Maple News reports that the town of Claresholm, located in southern Alberta, has announced its designated priority sectors and occupations under the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP), a recently launched pathway to permanent residence aimed at addressing labour shortages in smaller Canadian communities.
As one of several participating rural communities, Claresholm will welcome skilled foreign workers who secure a job offer from a designated local employer. The town’s RCIP region extends within a 25-kilometre boundary encompassing the nearby communities of Granum and Stavely.
The RCIP is an employer-driven program. To qualify, candidates must have both an offer of employment in one of the eligible occupations and a formal endorsement from the community.
Claresholm has identified five key sectors as priorities for 2025: Agriculture, Health Care, Law & Education, Manufacturing & Utilities, and Sales & Services. Within these sectors, a variety of occupations have been listed, targeting areas where the community faces ongoing labour shortages. These include roles such as Registered Nurses (NOC 31301), Aircraft Mechanics (NOC 72404), Aerospace Engineers (NOC 21390), Carpenters (NOC 72310), Early Childhood Educators (NOC 42202), and Food Service Supervisors (NOC 62020), among many others.
Notably, the town has capped the annual allocations for the Sales and Services sector at five positions. In total, Claresholm has been granted 30 nomination slots for 2025. To manage this efficiently and avoid seasonal imbalances, officials plan to release three spots per month, with any remaining allocations distributed toward the end of the year.
Understanding the strategic importance of these sectors, the town has restricted employer designations under the RCIP to businesses operating within these five targeted industries. This ensures alignment between immigration efforts and regional economic development priorities.
This focused approach is expected to attract talent tailored to Claresholm’s specific workforce demands, while offering newcomers a viable path to permanent residence and integration into the local community.
Maple News will continue to monitor progress as the RCIP gains momentum and more communities join the initiative in the months ahead.