RCIP in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario: How the Community Recommendation Works

Sault Ste. Marie publishes something no other RCIP community does: a minimum wage for every single priority occupation. That makes its process unusually transparent — you can see exactly what the job must pay before you apply. It also runs one of the strictest recruitment tests in the program: if the candidate has not worked for the employer for at least six months, the employer must show ten weeks of local and Job Bank advertising. One timing fact first: the 2026 intake is effectively closed — the August 17–23 window was the last one for 2026. This post explains the whole process as the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation publishes it.

Sources: Sault Ste. Marie RCIP — official site · Employers and priority occupations · Designated employers

The community and the program

The program is run by the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation. Its site is welcometossm.com.

Priority sectors — six for 2026

• Health
• Education, Law and Social, Community and Government Services
• Business and Finance
• Trade, Transport and Equipment Operators
• Manufacturing and Utilities
• Sales and Services

The Natural and Applied Sciences sector was removed effective July 1, 2026, and Sales and Service was added in its place. For unlisted Sales and Service occupations, the community says it may be able to support applications on a limited basis until the applicable IRCC cap is reached, at most two applications per employer for that sector, and only while occupation-specific and overall caps remain. Eligibility in Sales and Service does not extend to fast food establishments, restaurant-based businesses or security companies.

Priority occupations — with the published wage for each

Health

NOC	Occupation	Wage
31102	General practitioners and family physicians	$84,266/year
31301	Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses	$31.00/hour
32101	Licensed practical nurses	$26.92/hour
33102	Personal support workers	$20.00/hour
33100	Dental assistants	$18.00/hour

Education, Law and Social, Community and Government Services

NOC	Occupation	Wage
42201	Social and community service workers	$20.00/hour
42202	Early childhood educators and assistants	$18.00/hour

Business and Finance

NOC	Occupation	Wage
11100	Financial auditors and accountants	$27.24/hour
13100	Administrative officers	$21.00/hour
11102	Financial advisors	$23.08/hour
22220	Computer network and web technicians	$29.00/hour
14200	Accounting and related clerks	$20.00/hour

Trades, Transport and Equipment Operators

NOC	Occupation	Wage
20010	Engineering managers	$46.71/hour
21321	Industrial and manufacturing engineers	$27.88/hour
22301	Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians	$26.80/hour
22310	Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians	$23.08/hour
72100	Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors	$20.00/hour
72400	Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics	$25.00/hour
72404	Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors	$25.61/hour
72410	Automotive service technicians	$19.00/hour
75119	Trade helpers and labourers — maximum 50 per year	$17.60/hour
73301	Transit operators	$17.60/hour

Manufacturing and Utilities

NOC	Occupation	Wage
94107	Production workers	$18.00/hour
93200	Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors	$19.23/hour
94219	Finishing line workers	$17.90/hour

Sales and Services: the employer page states “No occupations currently listed for this sector. Check back for updates” — despite the main page saying the sector was added July 1, 2026. The limited-basis route described above is the only path for Sales and Service occupations until the list is published.

How the process works — employer-led only

Only designated employers located in the boundary can send in a recommendation application. Once designated, the employer is listed on the website and given access to send in applications through the web portal.

Step 1 — Employer designation. The employer checks that its sector is on the 2026 list, then applies for designation by downloading and completing the “SSM-EN – RCIP Employer Designation Application Form” from the official site.

Step 2 — Training. The employer completes the two trainings: IRCC Employer Onboarding Training and Building Welcoming Workplaces / intercultural competency training.

Step 3 — The recruitment test. This is community-specific and strict: if the candidate has not worked for the company for at least 6 months, the city asks for proof of recruitment efforts — résumés collected, applicants interviewed, and the role posted on a local job board (Welcometossm, Sault Career Center or Soo Today) and Job Bank for 10 weeks.

Step 4 — Recommendation applications through the portal. The designated employer submits recommendation applications through the web portal during an intake window. Maximum 20 applications per employer per intake.

Step 5 — Processing. The city states it takes six weeks for processing once its office receives a complete application for a recommendation.

No scoring or ranking system is described on the Sault pages.

Intake status — 2026 is effectively closed

The portal opened August 17–23, 2026 for employers to send in new applications, and the August intake was the last intake for 2026. The 2026 windows were February 9–15, March 9–15, April 13–19, May 11–17 and August 17–23. A September 1, 2026 update says the city received another influx of applications during the last intake and that it will take several months to get through all of them. No 2027 intake dates are published yet.

Designated employers

The published list has more than 100 names, including Sault Area Hospital, Algoma Tubes Inc. (Tenaris Canada), Extendicare Mapleview, ParaMed, China Steel Inc., Boniferro Mill Works and TMS Truck Center Ltd. The page warns that not all employers listed are currently hiring — some are marked “(Not currently hiring)” or “(2025)” — and that designation does not mean an employer is guaranteed allocations under the pilot. Only employers in the selected sectors can send in applications for 2026. The site also warns never to pay anyone for a job offer.

Fees

No fee is stated on any Sault page fetched.

What to do next

• Check the wage table before anything else — the job must pay at least the published wage for the occupation.
• If the candidate is new to the employer, start the recruitment-evidence clock early: ten weeks of local job-board plus Job Bank advertising, with résumés and interviews to show for it.
• Do not plan on a 2026 intake — the August window was the last one. Watch for 2027 dates.
• If your occupation is in Sales and Service, the list is still empty — the limited-basis route (at most two applications per employer) is the only path, and fast food, restaurant-based businesses and security companies are excluded.
• Never pay anyone for a job offer.

Frequently asked questions

Does Sault Ste. Marie use a points system?
No scoring or ranking system is described on the official pages.

What wage must the job pay?
At least the wage published for the occupation on the official employer page — for example, $31.00 an hour for registered nurses and $20.00 an hour for personal support workers.

What if the candidate just started with the employer?
If the candidate has not worked for the company for at least six months, the employer must show recruitment efforts, including ten weeks of advertising on a local job board and Job Bank.

Is there a 2026 intake left?
No. The August 17–23 window was the last intake for 2026.

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

How VG Immigration Services can help

If Sault Ste. Marie is your community — or you are deciding between communities — book a consultation at vgis.ca or WhatsApp 416-578-9269. We check your occupation and wage against the published table, confirm the employer’s designation and recruitment evidence, and prepare the PR application once a recommendation is in hand.