RCIP North Okanagan-Shuswap 2026 Priorities
Each community is allowed to select 6 (six) priority sectors to be eligible for RCIP this year. These sectors can be altered once per year throughout the duration of the pilot. The RCIP North Okanagan-Shuswap community has decided to prioritize the following six sectors:
Priority Sectors
Sectors/Industries | Sector Cap | Min Wage | |
| 1 | Business, Finance and Administration | N/A | $22 |
| 2 | Health | N/A | $22 |
| 3 | Education, Law and Social, Community and Government Services | N/A | $22 |
| 4 | Sales and Services | N/A | $22 |
| 5 | Trades and Transport | N/A | $22 |
| 6 | Manufacturing and Utilities | N/A | $22 |
These sectors are to be defined by the community and incorporate all NOC codes for businesses within these sectors. For example, if a business is understood to operate in a priority sector, then all of the NOC codes associated with that employer may be eligible. However, occupations listed as priority will receive additional focus and will account for the bulk of annual recommendations. Additionally, if a job offer is in a priority NOC code, it does not render eligibility to an employer who does not operate in a priority sector.
Priority NOC Codes
IRCC allows for RCIP communities to select 25 (twenty-five) NOC codes to prioritize. The NOC codes prioritized by the North Okanagan-Shuswap community are:
Priority NOCs
| NOC and Title | Cap per Employer | Wage per Hour | |
| 1 | 12200 – Accounting technicians and bookkeepers | N/A | $22 |
| 2 | 13100 – Administrative Officers | N/A | $24 |
| 3 | 13111 – Legal Administrative Assistant | N/A | $22 |
| 4 | 14200 – Accounting and related clerks | 1 per year | $22 |
| 5 | 21321 – Industrial and Manufacturing Engineers | N/A | $32 |
| 6 | 32124 – Pharmacy Technicians | N/A | $32 |
| 7 | 33100– Dental Assistant and Dental Laboratory Assistants | N/A | $29 |
| 8 | 33101– Medical Laboratory Assistants and Related Technical Occupations | N/A | $23 |
| 9 | 33102 – Nurse Aides, Orderlies, and Patient Service Associates | N/A | $23 |
| 10 | 42201 – Social and Community Service Workers | 10 per year | $22 |
| 11 | 42202– Early Childhood Educator and Assistants | N/A | $22 |
| 12 | 60030– Restaurant and Food Service Managers | 1 per year | $25 |
| 13 | 62010 – Retail Sales Supervisor | 1 per year | $22 |
| 14 | 62021– Executive Housekeepers | N/A | $25 |
| 15 | 63100 – Insurance Agents and Brokers | N/A | $22 |
| 16 | 63202– Bakers | 1 per year | $22 |
| 17 | 65310– Light Duty Cleaners | N/A | $22 |
| 18 | 72310 – Carpenters | N/A | $26 |
| 19 | 72402 – Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Mechanics | N/A | $30 |
| 20 | 72410 – Automotive Service Technicians, Truck and Bus Mechanics and Mechanical Repairers | N/A | $22 |
| 21 | 73300– Transport Truck Drivers | N/A | $22 |
| 22 | 75110– Construction Trades Helper | 2 per year | $22 |
| 23 | 90010– Manufacturing Managers | N/A | $35.54 |
| 24 | 94140 – Process Control and Machine Operators, Food and Beverage Processing | N/A | $22 |
| 25 | 94212– Plastic Products Assemblers, Finishers and Inspectors | N/A | $22 |
The Community reserves the right to further restrict businesses participation by installing applications caps on employers, caps on NOC codes, restricting sub-sections of industries, and banning certain NOC codes. It is in the sole discretion of the community to implement restrictions of this nature, and they may do so at any time.
Importance of Priority Sectors
When assessing eligibility, the industry/sector takes predominance. Only those who work in a priority sector have the opportunity to be recommended by the community. If someone works in a priority NOC code but not for an employer in a priority sector, then they are ineligible.
For example:
A candidate works as an accountant for a technology company. Although the candidate works in a priority NOC code, they do not work for an employer in a priority sector and thus they are ineligible.
Restrictions
Sub Sectors
The employers operating in the following subsectors are restricted from applying to the program and submitting applications for community recommendation:
| NAICS | Subsector |
| 722512 | Fast food (Limit-service eating places) |
| 4471 | Gasoline Stations |
NOC Restrictions
| NOC and Title | Restriction(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13100 – Administrative Officers | A degree or diploma in business or public administration is required. |
| 1 | 14200 – Accounting and Related Clerks | 1 per employer per year |
| 2 | 42201 – Social and Community Service Worker | – 10 per employer per year – Max of 50 for all employers in 2026 |
| 3 | 42202 – Early Childhood Educator and Assistants | ECEA applications will be considered as secondary NOC. |
| 4 | 60030 – Restaurant and Food Service Managers | – 1 per employer per year – Only 15 recommendations for 2026 |
| 5 | 62010 – Retail Sales Supervisor | – 1 per employer per year – Only 10 recommendations for 2026 |
| 6 | 62021 – Executive Housekeepers | 10 recommendations for 2026 |
| 7 | 63202 – Bakers | 1 per employer per year |
| 8 | 75110 – Construction Trades Helper | – 2 per employer per year – Only 15 recommendations for 2026 |
Pool/Point System
The North Okanagan-Shuswap RCIP program operates on a point and pool system similar to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and express entry system utilized by IRCC. Candidates who apply for community recommendation will be awarded points based on attributes of their application. Then, in accordance with community procedures, the highest scoring candidates of any given intake period will be presented to the committee for consideration. Those with the lowest scores in the pool may not be presented to the committee for many months however, this system ensures that the candidates with the attributes believed to be most inline with the community goals will be considered first. The maximum amount of points a candidate can achieve is 125 and only candidates who receive at least 50 points will be allowed into the pool.
Job Offer and Wage | |
| Job offer | Points |
| Category 1 | 20 |
| Accountants (12200) | |
| Legal Administrative Assistant (13111) | |
| Industrial and Manufacturing Engineers (21321) | |
| Pharmacy Technician (32124) | |
| Dental Assistant and Dental Laboratory Assistant (33100) | |
| Medical Laboratory Assistants (33101) | |
| Nurse Aide (33102) | |
| Community Support Worker (42201) | |
| Early Childhood Educator (42202) | |
| Category 2 | 15 |
| Accounting Clerk (14200) | |
| Insurance Agents and Brokers (63100) | |
| Carpenters (72310) | |
| Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanics (72402) | |
| Automotive Service Technicians (72410) | |
| Transport Truck Drivers (73300) | |
| Manufacturing Managers (90010) | |
| Process Control and Machine Operators, Food and Beverage Processing (94140) | |
| Category 3 | 10 |
| Administrative Officers (13100) | |
| Restaurant and Food Service Manager (60030) | |
| Retail Sales Supervisor (62010) | |
| Executive Housekeepers (62021) | |
| Executive Housekeepers (62021) | |
| Bakers (63202) | |
| Light Duty Cleaners (65310) | |
| Construction Trades Helper (75110) | |
| Plastic Products Assemblers, Finishers and Inspectors (94212) | |
| All Secondary NOC Codes | 10 |
| Wage | |
| Minimum wage required for the position | 0 |
| 2 dollars above the minimum required for the position | 3 |
| 5 dollars above the minimum required for the position | 5 |
Work Experience (Choose 1) | |
| 1 year of work experience | 10 |
| 2 years of work experience | 15 |
| 3 years of work experience | 20 |
| 4+ years of work experience | 25 |
Language (Choose 1 based on job offer) | |
| TEER 4/5 Job Offers | |
| CLB 4 | 10 |
| CLB 5 | 15 |
| CLB 6 | 20 |
| CLB 7 | 25 |
| TEER 2/3 Job Offers | |
| CLB 5 | 10 |
| CLB 6 | 15 |
| CLB 7 | 20 |
| CLB 8 or higher | 25 |
| TEER 0/1 Job Offers | |
| CLB 6 | 10 |
| CLB 7 | 15 |
| CLB 8 | 20 |
| CLB 9 or higher | 25 |
Education (Choose the highest eligible education) | |
| Canadian Secondary School or Equivalent ECA | 10 |
| Post Secondary Credential (Diploma, Certificate, etc.) | 15 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 20 |
| Master’s or PhD | 25 |
Intent to Reside | |
| Written Statement of Intent | 10 |
Previous Work Experience/Education in the Community | |
| One year | 2 |
| Two years | 4 |
| Three years | 6 |
Connections to the Community | |
| Close family member living in the community (at least 12 months) | 2 |
| Candidate has volunteering experience or professional network | 2 |
| Proof of rental/property ownership | 2 |
Candidate’s Spouse/Common-Law Partner | |
| Candidate’s spouse has 6 months of work experience in the community | 3 |
Additional Information
Priority NOC codes and sectors are determined by the RCIP North Okanagan-Shuswap team and can be reviewed at the end of each year. The priority sectors can be broadly defined and may include many different types of businesses. If you are an employer and you are not sure if your business falls under one of the priority sectors, please contact our team.
Designated employers have the option of applying to use what the RCIP Team calls “Secondary NOC codes”. These codes are only accessible to designated employers and are designed to allow for a small number of applications from non-priority NOC codes on a case by case basis. What this means is that if a designated employer finds themselves in a position where they need to use the program for a NOC code not listed as priority, they can submit a Secondary NOC code request to the RCIP team. This request will be reviewed by the RCIP team who will decide if the request is reasonable, genuine, and economically beneficial to the community. Some secondary NOC codes will come with additional restrictions as determined by the RCIP team. Designated employers who are interested in submitting an application under a secondary NOC code, please contact our team.