Ontario’s smaller cities are sharpening their immigration strategies for 2026 as five participating communities under the Rural Community Immigration Pilot confirm the occupations that will qualify foreign nationals for permanent residence consideration this year.
The Rural Community Immigration Pilot, launched in 2025, allows designated rural communities outside Quebec to recommend skilled foreign workers for permanent residence when local employers are unable to fill essential roles. Each participating city sets its own priority sectors and identifies 25 targeted occupations based on regional labour shortages.
In Ontario, the communities taking part in 2026 include Thunder Bay, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Greater Sudbury, and Timmins. While all five share common labour gaps in healthcare and trades, each city’s final list reflects its unique economic landscape.
Below is a region-by-region breakdown of the newly released 2026 occupation lists.
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Thunder Bay Strengthens Industrial and Healthcare Recruitment
Thunder Bay has broadened its 2026 focus by adding manufacturing and utilities to its priority framework. The expansion reflects rising demand across industrial operations while maintaining strong recruitment in healthcare, education, administration, hospitality, and skilled trades.
The city has confirmed six priority sectors for the year, covering business administration, health services, community and government services, sales and service, trades and transport, and manufacturing and utilities.
To guide employers and applicants, Thunder Bay has issued the following occupation list:
Thunder Bay – 2026 Priority Occupations
| Occupation | NOC Code |
| Administrative assistants | 13110 |
| Aircraft mechanics and inspectors | 72404 |
| Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics, and mechanical repairers | 72410 |
| Bakers | 63202 |
| Construction trades helpers and labourers | 75110 |
| Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 72400 |
| Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunication occupations | 72011 |
| Cooks | 63200 |
| Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants | 33100 |
| Early childhood educators and assistants | 42202 |
| General office support workers | 14100 |
| Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations | 44101 |
| Hotel front desk clerks | 64314 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 33102 |
| Payroll administrators | 13102 |
| Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants | 33103 |
| Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations | 11202 |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 |
| Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers | 64100 |
| Social and community service workers | 42201 |
| Sawmill machine operators | 94120 |
| Security guards and related security service occupations | 64410 |
| Other services supervisors | 62029 |
| Transport truck drivers, short-haul and local | 73300 |
City officials have also noted that certain occupations within priority sectors may be reviewed individually, even if they do not appear on the official list.
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North Bay Expands Technical and Engineering Opportunities
North Bay’s 2026 strategy introduces natural and applied sciences as a new priority sector, signalling increased demand for engineering, technology, and technical professionals. Healthcare, finance, education services, and trades remain central pillars of recruitment.
The city has made clear that fast food and retail positions are not eligible under its RCIP stream this year.
North Bay – 2026 Priority Occupations
| Occupation | NOC Code |
| Accounting technicians and bookkeepers | 12200 |
| Administrative assistants | 13110 |
| Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors | 72404 |
| Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers | 72410 |
| Civil engineers | 21300 |
| Computer network and web technicians | 22220 |
| Construction trade helpers and labourers | 75110 |
| Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants | 33100 |
| Electricians, except industrial and power system | 72200 |
| Electrical and electronics engineers | 21310 |
| Early childhood educators and assistants | 42202 |
| Financial advisors | 11102 |
| Financial auditors and accountants | 11100 |
| Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations | 44101 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 |
| Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors | 72100 |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient services associates | 33102 |
| Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants | 33103 |
| Chemical plant machine operators | 94110 |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 |
| Security guards and related security service occupations | 64410 |
| Shippers and receivers | 14400 |
| Social and community service workers | 42201 |
| Software developers and programmers | 21232 |
| Welders and related machine operators | 72106 |
Sault Ste. Marie Refines Sector Priorities
Sault Ste. Marie has reorganized its 2026 priorities by removing sales and service and adding business administration and natural and applied sciences. The city’s updated focus reflects demand for engineering leadership, financial oversight, healthcare delivery, and industrial operations.
Although natural and applied sciences is now listed as a sector, no specific occupation has been assigned to that category so far.
Sault Ste. Marie – 2026 Priority Occupations
| Occupation | NOC Code |
| Accounting and related clerks | 14200 |
| Administrative officers | 13100 |
| Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors | 93200 |
| Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors | 72404 |
| Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers | 72410 |
| Computer network and web technicians | 22220 |
| Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 72400 |
| Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants | 33100 |
| Early childhood educators and assistants | 42202 |
| Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians | 22310 |
| Engineering managers | 20010 |
| Financial advisors | 11102 |
| Financial auditors and accountants | 11100 |
| Other products assemblers, finishers and inspectors | 94219 |
| General practitioners and family physicians | 31102 |
| Industrial and manufacturing engineers | 21321 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 |
| Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors | 72100 |
| Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians | 22301 |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 33102 |
| Machine operators of other metal products | 94107 |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 |
| Social and community service workers | 42201 |
| Other trades helpers and labourers | 75119 |
| Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators | 73301 |
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Greater Sudbury Prioritizes Mining, Engineering, and Healthcare
As Northern Ontario’s largest urban centre, Greater Sudbury continues to anchor its immigration strategy around mining, heavy industry, construction, healthcare, and applied sciences. Business administration has been newly incorporated into its 2026 priority sectors, broadening opportunities for financial and management professionals.
Greater Sudbury – 2026 Priority Occupations
| Occupation | NOC Code |
| Auto body collision, refinishing and glass technicians and damage repair estimators | 72411 |
| Automotive and heavy truck and equipment parts installers and servicers | 74203 |
| Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics, and mechanical repairers | 72410 |
| Chemical technologists and technicians | 22100 |
| Civil engineering technologists and technicians | 22300 |
| Construction estimators | 22303 |
| Construction managers | 70010 |
| Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 72400 |
| Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants | 33100 |
| Early childhood educators and assistants | 42202 |
| Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians | 22310 |
| General practitioners and family physicians | 31102 |
| Heavy duty equipment mechanics | 72401 |
| Home support workers, caregivers, and related occupations | 44101 |
| Instructors of persons with disabilities | 42203 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 |
| Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians | 22301 |
| Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations | 33101 |
| Mining engineers | 21330 |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 33102 |
| Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment | 32109 |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 |
| Social and community service workers | 42201 |
| Transport truck drivers | 73300 |
| Welders and related machine operators | 72106 |
Timmins Concentrates on Resource and Industrial Talent
Timmins remains the only Ontario RCIP participant with five priority sectors rather than six. Its 2026 structure reinforces workforce gaps in mining, heavy equipment operations, healthcare, and industrial trades, while newly incorporating manufacturing and utilities.
Timmins – 2026 Priority Occupations
| Occupation | NOC Code |
| Accounting technicians and bookkeepers | 12200 |
| Administrative assistants | 13110 |
| Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians | 32104 |
| Automotive and heavy truck and equipment parts installers and servicers | 74203 |
| Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers | 72410 |
| Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 72400 |
| Construction trades helpers and labourers | 75110 |
| Early childhood educators and assistants | 42202 |
| Electricians, except industrial and power system | 72200 |
| Geological and mineral technologists and technicians | 22101 |
| Health information management occupations | 12111 |
| Heavy equipment operators | 73400 |
| Heavy duty equipment mechanics | 72401 |
| Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations | 44101 |
| Labourers in wood, pulp and paper processing | 95103 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 |
| Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors | 72100 |
| Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations | 33101 |
| Mining engineers | 21330 |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 33102 |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 |
| Social and community service workers | 42201 |
| Transport truck drivers | 73300 |
| Underground mine service and support workers | 84100 |
| Welders and related machine operators | 72106 |
Understanding the Pathway to Permanent Residence
Under the Rural Community Immigration Pilot, eligible candidates must first secure a job offer from a designated employer operating within a priority occupation. The employer then submits a recommendation request to the community. If approved, the candidate can proceed with a permanent residence application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Applicants must demonstrate at least one year of related work experience within the past three years, meet language benchmarks tied to the TEER category of the job offer, hold a recognized educational credential or valid Educational Credential Assessment, and show proof of sufficient settlement funds based on family size.
Candidates who pass the completeness check after submitting their permanent residence application may also qualify for a work permit while awaiting a final decision.
With clearly defined occupation lists now in place for 2026, Ontario’s rural communities are positioning immigration as a strategic solution to sustain economic growth, stabilize essential services, and strengthen local industries for the long term.
