The mining industry in Ontario is a major contributor to Canada’s economy. Around 26% of Canada’s total mineral production value comes from Ontario. The industry also supports approximately 31,000 direct jobs, most of which are based around mining operations in rural Northern Ontario.
It can be difficult for businesses in rural regions to find and retain skilled workers. Fortunately, for mining companies operating in Northern Ontario, the federal government has several programs that can be used to hire skilled foreign workers to meet labour force needs. This blog will provide a brief overview of some of these programs.
The Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP)
The RCIP is a recently announced pilot program that offers a pathway to permanent residence for skilled workers inside and outside Canada who want to work in one of 14 participating rural communities. This includes five communities in Northern Ontario:
Under this program, applicants must meet several conditions, including having a valid job offer from a designated employer in one of the participating communities and at least 1 year (1,560 hours) of work experience related to the National Occupation Classification (NOC) TEER category of the job offer in the past 3 years.
Employers must also meet certain conditions, including being designated by a participating community.
Once an applicant has a job offer from a designated employer, their employer must apply for a recommendation from the participating community. This requires that the employer demonstrate that they meet several criteria, including that they have not been able to fill the job with someone locally.
Applicants can also apply for a two (2) year Labour Market Impact Assessment (“LMIA”) exempt work permit to begin working for their designated employer while their permanent residence application is processed.
Some of the above participating communities have recently announced occupations they will be prioritizing when designating employers. Below is a list of some of the eligible occupations which may be relevant to mining operations. Please visit each community’s website for their full list of eligible occupations:
- North Bay
- Welders and related machine operators (NOC 72106)
- Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors (NOC 72100)
- Thunder Bay
- Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics (NOC 72400)
- Heavy equipment operators (NOC 73400)
- Sault St Marie
- Drafting Technologists and Technicians (NOC 22212)
- Industrial Electricians (NOC 72201)
- Machinists and Machining and Tooling Inspectors (NOC 72100)
- Construction Millwrights and Industrial Mechanics (NOC 72400)
- Timmins
- Geological and mineral technologists and technicians (NOC 22101)
- Metallurgical and materials engineers (NOC 21322)
- Welders and related machine operators (NOC 72106)
- Industrial electricians (NOC 72201)
- Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics (NOC 72400)
- Heavy-duty equipment mechanics (NOC 72401)
- Heavy equipment operators (NOC 73400)
- Underground production and development miners (NOC 83100)
Please note that at as of the time of this blog, Sudbury has not announced its priority occupations.
Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP)
Similar to the RCIP, the FCIP is a recently announced pilot program that offers a pathway to permanent residence for skilled workers inside and outside Canada who want to work in one of 6 communities and can demonstrate sufficient French language skills. There are three participating communities/regions in this program in Northern Ontario:
Please note that as of the time of this blog, the Superior East Region has not launched their program website.
The FCIP’s application process and requirements are similar to the RCIP. Applicants must meet several criteria, including having a valid, full-time job offer from a designated employer in one of the participating communities and at least 1 year (1,560 hours) of work experience related to the NOC TEER category of the job offer in the past 3 years. Employers must also be designated by a participating community and obtain a recommendation from the community, including by showing that they have not been able to fill the job with someone locally.
One key difference between the RCIP and the FCIP is that applicants must demonstrate that they have sufficient language skills in French (CLB Level 5).
Similar to applicants under the RCIP, FCIP applicants can also obtain a two (2) year LMIA exempt work permit to begin working for their designated employer while their permanent residence application is processed.
Of the above participating communities, only Timmins has announced at the time of this blog which occupations it will be prioritizing when designating employers under the FCIP. Below is a list of some of the eligible occupations which may be relevant to mining operations. Please visit each community’s website for their full list of eligible occupations:
- Timmins:
- Welders and related machine operators (NOC 72106)
- Industrial electricians (NOC 72201)
- Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics (NOC 72400)
- Heavy-duty equipment mechanics (NOC 72401)
- Heavy equipment operators (NOC 73400)
- Underground production and development miners (NOC 83100)
Francophone Mobility Program
The Francophone Mobility Program allows employers to hire foreign nationals without the need to obtain a LMIA for an occupation under any NOC TEER category except for a job in a primary agriculture occupation under TEER 4 and 5.
Under this program, applicants must meet the general eligibility requirements for a work permit and intend to live and work in any province or territory outside of Quebec. Importantly, applicants must also demonstrate that they have speaking and listening skills in French at an intermediate level (NCLC Level 5).
The above programs are only a selection of the available pathways for businesses to hire foreign talent. Contact us for more information on these pathways and learn which options may be right for your business.
