions of interest and 2,500 applications. Continued promotion from the RNIP launch is expected to increase the numbers further. The city will apply for $250,000 in funding to help with the first year of administering and marketing the program, and to hire a coordinator. Other funding sources are in the works.
About six of the applications are from people already living in Sault Ste. Marie who don’t yet have permanent residency. These applications, as well as those from newcomers elsewhere in Canada, are likely to be processed faster. The community committee for Sault Ste. Marie will evaluate applications to ensure applicants are a good fit for the community to improve retention. In addition to having a job offer and the right skill set, their lifestyle, hobbies, and alignment with local cultural groups will be taken into consideration as well.