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Move to Beautiful - Peace Liard, BC. RCIP Opens Doors to Permanent Residency in 2025

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.

peace liard

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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