Businesses in Northern Ontario are concerned about the potential end of the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) this year, fearing it may impact their ability to recruit necessary employees. They are urging local MPs Viviane Lapointe and Marc Serre to make RNIP a permanent program under Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The Chamber of Commerce’s Geoffrey Hatton states that the program facilitates finding skilled labour. In 2023, RNIP helped 2,475 foreigners become permanent residents of Canada, more than double the number from 2022.
