Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) Program: Application process and who can apply

Who can apply

Those eligible to apply are foreign nationals who have the ability to become economically established and intend to reside in the community making the recommendation, and meet all of the following pass or fail criteria, as listed under Eligibility requirements in Guide 0118 – Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot :

• community recommendation
• minimum education requirements
• minimum language proficiency requirements
• minimum work experience
• minimum job offer requirements (see Employment requirements)
• minimum settlement funds

Submitting an application

All paper applications for permanent residence under the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) Program must be submitted online or on paper to the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) – Sydney.

Eligibility for processing

The RNIP Program is to operate for 5 years, and a maximum of 2,750 complete applications (from principal applicants) will be accepted into processing each year, in accordance with the requirements specified in section 14.1 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). Applications must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in section 10 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) and in the application kit to be considered complete and eligible for processing.