Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
Foreign workers, international students, business owners or entrepreneurs from outside of Canada can apply for permanent residence in Ontario.
OVERVIEW
The Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (OINP) allows certain categories of individuals to apply to a permanent residence nomination in Ontario. They include international students, foreign workers, entrepreneurs or business owners with the right education, experience, and skills. The program operated by the Ontario government partners with the federal government and done through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Things You Need to Know
The nominee program helps the Ontario government meet its development and economic needs. OINP divides the program into three categories. Each category is further divided into several streams.
Three Categories of OINP
Employer Job Offer
A permanent and full-time job offer is a prerequisite to qualify in this category. An Ontario employer should make the job offer. The streams under employer job offer category include:
• Foreign Worker Stream
The stream provides foreign workers an opportunity to get permanent residence in a skilled occupation. Foreign workers with skill level 0, A or B (National Occupational Classification (NOC)) get an opportunity to work and permanently reside in Canada under this stream.
The stream is open to foreign workers in and outside Canada. The online application for permanent residence should be made for nomination by the Ontario government.
The job offers made under this stream must be permanent and full-time. A minimum of 30 hours of paid work per week and a minimum of 1,560 hours a year means the job is full-time.
• International Student Stream
International students with a job offer in a skilled occupation (Skill Type 0 or Skill Levels A or B) get an opportunity to apply to work and live permanently in Ontario. The student stream is open to international students in and outside Canada.
• In-Demand Skills Stream
The in-demand skills stream offers foreign workers an opportunity to work and live permanently in Ontario. Foreign workers should have a job offer in specific occupations (personal support work, trucking, construction, and agriculture) that are in demand.
Human Capital
The two streams of the human capital category include.
• International Graduates Stream
• Ontario’s Express Entry Stream
International Graduates Stream
If you want to qualify under the Master’s graduate or Ph.D. graduate stream, you will need a graduate degree. The graduate degree should from an eligible Ontario university. You will have to apply within two years of getting the degree.
• Master’s Graduate Stream
International students with a Master’s degree are given an opportunity to work and live permanently in Ontario. The requirements to get a master’s degree include full-time study at least one academic year.
The degree should be from an eligible university recognized by Ontario government. You should be able to speak, write, read, and understand French or English at a CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) level 7 or higher.
You will have to prove that you have the requisite language skills. An approved language test is to be taken before you start the application process. The language test should be more than two years old when you submit the online application.
When applying in this stream, you should have lived legally in Ontario for at least one year in the past two years. You should also have enough money to support yourself and your dependent family when you settle in Canada.
• Ph.D. Graduate Stream
You will be able to apply under the Ph.D. graduate stream if you have completed all the educational requirements necessary to complete the Ph.D. degree. The Ph.D. degree must be from an eligible university in Ontario.
If you have received a scholarship or grant or bursary that requires you to return to your home country, you will not qualify under this stream. You will be able to apply only if you are able to demonstrate an intention to live in Ontario.
Ontario’s Express Entry Stream
A profile in the Federal government’s Express Entry System is necessary for qualification in this stream. Apart from this, you should also have received a notification from Ontario.
• French Speaking Skilled Worker Stream
The French Speaking Skilled Worker Stream gives French-speaking skilled workers an opportunity to work and live permanently in Ontario.
Before you apply you should have a profile in IRCC’s Express Entry System. Only when you create a profile in IRCC, you will be able to get a Notification of Interest (NOI). This is a mandatory requirement you need to fulfill before applying.
• Human Capital Priorities Stream
The Human Capital Priorities Stream gives foreign workers with the required education, language abilities, and work experience an opportunity to work and live permanently in Ontario.
A valid profile in IRCC and an NOI from the Ontario government is necessary before you can apply for immigration under this stream. When making the online application ensure that you have all the supporting documents ready.
• Skilled Trades Stream
The Skilled Trades Stream gives foreign nationals in Ontario the opportunity to work and live permanently in Ontario. The foreign nationals must have experience in eligible skilled trades.
Before you create a profile in IRCC and get a NOI from Ontario government, you will need to pass the language test. The application process should be completed within 45 days after you receive the NOI.
Business Category
The streams under the business category include corporate and entrepreneur streams.
Eligibility Under Corporate Stream
If you want to be eligible under the corporate stream, your corporation and its key staff must fulfill the following conditions.
• A minimum business investment of $5 million; and
• Establish for Canadian citizens five permanent and full-time positions or get permanent residents for all key staff; and
• The key staff must be essential for your business. A minimum language requirement of CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) 5 must be met by the key staff.
Eligibility Under Entrepreneur Stream
If you want to be eligible under the entrepreneur stream, you must fulfill the following conditions.
• Invest at least $500,000; and
• Establish for Canadian citizens at least two permanent positions or get permanent residents; and
• A minimum language requirement of CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) 5 must be met.
Application Process for Permanent Residence
The steps to follow when applying for permanent residence include:
• Ensure that you qualify.
• Apply for nomination by the Ontario government.
• Apply for permanent residence with the Government of Canada.
Ensure that You Qualify
After selecting the stream, you would like to apply, you should ensure that you meet the mandatory requirements specified for the stream.
Apply for Nomination by the Ontario Government
Apply online after choosing the stream. The online application can be made through the OINP e-filing portal. The online application process is often completed within two to three hours.
If you are unable to complete the application process in one session, you can choose to save the work completed and then complete it in the next session. The application has to be submitted within 14 days after the registration process is completed. The registration expires if you are unable to complete the application process within 14 days.
You will be able to register again for the process only if new registrations are accepted under the stream. The application process can be completed on your own or you can choose a representative to do it on your behalf. The application cost is:
• For human capital and employer job offer stream the cost $1,500 or $2,000.The cost of a business stream is $3,500.
• The cost is per key staff applicant or business partner.
Only Visa, Visa Debit, MasterCard and MasterCard Debit accepted for payment of the application cost.
Application Processing Time
The application processing time will vary depending on the stream you have chosen.
• Ontario Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker – 30 – 60 days
• Ontario Express Entry Human Capital Priorities – 30 – 60 days
• Ontario Express Entry Skilled Trades – 30 – 60 days
• Masters Graduate – 30 – 60 days
• Ph.D. Graduate – 30 – 60 days
• Employer Job Offer (Foreign Worker Stream) – 60 – 90 days
• Employer Job Offer (International Student Stream) – 60 – 90 days
• Employer Job Offer (In-Demand Skills Stream) – 60 – 90 days
• Entrepreneur Stream – The processing time will depend on the complexity of the application.
Annual Nominations
The Federal government through IRCC allocates a specific number of nominations each year to the Ontario government. When OINP nominates an applicant for permanent residence, they will need to apply to IRCC. The final decision on permanent residence will be taken by IRCC.
Apply for Permanent Residence with the Government of Canada
If you are nominated by the Ontario government and your application is successful, you can apply for permanent residence with IRCC.
Support for Businesses
An active role is played by the Business Immigration Services department in helping employers find talent with immigration. The immigration services enable businesses to navigate the system so that they can:
• Fill any kind of labor shortage.
• Help retain international students.
• Get quick access to skilled workers.
Before you apply for the Ontario Nominee Program, it is important to gain awareness about the different categories and streams under which you can apply. Knowledge about the application process and the mandatory requirements to be fulfilled will help you achieve success in the immigration process.
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