Move to Beautiful - Peace Liard, BC. RCIP Opens Doors to Permanent Residency in 2025
- Kanwarjit Singh Lall
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
What Is the Peace Liard RCIP?
RCIP stands for Rural Community Immigration Pilot—a special Canadian program designed to help small towns attract skilled workers and offer them a faster path to permanent residence (PR). In January 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) included the Peace Liard region (in Northeast BC) in this pilot to boost local economies and address worker shortages.

Which Cities are Included?
Here’s the full list of communities in the Peace Liard area:
Fort St. John
Dawson Creek
Chetwynd
Tumbler Ridge
Taylor
Pouce Coupe
Hudson’s Hope
Fort Nelson
Plus, many of the surrounding rural areas within the Peace River Regional District and the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality
What Are the Priority sectors?
For 2025, Peace Liard selected five key sectors where employers can hire under this program:
1. Natural Resources & Agriculture
2. Natural & Applied Sciences
3. Education, Law & Social/Community/Government Services
4. Sales & Service
5. Trades & Transport
This means they’ve identified these five areas as having the biggest needs and best chances for skilled immigrants.
What Are the Priority Occupations?
Within those five sectors, they named 25 specific jobs—each with a NOC code. Here’s the list:
Occupation | NOC Code |
Accommodation Service Managers | 60031 |
Accounting Technicians & Bookkeepers | 12200 |
Administrative Officers | 13100 |
Air Pilots, Flight Engineers & Flying Instructors | 72600 |
Cashiers | 65100 |
Cleaning Supervisors | 62024 |
Computer Network & Web Technicians | 22220 |
Construction Millwrights & Industrial Mechanics | 72400 |
Cooks | 63200 |
Early Childhood Educators & Assistants | 42202 |
Elementary & Secondary Teacher Assistants | 43100 |
Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers & Related Support | 65201 |
Food Service Supervisors | 62020 |
Food & Beverage Servers | 65200 |
General Office Support Workers | 14100 |
Heavy Equipment Operators | 73400 |
Heavy‑Duty Equipment Mechanics | 72401 |
Hotel Front Desk Clerks | 64314 |
Light Duty Cleaners | 65310 |
Pharmacy Technical & Pharmacy Assistants | 33103 |
Restaurant & Food Service Managers | 60030 |
Service Station Attendants | 65101 |
Social & Community Service Workers | 42201 |
Store Shelf Stockers & Order Fillers | 65102 |
That full list of 25 jobs is exactly what Peace Liard published for 2025
Why Does It Matter?
Employers in these towns can apply to become “designated.” Once designated, they can offer full-time, permanent jobs in those listed occupations.
Workers with those job offers can apply for community endorsement and then permanent residence—even a work permit while their PR application is being processed
To qualify, workers need:
At least 1 year (1,560 hrs) of related work in the last 3 years (or meet the graduate exemption)
Required language skills and educational credentials
Enough settlement funds
A full-time, permanent job offer in one of the priority occupations
In Simple Terms
Peace Liard, a cluster of small towns in Northeast BC, is part of Canada’s Rural Community Immigration Pilot as of early 2025.
It's focusing on five sectors and 25 specific jobs facing worker shortages.
If you land a full-time permanent job in one of those jobs — from a designated employer in one of those towns — you can get community support and apply for Canadian permanent residence.
It's a win-win: towns get the workers they need, and newcomers get a smoother PR process without having to compete in big cities.
Your Checklist if You’re Interested
Confirm the employer is designated in Peace Liard.
Ensure the job offer is in one of the 25 priority occupations.
Meet the experience, education, and language requirements.
Apply for community endorsement, then apply to IRCC for permanent residence (or a work permit while you wait).
Final Thought
The Peace Liard RCIP is a powerful opportunity for skilled workers ready to call rural BC home—especially in jobs that communities really need. It’s about building local growth and giving newcomers a straightforward path to settle in Canada.
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