Canada don make one rural immigration pilot programme permanent, and e go open 5,500 permanent residence spaces for skilled foreign workers, including applicants from Nigeria, Cameroon and North African countries. Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announce the decision on November 9, and confirm say the Rural Community Immigration Pilot go now be permanent programme wey dem call Rural Community Immigration Program.
The programme go open on January 1, 2027. Under Canada 2027 immigration plan, 5,500 permanent residence admission spaces dey for the programme. The aim na to help smaller communities outside big cities find workers for places where employers dey struggle to recruit locally.
Sean Fraser, Canada Minister of Justice and Attorney General, talk about Pictou County. He say the programme dey help businesses for the area keep workers wey dem need, while newcomers fit settle, join the community and build their lives there. Buckley Belanger, Canada Secretary of State for Rural Development, also say the permanent programme go help rural, northern and remote communities deal with labour shortages, especially when Canadian workers no dey available locally.
The pathway open to qualified applicants from different countries and e no reserve places for particular nationalities. But applicants must get qualifying job offer and meet work experience, language, education and other immigration rules. Dem need job offer from designated employer and recommendation from participating community. Dem also need at least one year relevant work experience in previous three years, meet language requirements, hold eligible educational qualification and show say dem get enough settlement funds. The rural programme dey led by employers and communities, no be general points-based selection system.
The programme go continue for 14 communities across six provinces, including Pictou County, North Bay, Sudbury, Timmins, Thunder Bay, Brandon and Moose Jaw. Canada plan to add more communities, but eligibility criteria for the new ones go come later.
African countries don dey take growing share of Canada economic immigration. For 2025, Cameroon rank second among source countries with 21,320 admissions. Nigeria follow in fourth place with 12,210, while Algeria record 6,595, Morocco 5,895 and Tunisia 4,810. French-language selection help drive the trend; Cameroon alone account for 11,940 French-speaking permanent residents admitted outside Quebec, na 40% of that category. Four of the five leading source countries na African countries. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada attribute the growing African share to selection rounds wey target French-language skills and work experience in specific occupations.
The rural programme join Canada wider immigration plan. The latest federal budget and Immigration Levels Plan talk about welcoming up to 622,000 new permanent residents by end of 2027. The 2027 Immigration Levels Plan set top-of-range target of 422,000 for incoming permanent residence admissions, and up to 200,000 in-Canada temporary residents go transition to permanent residence by end of 2027. Budget 2026 also announce say Canada go grant permanent residency to 380,000 people and temporary residency to 370,000 every year for next three years.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticise the plan, saying Canada no fit absorb that many new people. He speak in Brampton, Ont., and argue say the numbers pass capacity when jobs, health care and housing dey scarce. Prime Minister Mark Carney defend the plan, say the levels dey in line with sustainable immigration and say im government don take back control of immigration.
