Rural Community Immigration Pilot, Ontario
Greater Sudbury RCIP: Eligibility Check and Points Calculator
The City of Greater Sudbury runs its Rural Community Immigration Pilot on a scale of its own: 525 recommendations in 2026 across eight intake windows, a 79-point minimum to enter the pool, and draw results published after every intake. Built from the community’s own interactive scoring grid.
- Built from the community’s 2026 interactive scoring grid
- Last verified October 2026
- Built by a licensed RCIC
- Maximum points
- 125
- Pool floor
- 79
- Last published cutoff
- 90
- Intake 6
- Next intake window
- Sep 28 to Oct 2
- Intake 7
Part 1 of 4
The job offer
Everything in this pilot starts with a job offer from a designated employer. These answers decide eligibility before any points are counted.
Part 2 of 4
Your experience, language and education
These are the federal rules IRCC applies to every rural pilot community.
Part 3 of 4
Ties to the community
These do not decide eligibility, but they decide where you rank in the pool. Sudbury publishes the lowest score it considered at each draw, not a fixed pass mark. In 2026 that figure has been 87 to 90, and 79 is the minimum to enter the pool at all. Ties at the lowest score go to the complete application received earliest.
Part 4 of 4
Settlement funds
IRCC needs proof you can support your family on arrival, unless you already work in Canada.
2026 priority occupations, sector points and caps
The community sets 6 priority sectors and a list of occupations inside them. The sector comes first: a priority occupation with an employer outside a priority sector is not eligible. The community publishes no wage floor of its own. The federal rule applies: the wage must meet or exceed Job Bank's minimum wage for the occupation in the Sudbury region. Job-offer points are the sector value plus the occupation value, capped at 25.
- Health (15)
- Trades and Transport (15)
- Natural Resources and Agriculture (15)
- Natural and Applied Sciences (10)
- Education, Social, Community and Government Services (10)
- Business, Finance and Administration (10)
Excluded: Consulates, and businesses that recruit workers to place them with other businesses; A business the candidate or their spouse or partner owns or controls, and a business owned by an immigration representative; Employers not in continuous operation under the same management for two years inside the boundary, or with less than 75 percent of the work performed inside it.
| NOC | Occupation | TEER | NOC points | 2026 status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42202 | Early childhood educators and assistants | 2 | +12 | OpenThe grid scores registered early childhood educators at 12 and early childhood educator assistants, under the same code, at 0. This calculator applies 12; score yourself at 0 if you are an assistant. |
| 21330 | Mining engineers | 1 | +10 | Open |
| 22100 | Chemical technologists and technicians | 2 | +10 | Open |
| 22300 | Civil engineering technologists and technicians | 2 | +10 | Open |
| 22301 | Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians | 2 | +10 | Open |
| 22303 | Construction estimators | 2 | +10 | Open |
| 22310 | Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians | 2 | +10 | Open |
| 31102 | General practitioners and family physicians | 1 | +10 | Open |
| 31301 | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 1 | +10 | Open |
| 32101 | Licensed practical nurses | 2 | +10 | OpenThe community grid names this code as registered practical nurses. |
| 42201 | Social and community service workers | 2 | +10 | Open |
| 42203 | Instructors of persons with disabilities | 2 | +10 | Open |
| 72106 | Welders and related machine operators | 2 | +10 | Open |
| 72400 | Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 2 | +10 | Open |
| 72401 | Heavy-duty equipment mechanics | 2 | +10 | Open |
| 72410 | Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers | 2 | +10 | Open |
| 32109 | Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment | 2 | +8 | OpenThe community grid names this code as rehabilitation assistants. |
| 70010 | Construction managers | 0 | +8 | Open |
| 72411 | Auto body collision, refinishing and glass technicians and damage repair estimators | 2 | +8 | Open |
| 73300 | Transport truck drivers | 3 | +2 | Open |
| 74203 | Automotive and heavy truck and equipment parts installers and servicers | 4 | +2 | Open |
| 33100 | Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants | 3 | +0 | Open |
| 33101 | Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations | 3 | +0 | Open |
| 33102 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 3 | +0 | OpenThe community grid names this code as personal care attendants. |
| 44101 | Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations | 4 | +0 | Open |
Sudbury's 2026 list is the eligibility list: the job must be in a listed occupation. The one opening is the Business, Finance and Administration sector, which has no listed occupations but where the community says candidates may be considered in limited circumstances once the employer is designated and has spoken to program staff. Such a file scores 10 job-offer points and still has to reach 79. Source: community 2026 priorities and scoring grid.
2026 intakes and cutoff scores
Your employer can only file during an intake. Sudbury publishes the lowest score it considered at each draw, not a fixed pass mark. In 2026 that figure has been 87 to 90, and 79 is the minimum to enter the pool at all. Ties at the lowest score go to the complete application received earliest. The community had 525 recommendations for 2026 and had issued 392 across the first six 2026 intakes, to August 28, 2026.
| Intake | Applications accepted | Decision | Cutoff score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intake 166 candidates recommended. Lowest score considered 88. | February 17, 2026 to February 20, 2026 | To be announced | 88 |
| Intake 265 candidates recommended. Lowest score considered 87. | March 23, 2026 to March 27, 2026 | To be announced | 87 |
| Intake 365 candidates recommended. Lowest score considered 87. | April 27, 2026 to May 1, 2026 | To be announced | 87 |
| Intake 467 candidates recommended. Lowest score considered 88. | June 1, 2026 to June 5, 2026 | To be announced | 88 |
| Intake 559 candidates recommended. Lowest score considered 89. | July 6, 2026 to July 10, 2026 | To be announced | 89 |
| Intake 670 candidates recommended. Lowest score considered 90. | August 24, 2026 to August 28, 2026 | To be announced | 90 |
| Intake 7NextEmployers had to submit a complete designation application by August 31 to take part. | September 28, 2026 to October 2, 2026 | To be announced | Not published |
| Intake 8The last 2026 intake. Employers must submit a complete designation application by October 6 to take part. | November 2, 2026 to November 6, 2026 | To be announced | Not published |
A recommendation is valid for 6 months. No per-employer cap on candidate applications is published. The community accepts at most 15 new employer designation applications per intake window, in the order received, and a complete designation application must be submitted by the deadline shown for each intake. An employer supporting a worker who has been with them less than six months must show proof of recruitment efforts.
How the process works
Step 1
Check the federal rules
Work experience, language, education and funds are set by IRCC and do not change from community to community.
Step 2
Get a qualifying job offer
Full-time, permanent and non-seasonal, from a designated Sudbury employer, in one of the 25 listed occupations, at or above Job Bank’s minimum wage for the NOC in the Sudbury region. Score yourself on the community grid first: below 79 the file is not considered.
Step 3
Your employer files through the portal
Designated employers submit the employee recommendation application and documents through the City’s RCIP/FCIP portal during one of the eight intake windows. Employers must submit a complete designation application by each intake’s deadline, and at most 15 new designation applications are accepted per window.
Step 4
Ranking and the draw
Complete applications at 79 or above enter the ranked pool. After each intake the highest scores are assessed further, sometimes with an interview, and recommendation certificates go to the highest-scoring candidates who meet the Ministerial Instructions.
Step 5
Recommendation, then permanent residence
A recommendation is valid for six months and lets you apply to IRCC for permanent residence. The optional two-year RCIP work permit is available once the PR application is in. The community’s decisions are final and not subject to appeal.
Step 6
Settle in the community
Your employer and local settlement providers are expected to help. The community expects you to follow the plan in your statement of intent.
The federal rules behind the checks
IRCC sets these for every rural pilot community. The community adds its own sector, wage and points rules on top.
Work experience and TEER match
At least one year (1,560 hours) of related paid work in the last three years. The TEER of the job offer decides which TEERs of experience count.
| Job offer TEER 0 or 1 | Experience in TEER 0, 1, 2, 3 |
| Job offer TEER 2 | Experience in TEER 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Job offer TEER 3 or 4 | Experience in TEER 2, 3, 4 |
| Job offer TEER 5 | Experience in TEER 5, same five-digit NOC |
One exception: a year as a registered nurse or registered psychiatric nurse (NOC 31301) counts for a job offer as a nurse aide, orderly or patient service associate (NOC 33102) or as a home support worker or caregiver (NOC 44101).
Recent graduates of a public post-secondary institution inside the community can be exempt. They must have studied full-time for the whole program and received the credential no more than 18 months before applying for permanent residence. After a program of two years or more, they must have spent at least 16 of the last 24 months of study in the community; after a master’s or doctoral program shorter than two years, they must have been there for the whole program. The exemption scores 10 work-experience points here.
Language, education and funds
| TEER 0 or 1 job | CLB 6 in every ability |
| TEER 2 or 3 job | CLB 5 in every ability |
| TEER 4 or 5 job | CLB 4 in every ability |
Education: a Canadian secondary school diploma, or a foreign credential with an Educational Credential Assessment under five years old. Funds: not required if you already work in Canada on a valid work permit. Otherwise:
1: $10,507, 2: $13,080, 3: $16,080, 4: $19,524, 5: $22,143, 6: $24,975, 7: $27,806, then $2,831 per extra family member.
Greater Sudbury designated employers
Only an employer the community has designated can make an RCIP job offer in the Greater Sudbury area. Designation means the employer may take part. It does not mean the employer is hiring. The community's list names 347 employers on its RCIP list as of October 1, 2026.
For employers in Greater Sudbury and the surrounding area
The employer files the application. We help you get designated and file it right.
Designation, the job offer form, the recruitment record, the recommendation package and the worker’s permanent residence application, all timed to the intakes.
Common questions about the Greater Sudbury pilot
How does the Sudbury RCIP scoring grid work?
Five factors, 25 points each, 125 in total: the job offer (the employer’s sector, 10 or 15 points, plus the occupation’s own value, 0 to 12, capped at 25), work experience, language, education, and ties to the community (a genuine statement of intent for 10 plus up to 15 bonus points). The calculator on this page applies the community’s 2026 grid to your answers.
What score do I really need?
Two numbers. You need at least 79 points for your application to enter the pool at all; the community says files below 79 will not be considered. Then the pool is ranked and the highest scores are recommended after each intake. In the six 2026 draws published so far the lowest score considered was 88, 87, 87, 88, 89 and 90. Treat the last few cutoffs as the working target.
My job is not on the 2026 list. Am I eligible?
In general, no. The job offer has to be in one of the 25 listed occupations. The exception the community describes is the Business, Finance and Administration sector, which has no listed occupations but where candidates may be considered in limited circumstances after the employer is designated and has spoken to program staff. Such a file scores only 10 job-offer points, so it would need strong human capital to reach 79.
Can I apply from outside Canada, or on visitor status?
Applications from outside Canada are accepted if the employer, the job and you meet the rules, and the employer must help secure housing and provide a settlement plan before the recommendation is finalized. Candidates on visitor status, or without valid status in Canada, are not eligible. Candidates on maintained status must show the work permit application they are relying on and that they qualify for it.
I am a new graduate. When can my employer apply?
Only after you have started working for the designated employer. To use the work experience exemption you need the diploma from a post-secondary program of two years or longer, the official transcript, and proof that you applied for a post-graduation work permit. The exemption scores 10 work-experience points.
Which family members count for the connection points?
In Sudbury, parents, siblings or children only, aged 18 or over, who are permanent residents or citizens and have lived in the community for at least twelve months. That is narrower than some communities. Volunteering for three months with a local organization (one reference letter, not from a religious organization) and renting or owning a home in the community each score 2 more; a spouse with six months of local work or study scores 3.
How long does the process take, and how long is the recommendation valid?
Intakes run about one week, roughly every five to six weeks, and the draw follows each one. Applications not selected stay in the pool for up to six months and are considered at every draw in that time. A recommendation lets you apply to IRCC for permanent residence, and for the optional two-year work permit once that application is in.
Can I work while IRCC processes my permanent residence application?
Yes, through the optional RCIP work permit. It is employer-specific, valid for two years, and needs the recommendation, the job offer, and proof that you have already applied for permanent residence. Your spouse or partner can get an open work permit limited to the same community.
Read next
- Which jobs qualify for the Sudbury RCIP in 2026? The 25 occupations and what each scores
- Does my job count? How to find your NOC and TEER (the matching rule is the same for the RCIP, which accepts TEER 0 to 5)
- Which English or French test to take (the RCIP accepts the same five tests, at CLB 4 to 6 by TEER)
Last reviewed by Cancord Immigration Services Inc.: October 2026. Reviewed against the City of Greater Sudbury's interactive 2026 scoring grid, its RCIP and FCIP, candidate and employer pages, its February 2026 allocation announcement, and the Canada.ca eligibility pages for the Rural Community Immigration Pilot. The City of Greater Sudbury's Economic Development division delivers the pilot, funded by FedNor, the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation and the City. The same office runs the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot, which has its own list and is first come, first served. Boundary: The City of Greater Sudbury and the surrounding area shown on the community's boundary map, which runs north to Gogama and south to the French River and Killarney. Confirm a specific address with the program office.
Other communities in the pilot: North Okanagan-Shuswap, West Kootenay, Peace Liard.
A Job Offer Is Only the Start
We check the offer against the community and federal rules, build the file before the intake opens, and handle the permanent residence application after the recommendation.