Rural Community Immigration Pilot, British Columbia
West Kootenay RCIP: Eligibility Check and Points Calculator
Nelson, Castlegar, Trail, Rossland, Grand Forks, the Creston Valley and the rest of the West Kootenay region. Built from the community's 2026 scoring grid, with the sector points, NOC bonuses, caps and the 10-point minimum per factor that decide who gets assessed.
- Built from the community's 2026 scoring grid
- Last verified October 2026
- Built by a licensed RCIC
- Maximum points
- 125
- Pool floor
- 50
- At least 10 in each factor
- Last published cutoff
- 91
- June 2026
- Next intake window
- None scheduled
- See the intake notes below
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
The statement of intent is mandatory and carries the 10-point minimum for this factor. The rest decides where you rank. West Kootenay publishes the lowest score it assessed, not the lowest score it recommended. Recommended files in June 2026 scored 91 or higher. For September, staff are reviewing preliminary scores of 93 or more, which the community says is not a final cut-off.
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. Every job offer must pay at least $21.00 an hour or the Job Bank minimum wage for the occupation, whichever is higher. Job-offer points are the sector value plus the occupation value, capped at 25.
- Business, finance and administration (15)
- Health (20)
- Education, law and social, community and government services (20)
- Sales and service (10)
- Trades, transport and equipment operators (20)
- Manufacturing and utilities (15)
Excluded: Fast food (franchise chains and other quick-service or counter-service businesses, including convenience stores that sell hot or pre-prepared food); Gas stations, even if they sell food, unless the location includes a distinct, full-service grocery store; Law firms; Private households (for home support workers).
| NOC | Occupation | TEER | NOC points | 2026 status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11100 | Financial auditors and accountants | 1 | +10 | New for 2026 |
| 12200 | Accounting technicians and bookkeepers | 2 | +5 | Open |
| 13110 | Administrative assistants | 3 | +5 | New for 2026 |
| 31301 | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 1 | +5 | Open |
| 32101 | Licensed practical nurses | 2 | +5 | Open |
| 33102 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 3 | +5 | OpenNo employer cap. Registered nurse experience (NOC 31301) also counts as related experience for this job. |
| 42201 | Social and community service workers | 2 | +5 | Open |
| 42202 | Early childhood educators and assistants | 2 | +5 | OpenNo employer cap. |
| 60020 | Retail and wholesale trade managers | 0 | +5 | New for 2026 |
| 60030 | Restaurant and food service managers | 0 | +5 | New for 2026; 5 percent of 2026 recommendations (about 10) |
| 62200 | Chefs | 2 | +5 | New for 2026 |
| 63100 | Insurance agents and brokers | 3 | +5 | New for 2026 |
| 72400 | Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 2 | +5 | New for 2026 |
| 72410 | Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers | 2 | +5 | New for 2026 |
| 73300 | Transport truck drivers | 3 | +5 | OpenAt least 75 percent of driving hours must be inside the region. |
| 94140 | Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing | 4 | +5 | New for 2026 |
| 44101 | Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations | 4 | +0 | New for 2026Private households are not eligible employers. Registered nurse experience (NOC 31301) also counts as related experience. |
| 63200 | Cooks | 3 | +0 | Open |
| 63202 | Bakers | 3 | +0 | Open |
| 64314 | Hotel front desk clerks | 4 | +0 | Open |
| 65200 | Food and beverage servers | 5 | +0 | 5 percent of 2026 recommendations (about 10)Work experience must be in the same NOC. |
| 73112 | Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) | 3 | +0 | Open |
| 75101 | Material handlers | 5 | +0 | OpenSpecific job titles only. Work experience must be in the same NOC. |
| 75110 | Construction trades helpers and labourers | 5 | +0 | New for 2026Work experience must be in the same NOC. |
| 95109 | Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities | 5 | +0 | OpenGeneral labourer titles. Work experience must be in the same NOC. |
Removed from the list for 2026: 14100 General office support workers; 41321 Career development practitioners and career counsellors; 65201 Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations; 65310 Light duty cleaners; 72310 Carpenters; 72401 Heavy-duty equipment mechanics; 75119 Other trades helpers and labourers.
A limited share of recommendations goes to secondary NOCs inside a priority sector. With no NOC points, the rest of the file has to be strong to compete. Source: community 2026 priorities and scoring grid.
2026 intakes and cutoff scores
Your employer can only file during an intake. West Kootenay publishes the lowest score it assessed, not the lowest score it recommended. Recommended files in June 2026 scored 91 or higher. For September, staff are reviewing preliminary scores of 93 or more, which the community says is not a final cut-off. The community had 200 recommendations for 2026 and had issued 123 after the June 2026 intake.
| Intake | Applications accepted | Decision | Cutoff score |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026 (monthly model)First-come, first-served, 25 applications a month. 53 recommendations had been issued by May 2026, when the community replaced the monthly model with two larger intakes. | April 7, 2026 | To be announced | Not published |
| June 2026Results announced July 13, 2026: 281 applications received, about 120 assessed, 70 recommended. 91 was the lowest score assessed, so every recommended file scored at least 91. | June 3, 2026 to June 8, 2026 | To be announced | 91 |
| September 2026259 new applications plus 108 from the June pool, 367 in all, for 77 recommendations, all to be used in this intake. Staff are reviewing files with a preliminary score of 93 or more and checking those at 91 or 92 in case verification lifts them to 93; the community says this is not a final cut-off. The Steering Committee then reviews the top 100. Files below 91 do not move forward and are not carried into 2027. | September 2, 2026 to September 7, 2026 | To be announced | Not published |
West Kootenay does not keep an application pool after the September 2026 intake. The next intake is in 2027, and its date, priorities, selection criteria and allocation have not been confirmed yet. Updates are posted on the community's website and emailed to designated employers. A recommendation is valid for 6 months. Employers with fewer than 50 staff can file two to three applications a year, larger employers four to six. Health care and child care employers are exempt.
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, at least 30 hours a week, permanent and non-seasonal, from a designated employer in a priority sector, with at least 75 percent of the duties inside the region and a wage of at least $21 an hour or the Job Bank minimum, whichever is higher.
Step 3
Your employer files during an intake
Two intakes remained in 2026, June and September, each open for about five days. The employer files the recommendation application with your documents and your signed intent to reside form.
Step 4
Scoring, ranking and committee review
Applications are scored on the 2026 grid, verified by staff and ranked. Only the top-ranked files go to the Steering Committee, which makes the final decision and can weigh community priorities alongside the score.
Step 5
Recommendation, then permanent residence
A community recommendation lets you apply to IRCC for permanent residence. It is valid for six months. The optional two-year RCIP work permit is available once the PR application is in.
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.
West Kootenay designated employers
Only an employer the community has designated can make an RCIP job offer in the West Kootenay. Designation means the employer may take part. It does not mean the employer is hiring. The community's list names 296 employers as of September 16, 2026.
The community asks candidates and immigration representatives not to contact these employers directly for a job offer unless a position has been publicly advertised.
For employers in Nelson, Castlegar, Trail and the region
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 West Kootenay pilot
How does the West Kootenay RCIP scoring grid work?
Five factors, 25 points each, 125 in total: the job offer (the employer's sector plus a bonus for listed occupations), work experience, language, education, and ties to the community. You need at least 10 in each factor and 50 overall to be assessed. The calculator on this page applies the 2026 grid to your answers.
How is the West Kootenay grid different from a category list?
The job offer is scored in two parts: the employer's sector (10, 15 or 20 points) plus a NOC bonus of 0, 5 or 10 for listed occupations, capped at 25. So a registered nurse at a health employer scores 25, while a cook at a restaurant scores 10. There is no wage bonus.
What score do I really need?
The floor is 50 points with at least 10 in each of the five factors. That only gets you assessed. In June 2026 the community received 281 applications, assessed about 120 and recommended 70, and the lowest score it assessed was 91. For the September intake, with 367 applications under consideration and 77 recommendations left, staff are reviewing files with a preliminary score of 93 or more and also checking those at 91 or 92; files below 91 do not move forward. The community says 93 is not a final cut-off. The next intake is in 2027.
Can I apply from outside Canada, or on visitor status?
Applications from outside Canada are accepted if the employer, the job and you meet every requirement. Candidates on visitor status are not eligible under the community's current process, and applicants on maintained status may face extra review.
What if my job is not on the 2026 list?
A designated employer in a priority sector can still file it as a secondary NOC. It earns sector points but no NOC bonus, the community limits secondary NOCs to a small share of recommendations, and it has to compete on the rest of the file.
Does the application stay in a pool if I am not selected?
For 2026, applications that were not approved in June stayed in the pool for the September intake. The community has said it will not keep a pool after the September 2026 intake, so a new application would be needed in 2027.
How many applications can my employer file?
Employers with fewer than 50 staff can file two to three applications a year and larger employers four to six. Health care and child care employers are exempt from the cap.
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.
What counts as a close family member for the connection points?
Siblings, parents, grandparents and adult children who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents and have lived in the community for at least twelve months.
Last reviewed by Cancord Immigration Services Inc.: October 2026. Reviewed against the community's 2026 scoring grid, its 2026 priorities and updates pages, and the Canada.ca eligibility pages for the Rural Community Immigration Pilot. Community Futures Central Kootenay delivers the pilot. The community lists Selkirk College, the Société de développement économique de la Colombie-Britannique, the Regional District of Central Kootenay and the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary as funding partners. Boundary: The West Kootenay region as defined by the community, which names the Creston Valley, the Slocan Valley and the Boundary among its areas. Confirm a specific address with the RCIP team.
Other communities in the pilot: North Okanagan-Shuswap, Peace Liard, Greater Sudbury.
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.