RCIP in Sudbury, Ontario: How the Community Recommendation Works

Sudbury is the largest RCIP community in Ontario by volume — 461 candidates recommended in the first seven intakes of 2026 — and the most competitive: the lowest score selected in any 2026 intake was 87, and since September 28, 2026, candidates need at least 79 points just to enter the pool. It is also one of two Ontario communities that runs the separate Francophone Community Immigration Pilot alongside RCIP, with its own occupation list. This post covers RCIP only, and explains the whole process as the City of Greater Sudbury publishes it.

Sources: Sudbury RCIP/FCIP — official site · Candidates · Employers · RCIP scoring grid

The community and the program

The programs are delivered by the City of Greater Sudbury’s Economic Development division (Invest Sudbury), funded by FedNor, the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation and the City. Contact: immigration@greatersudbury.ca, 705-674-4455 / 1-866-451-8525. Community Selection Committees approve designated employers and identify priority sectors and occupations. Applications go through the portal at greatersudbury.smapply.io.

Priority sectors — six for 2026

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

Note: the scoring grid’s sector table names Business, Finance and Admin where the main page names Manufacturing and Utilities. Check the live grid when scoring your file.

Priority occupations — all 25 NOCs

NOC	Occupation	Grid points
21330	Mining engineers	10
22100	Chemical technologists and technicians	10
22300	Civil engineering technologists and technicians	10
22301	Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians	10
22303	Construction estimators	10
22310	Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians	10
31102	General practitioners and family physicians	10
31301	Registered nurses	10
32101	Licensed practical nurses	10
32109	Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment (rehabilitation assistants)	8
33102	Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (personal care attendants)	0
33100	Dental assistants	0
33101	Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations	0
42201	Social and community service workers	10
42202	Early childhood educators and assistants (registered ECEs)	12
42202	Early childhood educator assistants	0
42203	Instructors of persons with disabilities	10
44101	Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations	0
70010	Construction managers	8
72106	Welders and related machine operators	10
72401	Heavy-duty equipment mechanics	10
72410	Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers	10
72411	Auto body collision, refinishing and glass technicians and damage repair estimators	8
72400	Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics	10
73300	Transport truck drivers	2
74203	Automotive and heavy truck and equipment parts installers and servicers	2

Sales and service is not a priority sector in 2026.

Scoring — minimum 79 points since September 28, 2026

Effective September 28, 2026, all RCIP candidates must meet a minimum score of 79 points. Candidates with 79 points and above remain in the pool for 6 months; candidates scoring below 79 will not be considered. If not selected within 6 months, the employer can reapply in a future intake.

The grid totals 125 points maximum:

• Job offer, maximum 25 points — priority sector (10 or 15) plus priority occupation (0 to 12, per the table above). Sector points in the grid: Health 15, Natural Resources and Agriculture 15, Trades and Transport 15; Business, Finance and Admin, Education, Social, Community and Government Services, and Natural and Applied Sciences 10 each.
• Work experience or international graduate exemption, 10–25 points — 1 year = 10, 2 years = 15, 3 years = 20, 4 years = 25; international-graduate exemption = 10.
• Language proficiency, 10–25 points by TEER and CLB/NCLC band. IELTS One Skill Retakes are not accepted.
• 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.
• Bonus points, up to 15 — previously worked or studied in the community (2–6 points), a close family member aged 18 or older who is a permanent resident or citizen (2), volunteering or community involvement (2), renting or owning property (2), and a spouse or common-law partner with at least 6 months of work or study experience (3).

How competitive is it? The lowest score selected in the 2026 intakes was 87 (intakes 2 and 3), rising to 90 by intakes 6 and 7. In intakes 1–7, Sudbury recommended 461 RCIP candidates: 66, 65, 65, 67, 59, 70 and 69 per intake. The minimum of 79 gets you into the pool; the actual cut-off has run 87–90.

How the process works

Candidate steps — “Receive a Recommendation”:

1. Make sure you meet the federal eligibility requirements.
2. Obtain a full-time permanent job offer from a Designated Employer in one of the priority industries and occupations.
3. Make sure your job offer meets the federal requirements.
4. Provide your employer with the necessary documents to apply — your employer must submit the application for recommendation on your behalf.
5. If your application is selected, use the recommendation form to apply for permanent residence.
6. (Optional) If you require a temporary work permit while your PR application is being processed, follow the work-permit steps.

Only candidates who meet the federal and community requirements and have a recommendation application submitted by their designated employer during an intake period are considered. Candidates are ranked on their scores, and the highest-ranking candidates in each intake period are selected based on the number of recommendations available. Complete the RCIP program community scoring grid and submit it with the application.

Employer designation steps:

1. Make sure the employee’s job offer meets the RCIP and/or FCIP requirements.
2. Make sure the employee meets the federal requirements.
3. Submit an expression of interest to become a designated employer, via SurveyMonkey.
4. Wait for City staff to review and approve you to the next stage.
5. Complete and submit the Designated Employer Application that appears in your SurveyMonkey account.
6. Wait for approval from the City and the Community Selection Committee(s).
7. Complete the Employee Recommendation Application for each employee you would like to nominate.
8. Submit the Employee Recommendation Application during the intake periods.
9. (Optional) If the employee receives a recommendation and their work permit is near expiry, they will need to apply for an RCIP/FCIP-specific work permit.

Only complete applications submitted during intake periods are added to the nomination pool. That applies to new designated employer applications and employee recommendation applications alike.

Employer eligibility includes: a genuine business in continuous, active operation under the same management for two years within the community boundaries; carrying on business in at least one priority occupation with at least 75% of work performed within the community boundaries; completed free intercultural competency training and mandatory onboarding training; agreement to support settlement of each principal applicant and accompanying family members; no violations of employer-compliance rules under IRPA or IRPR, employment standards or occupational health and safety legislation; no outstanding penalties or charges with Municipal Planning & Building, and property taxes and water and sewer accounts current with no past-due balances. If recommending a candidate not yet located within the Sudbury boundaries, the employer must help secure housing before the recommendation is finalized and provide a settlement plan to City staff.

New maintained-status requirement (effective immediately): employers supporting applicants working under maintained status must provide additional information and supporting documentation to demonstrate they remain eligible to work in Canada. Maintained status alone, without additional supporting documentation, is not sufficient for a candidate to receive a community recommendation. Staff must be satisfied the candidate is legally authorized to work, that the maintained status is based on a work permit application submitted before their previous status expired, that they meet the eligibility requirements of the work-permit category they applied under, and that they satisfy the specific conditions supporting eligibility for that work permit.

Employer caps. A maximum of 15 new employer designation applications are accepted and processed per intake window. New designation applications are accepted starting the first calendar day of each month and close based on the deadlines below, or once the 15 applications have been processed.

Intake periods 2026 — Intake 8 ends today

Intake	Dates	Designation applications due
1	Feb 17–20	Nov 17, 2025
2	Mar 23–27	Mar 3, 2026
3	Apr 27–May 1	Apr 2, 2026
4	Jun 1–5	May 12, 2026
5	Jul 6–10	Jun 9, 2026
6	Aug 24–28	Jul 27, 2026
7	Sep 28–Oct 2	Aug 31, 2026
8	Nov 2–6	Oct 6, 2026

Intake 8 runs November 2–6, 2026 — it is open on its final day today. No 2027 intake schedule is published yet. The employer page notes that all intakes are reviewed after each intake period, and additional intakes may be provided depending on remaining allocation.

Designated employers

There is no separate standalone list file. The list is on the main program page itself, under the “Designated Employers” heading, with RCIP and FCIP tabs. The RCIP tab is a long list of hundreds of employers, including 3M Canada, A&A Auto Parts, African Community of Greater Sudbury, Anmar Mechanical, Atlas Copco, ATS Healthcare, Collège Boréal, Cambrian College, Health Sciences North, Laurentian University, the City of Greater Sudbury and Walmart.

FCIP — separate program, separate list

Sudbury also runs the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot, with its own six sectors (Business, Finance and Administration; Health; Education, Social, Community and Government Services; Arts, Culture, Recreation and Sport; Trades and Transport; Natural Resources and Agriculture) and its own 25 occupations. FCIP recommended 58 candidates in intakes 1–7 of 2026, and no minimum score is stated for FCIP. Do not mix the two programs’ lists — an occupation on the FCIP list is not automatically on the RCIP list.

What to do next

• Score your file honestly against the grid before an intake. The minimum is 79, but the real cut-off has been 87–90 — if you are near 79, strengthen language, education or intent-to-reside points first.
• Get the file complete before the intake window. Only complete applications submitted during intake periods enter the pool.
• If the candidate is on maintained status, prepare the extra documentation proving they remain authorized to work — maintained status alone is not enough.
• If the candidate is not yet living inside the boundaries, the employer must help secure housing and provide a settlement plan before the recommendation is finalized.
• Watch for the 2027 intake schedule — none is published yet, and Intake 8 (November 2–6) is the last one listed for 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What score do I need in Sudbury?
At least 79 points to enter the pool, effective September 28, 2026. But the lowest score actually selected in 2026 was 87, rising to 90 — plan for the cut-off, not the minimum.

Can I apply to the community directly?
No. Only a designated employer can submit a recommendation application, and only during an intake period.

How long do I stay in the pool?
Six months at 79 points or above. If you are not selected, the employer can reapply in a future intake.

I am on maintained status. Can I be recommended?
Only with additional documentation proving you remain legally authorized to work. Maintained status alone is not sufficient.

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

How VG Immigration Services can help

If Sudbury 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 maintained-status rules that apply to you, and prepare the PR application once a recommendation is in hand.