News Summary

The Ontario government has introduced the Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) pilot program to attract highly skilled immigrants to four rural and northern regions with high demand for skilled labor: Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, Sarnia-Lambton, and Thunder Bay. The program, running from January 2 to December 31, 2025, aims to support local economic growth by enabling employers to recruit up to 800 additional workers in sectors such as health care, technology, and skilled trades. The REDI pilot will be facilitated through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), granting each participating region 200 additional nominations through the OINP’s Employer Job Offer streams. Interested internationally trained workers with job offers from Ontario employers in these communities are encouraged to apply for permanent residency.