RCIP in Timmins, Ontario: How the Community Recommendation Works

Timmins is the employer-driven RCIP community: the employer does the applying, the candidate cannot apply alone, and the community runs monthly draws from a pool with a 79-point minimum and an earliest-submitted tie-break. Its last 2026 intake closed October 16, and no next intake date is published yet. This post explains the whole process as the Timmins Economic Development Corporation publishes it.

Sources: Timmins RCIP/FCIP — official site · Community Scoring Grid (PDF) · Draw Statistics (PDF) · Designated Employer List (PDF)

The community and the program

Timmins and the surrounding region were selected as one of 18 communities across Canada to participate in the Rural and Francophone Community Immigration Pilots. The Timmins Regional RCIP-FCIP is employer-driven, instead of candidate-led. Program questions: immigration@timmins.ca; toll free 1-877-470-TEDC (8332); employer/designation questions: rcip-fcip@timmins.ca or 705-360-2656. Use of an immigration representative is not required and does not affect an applicant’s chance of success.

Priority sectors — five for 2026

• Health
• Education and Social, Community and Government Services
• Trades and Transport
• Natural Resources and Agriculture
• Manufacturing and Utilities

Only employers doing business in at least one priority occupation and sector are eligible, and all recommendations are subject to committee review and final approval.

Priority occupations — all 25 NOCs

* Specific education or credential is required.

June 18, 2026 updates: a degree or diploma in accounting or bookkeeping is required under NOC 12200; NOC 12111 (Health Information Management Occupations) and NOC 13110 (Administrative Assistants) were removed from RCIP; NOC 74200 and NOC 85103 were added, from the June 2026 intake onward. Occupations not on the list may, at the program’s discretion, be considered — contact rcip-fcip@timmins.ca.

Scoring — minimum 79 points, maximum 125

Minimum score: 79 points for RCIP, 50 for FCIP to enter the Candidate Pool. The linked June 2026 grid PDF states a 50-point baseline; the current web page and the July 30, 2026 update use 79 as the RCIP pool-entry minimum — use 79 for RCIP. Maximum 125 points (5 factors × 25).

• Job offer, maximum 25 points — priority sector (Health 10; Education and Social, Community and Government Services 10; Trades and Transport 15; Natural Resources and Agriculture 15; Manufacturing and Utilities 15) plus priority occupation (5–10 points per NOC, e.g. 12200 = 5, 21330 = 8, 22101 = 5, 31301 = 10, 32101 = 10, 32104 = 8, 33101 = 5, 33102 = 7, 42201 = 8, 42202 = 8, 44101 = 8, 72100 = 8). If the job-offer occupation is not listed, no occupation points are given — sector points still apply.
• Work experience, 10–25 points — 1 year = 10, 2 years = 15, 3 years = 20, 4 or more years = 25. International graduates may instead claim 10 points under the exemption, and cannot combine it with work-experience points.
• Language, 10–25 points by TEER and CLB (e.g. TEER 4/5: CLB 4 = 10, 5 = 15, 6 = 20, 7+ = 25; TEER 2/3: CLB 5 = 10, 6 = 15, 7 = 20, 8+ = 25; TEER 0/1: CLB 6 = 10, 7 = 15, 8 = 20, 9+ = 25; FCIP French NCLC 5 = 10, 6 = 15, 7 = 20, 8+ = 25).
• Education, 10–25 points — secondary = 10, post-secondary of at least 1 year = 15, bachelor’s of at least 3 years = 20, Master’s or PhD = 25.
• Intent to reside, 10 points — a genuine written statement, plus bonus points: previous work or study in the community 1 year = 2, 2 years = 4, 3 or more years = 6; close family (PR or citizen, living in the community at least 12 months) = 2; volunteering or community-group involvement of at least 3 months = 2; currently renting or owning property in the community = 2; spouse or common-law partner with work or study experience in the community (at least 6 months) = 3. Sufficient proof must be provided to receive points.

How competitive is it? The lowest-ranked RCIP scores in the 2026 draws: March 24 — 86; April 20 — 85; May 20 — 84; June 17 — 83; July 16 — 82; October 6 — 85 (tie-break August 10, 2026, 9:19 AM). The minimum is 79, but the cut-off has run 82–86. Candidates already in the pool with scores below 79 continue to be considered for the next two draws, and all candidates must use the updated grid.

How the process works

Employer steps:

1. Become a Designated Employer. Apply online via the “Become a Designated Employer” link, read the Employer Guide to Designation, and check the designated employer list. Designation is for the duration of the pilot and is issued only once; it can be revoked for misrepresentation, failure to meet criteria, or failure to comply with a program requirement.
2. Determine eligibility. The employer must have been in business in the community for at least two years; have at least 75% of work performed inside the community boundaries; have employees in the Timmins Regional RCIP-FCIP boundary; be in good standing with federal, provincial and territorial laws and the ESA, OHSA and related regulations, including no findings of non-compliance in the last 12 months; and offer training to HR and management staff on the program, plus training on diversity, inclusivity and/or intercultural sensitivity. Not eligible: pawnbrokers or payday lenders, businesses connected to adult entertainment, and businesses or individuals not in good standing. There is no cost to become designated, and designation applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. After applying, employers contact the coordinator at rcip-fcip@timmins.ca or 705-360-2656 for mandatory online training — a certificate is issued on completion — and submit signed training certificates to rcip-fcip@timmins.ca.
3. Hire a candidate. The job must be permanent, full-time, non-seasonal work in the Timmins Regional RCIP-FCIP boundary, with the wage within the range for the occupation, the job offer approved by the economic development office, compliance with the Canada Labour Code and OHSA, and the job in a priority occupation. Offers in non-priority occupations may be eligible in certain cases — discuss with program staff. Also verify the candidate is eligible for RCIP, review IRCC’s processing times, and meet the Social Services criteria.
4. Submit the application. The employer submits a complete Candidate Application Form, with signed consent and supporting documents, during an intake period — applications submitted outside the intake period are not accepted. Documents go to rcip-fcip@timmins.ca. The candidate is assessed against the Community Scoring Grid; if the score does not meet the minimum, they are not accepted into the Candidate Pool.
5. Candidate Pool. Candidates meeting the minimum (79 RCIP; 50 FCIP) enter the pool for monthly draws. Each month the Selection Committee selects the highest-scoring candidates within available Ministerial Instructions, reviews applications, and may invite candidates to an interview before community recommendation. Tie-break: the earliest-submitted application. Applications remain in the pool for up to six months; after that they must be resubmitted during a new intake.
6. Community recommendation. If selected, a community recommendation is issued; the employer and candidate are notified within two weeks of the draw; the Selection Committee’s decision is final. A recommendation is valid for six months — note that this is the community’s pilot-era policy; under the permanent regulations, certificates are valid 12 months. The regulations govern. A recommendation does not guarantee permanent residence — IRCC makes the final decision.
7. (Optional) Work permit — if the candidate needs a temporary work permit while their PR application is processed at IRCC, the steps are on the IRCC link in this step.

Candidate steps:

1. Who can apply. Candidates must meet IRCC federal eligibility (work experience, education, language proficiency). Candidates on a Visitor Permit — or with no valid status — are not eligible to apply.
2. Obtain a job offer. Start by reviewing the Designated Employer List, then secure a job offer from a designated employer that meets the program criteria (priority occupation and sector, full-time, non-seasonal, permanent, in the community, wage in range). Employers may be offering positions via Job Bank, Indeed or their career pages.
3. Submit the application. Only applications submitted during posted intake periods are accepted. The employer submits the Candidate Application Form, signed consent and documentation to rcip-fcip@timmins.ca. First, ensure the candidate meets the minimum score (79 RCIP, 50 FCIP) using the Community Scoring Grid sheet, confirm all requirements are met, and use the Application Document Checklist.
4. Candidate Pool — as in employer step 5 above.
5. Community recommendation — if selected, the candidate receives a community recommendation; status is sent by email after the monthly draw; documents are issued by the Timmins Economic Development Corporation; the certificate is valid for six months.
6. Apply for permanent residence under the IRCC guidelines (PR processing times and costs, proof of funds).
7. (Optional) Work permit — if a temporary work permit is needed while PR is being processed.

Intake dates 2026 — no future RCIP intake published

There is no September RCIP intake, and no RCIP intake after October 16, 2026 is listed. As of November 6, 2026, both post-August RCIP intakes (August 10–13 and October 13–16) have closed and no future RCIP intake date is published. (For contrast, FCIP lists September 21–25 and October 26–30.) On July 30, 2026 the program stated that all previously scheduled intake periods were cancelled and the new intake dates are listed under Employer Step 4 and Candidate Step 3 — watch those steps for the next RCIP date.

Employer caps

From the August 2026 intake: each designated employer in RCIP may submit a maximum of four applications per intake, and only one application per candidate in each intake period. Duplicate applications for the same candidate result in the application not being placed in the Candidate Pool. If a designated employer submits more than four applications in a single intake period, all applications from that employer are rejected. Per year: each designated employer participating in RCIP is permitted a maximum of five recommendations in 2026 (FCIP: five recommendations for the year 2026). There is no overall intake cap — from August 2026, there is no limit on the number of RCIP applications accepted during each intake period; applications continue to be accepted until the scheduled intake closing date and time. The limit is per employer, not a first-come total.

Designated employers

The list is published as a 4-page PDF (October 2026), grouped by priority sector, with each employer’s legal business name and the pilot it is designated under (RCIP, FCIP or RCIP/FCIP). Some entries are marked “[not hiring]”.

Fees

No community fee is stated on the official page. There is no cost to become a designated employer, and the mandatory onboarding and intercultural training is free. IRCC permanent-residence fees are not listed on the community page — they are linked to IRCC.

What to do next

• Get the designated employer in place first — this program is employer-driven, and the employer applies, not the candidate.
• Score the file against the grid before an intake. The minimum is 79, but the real cut-off has been 82–86, and the tie-break is earliest submission — file early in the window.
• Watch Employer Step 4 and Candidate Step 3 on the official page for the next RCIP intake date — none is published as of November 6, 2026.
• Respect the employer caps: four applications per intake, five recommendations per employer in 2026. A fifth application in one intake gets all of the employer’s applications rejected.
• Do not apply on a visitor permit or with no valid status — that is not eligible in Timmins.

Frequently asked questions

What score do I need in Timmins? At least 79 points to enter the pool. The lowest score actually selected in 2026 was 82–86 — plan for the cut-off, not the minimum.

Can I apply to the community directly? No. The designated employer submits the application during an intake period.

How long do I stay in the pool? Up to six months. After that, the application must be resubmitted during a new intake.

I am on maintained status — can I be recommended? The Timmins page does not publish a maintained-status rule like Sudbury’s. Ask the program directly (rcip-fcip@timmins.ca) before filing.

Is there a community fee? No fee is stated on the official page, and designation is free.

Does a recommendation guarantee permanent residence? No. It unlocks the PR application; IRCC makes the final decision.

How VG Immigration Services can help

If Timmins is your community — or you are deciding between communities — book a consultation at vgis.ca or WhatsApp 416-578-9269. We score your file against the published grid before an intake, confirm the employer’s designation and the caps that apply to them, and prepare the PR application once a recommendation is in hand.