Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP): Other situations

Adding a family member

Only the principal applicant must be named in the certificate of recommendation from a designated community. If the applicant’s family composition changes during processing, the applicant must inform IRCC by using the web form. However, a new or amended certificate of recommendation is not required.

During processing, a principal applicant can add a new family member as a dependent, such as a newborn child or a new spouse or common-law partner, etc. The applicant may also request that a family member originally declared as non-accompanying be included as accompanying.

Officers should not process a request to add a spouse or child (as an accompanying dependent) if the principal applicant does not appear to meet the eligibility requirements.

If the principal applicant meets the eligibility requirements and wants to add their family member(s) to the application, the principal applicant must submit the following:

• applicable fees
  • processing fees (if accompanying)
  • biometric fees and right of permanent residence fees (RPRF) (if accompanying and if applicable)
• proof of relationship (birth certificate, marriage certificate, or documents in support of a common-law relationship)
• all applicable immigration forms: IMM 0008, IMM 5406 (if over 18) and Schedule A (if over 18)

Once all the required forms and applicable fees have been submitted, the officer will

• add the dependent in the Global Case Management System (GCMS) (or change from non-accompanying to accompanying in the GCMS)
• apply the processing fees (and biometric fee and RPRF, if applicable)
• verify that the applicant continues to demonstrate that they have sufficient funds available for their family, including the new family member(s)
• review admissibility requirements. The added family member(s) must pass medical and background checks. The officer will request medicals if not already done as a non-accompanying dependent, request biometrics (if applicable), and review all admissibility requirements, such as passing criminal and security checks.

For more details on assessing relationships, see relationships of convenience.

Changing immigration categories

An applicant who has applied in another category and who is subsequently recommended by the economic development organization (EDO) of a participating community must submit a new application under the RCIP. In such a case, the following applies:

• If the initial application has not been placed into processing and the applicant wishes to withdraw the application, the processing fee can be refunded.
• If the initial application has been placed into processing, no refund is possible.
• If the applicant does not wish to withdraw the initial application, processing on both applications may continue, but only 1 permanent resident visa can be issued to an applicant.

Changing a designated employer

An applicant who has a permanent residence application in process may obtain a new genuine offer of employment from a new designated employer only under the following circumstances:

• The employer from whom the applicant has an offer of employment becomes an employer who has been found non-compliant as referred to in paragraph 200(3)(h) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

or

• The applicant is already working under a work permit issued under section R200 and was issued a new work permit for the reasons referred to in subsection R207.1(1).

or

• If an EDO revokes a designated employer’s designation through no fault of the applicant, the applicant receives a new genuine offer of employment from a designated employer, and the EDO will continues to recommend the applicant.

Revocation of a certificate of recommendation

Applications that have been put into processing should be refused if the designated community revokes the certificate of recommendation.

Applications that have not been put into processing should be returned to the applicant if the community revokes the certificate of recommendation.

The designated economic development organization (EDO) of a designated community will immediately inform IRCC of the revocation of a certificate of recommendation by contacting the Regional Guidance team and will update the record of recommendation in the monthly community recommendation spreadsheet. The Regional Guidance team will then contact the Immigration Operations Branch (IOB)/Centralized Intake Office (CIO) to inform them of the updates.

Amending a certificate of recommendation

An EDO may amend a certificate of recommendation if the applicant has obtained a new genuine offer of employment. In this case, officers must verify that the applicant’s new job offer has been updated in the RCIP monthly community recommendation spreadsheet that IRCC receives electronically each month. The officers must then verify in GCMS to ensure that through the web form, the client has submitted their new Offer of Employment Form (IMM 0247 (PDF 1.5 MB)), which will be uploaded in the GCMS by IRCC.