Ontario is the most sought-after province in Canada as it is the center of the country’s economic, social, and political life. It is the most populous province in Canada, with approximately 40% of the Canadian population living in the province. In order to fulfill the labor market needs of Ontario, the province operates the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), which nominates potential immigrants who can contribute to the economic development of the province.
Ontario’s PNP/OINP has the following sub-categories that are designed to welcome immigrants with different backgrounds, like skilled workers, business immigrants, and graduates
If you have the skills and experience that Ontario employers need
These OINP streams focus on the applicant’s skills and experience and contribute to the economic development of the province.
These streams are aligned with IRCC’s Express Entry program. To apply, you should have an active profile in the Express Entry pool. These streams are:
If you have a Masters or PhD degree from an Ontario university
These streams targets recently graduated international students who have obtained a master’s or doctoral degree from an eligible university in Ontario.
If you have a job offer in Ontario
In this category, eligible employers in Ontario nominate immigrants and/or international students who have a valid job offer in the province.
If you are a foreign entrepreneur with a great business idea
The table below depicts the minimum eligibility criteria for Ontario PNP – Express Entry Streams:
Eligibility/ Stream | Human Capital Priority Stream | French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream | Skilled Trades Stream |
---|---|---|---|
Living in Ontario | Not Mandatory | Not Mandatory | Mandatory |
Active Express Entry Profile | Required Must have a profile under one of the following two federal programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) Canadian Experience Class (CEC) |
Required Must have a profile under one of the following two federal programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) Canadian Experience Class (CEC) |
Not Required |
Education | Must have education equivalent to Canadian Bachelor’s, Master’s or Ph.D. degree. | Must have education equivalent to Canadian Bachelor’s, Master’s or Ph.D. degree. | Not required |
Language Skills | CLB Level 7 or higher (either English or French Language Exam) | Primary Language: French (CLB Level 7 or higher) Secondary Language: English (CLB Level 6 or higher) |
CLB Level 5 or higher (either English or French Language Exam) |
Work Experience | For candidates with a profile in FSWP:
For candidates with a profile in CEC:
|
For candidates with a profile in FSWP:
For candidates with a profile in CEC:
|
|
Skill Level of Work Experience | Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the NOC | Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the NOC | In a skilled trade that is listed in Minor Group 633 or Major Groups 72, 73 or 82 |
Job offer | Not Required | Not Required | Not Required |
The following table will illustrate the basic criteria to be eligible under various categories under the Ontario PNP – Employer Job-offer category:
Stream/Category | Minimum Requirements | Job-offer Requirement |
---|---|---|
International Student | Graduated from a degree program at a Canadian education institution that is of minimum two years of duration, or a diploma, or a university that is a minimum one-year post-graduate certificate program | Yes |
Foreign Worker | A job offer in a skilled profession | Yes |
In-demand Skills | Recently worked in the province in a high demand occupation either in agriculture or construction-related industry | Yes |
The minimum eligibility requirements in Ontario to be eligible under the OINP’s Entrepreneur Stream are as follows:
Requirements | Conditions |
---|---|
Position/ Designation | Business owner or managerial position |
Minimum Experience | At-least 24 months in the last 60 months. |
Net Worth |
|
Personal Investment Funds/ Minimum Equity |
|
Job Creation |
|
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) Tech draw is a newly introduced pathway of the OINP under the Human Capital Priorities Stream that identifies candidates with technical skills from the Express Entry pool and invites them to apply for an Ontario provincial nomination and live and work in Ontario permanently.
Candidates must:
The list of targeted in-demand NOC codes for OINP Tech Draws is as follows:
The processing time of Ontario PNP or OINP streams depends on the number of applications submitted into the stream. The average processing time of each stream operated under the Ontario PNP or OINP is as follows:
OINP Stream | Estimated Processing Time |
---|---|
Ontario’s Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker | 90 - 120 Days |
Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities | 70 – 100 days |
Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades | 70 – 100 days |
Masters Graduate | 90 – 120 days |
Ph.D. Graduate | 90 – 120 days |
Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker | 90 – 120 days |
Employer Job Offer: International Student | 90 – 120 days |
Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills | 90 – 120 days |
Entrepreneur Stream | Expression of Interest (EOI) Assessment: Less than 30 days Applications: Depends on application complexity |
Candidates are required to scan and upload copies of the following mandatory documents with the application:
No, you can also apply for Ontario PNP without a job offer. Streams that accept applications without job offer letters are:
When deciding to immigrate to Ontario using the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), there are a number of streams from which to select. One person probably won’t be qualified for all of the streams, and that’s why it is important that you are aware of the stream you qualify for. Contact us so we can address all of your inquiries.
The average processing time for the applications submitted under the Human Capital category is 70-100 days, whereas for applications submitted under the Employer Job Offer category and International Student stream, it is 90-120 days.For the business category, the expression of interest (EOI) takes less than 30 days to process, but the application processing for nomination time depends on the complexity of the application.
Yes. Currently, all streams are available.
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