Ontario Provincial Nominee Program

Home to Niagara Falls, Ontario is the center of Canada’s economic, social, and political life. The province is multicultural and diverse comprising of people from 200 different countries that speak more than 125 languages. The Ontario Provincial Nominee Program also known as Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) enables skilled foreign nationals who wish to live and work in Ontario to obtain an Ontario Provincial Nomination Certificate, which allows them to apply for Canadian Permanent Residence.

Two ways to get nominated:

• The applicant can contact Immigration Ontario and apply to the OINP directly. If given a provincial nomination, he or she can then create a Canada Express Entry profile and add their Ontario nomination credentials.
• The applicant can create an Express Entry profile and register their interest in the province within the system.
• The Ontario PNP can then contact the person through Express Entry and formally invite them to apply to the immigration program.
• If an applicant is then given a PNP Ontario nomination, the certificate can be transferred to them using Express Entry which will instantly increase their score under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) by 600 points.

There are seven categories within OINP that applicants can apply under:

General Category

is designed for skilled foreign workers with a job offer from an employer in Ontario.

The applicant must have:

• Two years of work experience in their respective occupation within the past five years.
• The appropriate registration in the province if he/she has a regulated occupation.
• Paid and verifiable work experience.
• A permanent, full-time job offer in a skilled occupation from an Ontario employer. According to the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC), skilled work experience means Managerial jobs (NOC skill type level 0), Professional jobs (NOC skill type level A) and Technical jobs/skilled trade (NOC skill type B).
• Legal status if living in Canada during application.
• A signed Joint Verification form and a Pre-Screen Position form by the employer.

The employer must:

• Submit an application that needs to be approved by Opportunities Ontario and needs to be valid till the time the applicant’s application is approved.
• Have an active business for at least three years.
• Have gross revenue of at least $1,000,000 with at least five permanent full-time employees for those companies in Greater Toronto Area or have gross revenue of at least $500,000 with at least three permanent full-time employees for companies outside this area.
• Offer a job that is located inside of the province of Ontario.

The job offer must:

• Be a permanent, full-time position.
• Meet the wage levels for the respective position in Ontario.
• Not affect the settlement of any labour dispute the company or its employees are involved in.
• Not have a negative affect on the employment or training opportunities for Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
• Offer a position that is necessary for the operation of the company.

International Students Category

is designed for international students with a Master’s degree or a PhD obtained in Canada who want to live and work permanently in Ontario.

There are three categories within the International Students Category:

Pilot International Masters Graduate Stream applicants must:

• Intend to live and work in Ontario.
• Be a graduate of a Master’s program from a publicly funded University in Ontario.
• Have completed one academic year on a full-time basis.
• Submit the application no later than two years from the date of completion of the Masters degree. Or submit the application during his/her last semester of study in the program.
• Be currently residing in Ontario with legal status.
• Be proficient in English and/or French.
• Have sufficient funds to support themselves and their dependents.
• Have resided in Ontario for at least one full year during the past two years.

International PhD Students Stream applicants must:

• Have graduated from an existing PhD program at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario. Or successfully competed all of the degree requirements for such a program (and are awaiting their degree). Or, have at least two years of completed PhD studies at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario.
• Application must be submitted no later than two years from the date the PhD was received.
• Be currently residing in Ontario with legal status.
• Be proficient in English and/or French.
• Have sufficient funds to support themselves and their dependents.

International Student with a Job Offer Stream applicants must:

• Have completed at least half of their studies in Canada.  Or, must have already graduated or be graduating from a publicly funded college or university in Canada.
• Have completed a two-year degree or diploma program on a full-time basis from Canada or abroad. Or must have completed a one-year post-graduate degree or certificate program.
• Have a permanent, full-time job offer in a skilled occupation (NOC Levels 0, A, or B).
• The employer must submit an application to Opportunities Ontario. The offer must be approved and remain valid at the time the applicant’s application is approved.
• A Joint Verification form and a Pre-Screen Position form are also required from the employer.
• Submit the application no later than two years after the date that the student received their Canadian degree or diploma or submit it as early as the last semester of the student’s studies.
• Have legal status of living in Canada.

Ontario Corporate Stream

is designed to help establish and support international corporations interested in expanding into Ontario by starting or investing in a business in the province.

Application requirements:

• The corporation must invest $5 million or more in the new or existing Ontario business.
• Five permanent, full-time jobs must be created for Canadian citizens or Canadian permanent residents for each OINP nomination made under this category.
• Employees must be employed by the corporation and be key to the operation of the company in Ontario.
• Nominated staff members have 24 months to demonstrate a minimum English language requirement in accordance with nomination criteria.
• The international business must be well established with a proven track record over the past 36 months or longer.

Ontario Entrepreneur Stream

is designed to help foreigners buy a business in the province or create a company in the province.

Application requirements:

• Each prospective nominee must make a $500,000 CAD minimum investment in the Province of Ontario.
• If the business is located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) the investment criteria increases to a minimum investment of $1,000,000 CAD unless the business is in the digital media or information and communications technology (ICT) sectors.
• If the entrepreneur has a business partner who would also like to qualify under this OINP stream, he/she must also make the required minimum investment of either $500,000 CAD or $1 million CAD.
• Each prospective nominee must have an $800,000 CAD minimum net worth.
• If the business is located in the Greater Toronto Area this minimum net worth requirement increases to $1,500,000 unless the business is in the Digital Media or ICT industry.
• Buying or creating a business in Ontario must create two permanent, full-time employment positions for Canadian permanent residents or citizens.
• The entrepreneur along with his/her business partner will have 24 months to satisfy minimum program requirements in order to receive a Canada PR nomination from the Province of Ontario.
• The entrepreneur must have a minimum of 3 years of senior management or business ownership experience in the past 5 years.

Human Capital Priorities Stream

allows the province to select potential immigrants from the Express Entry pool that have the necessary skilled work experience, language ability, characteristics, and education to bring value to the Ontario labour market.

The applicant must have:

• A Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. degree from Canada, or an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report indicating that their foreign education meets Canadian education requirements and standards.
• Be proficient in English and/or French at a language level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7.
• The applicant must provide results of a standardised language test recognized by the Government of Ontario.
• Have a minimum of 12 months of continuous full-time employment or an equal amount of part-time work experience in a NOC level 0, A, or B occupation in the five years prior to the date of the Ontario Nomination of Interest.
• A Canada Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System score of 400 points or greater, and this score must remain throughout provincial and federal processing.
• The intention to live in Ontario.
• Have sufficient funds to support themselves and their dependents.
• Provide proof of funds through bank statements.

French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream

enables prospective immigrants that speak French to move to Ontario. People that register for Express Entry, enter the Federal Skilled Worker Program or Canada Experience Class pool, and indicate an interest in Ontario immigration may be eligible for the OINP French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream.

The applicant must:

• Have a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, or Ph.D. degree from a Canadian institution, or the equivalent from a foreign school along with an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) indicating that the education is equivalent to a Canadian degree.
• Have a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 7 or higher in French, and 6 of higher in English, which must be demonstrated by a Government of Canada and Ontario approved standardised language test.
• Have at least 1 year of paid work experience in an NOC level 0, A, or B occupation in the past 60 months if he/she is applying through the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP).
• Have a minimum of one year of full-time employment in an NOC 0, A, or B level occupation in the past 36 months if he/she is applying to the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
• Intend to reside in the province and should demonstrate this intention through a statement of intent and proof of ties to Ontario.
• Have sufficient funds to support themselves and their dependents.
  • Provide proof of funds through bank statements.

The Ontario entrepreneur program and the Ontario business program for corporations

is designed to give companies that make an investment in Ontario the ability to recruit and retain important employees. The program allows these important employees to immigrate to Canada, ensuring the company’s investment in the process.

Investment requirements:

• Must receive official endorsement from another Ontario ministry at the Deputy Minister level.
• Amount of investment must be at least $3,000,000 CAD.
• Must create at least five permanent full-time jobs for Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Ontario.
• Must comply with Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

The applicant must:

• Be actively involved in the management of the business.
• Control at least 33.3% of the business’s equity. Or make a minimum of $1 million CAD investment in the business.
• Not have the option of redeeming investment after a certain period
• Invest the capital in the business. However, investment can’t be for the primary purpose of deriving interest, dividends, or capital gains.

• Be integral to the functioning of the company in question.

Important Information:

• Refugee claimants and asylum seekers are not eligible for the Ontario Provincial Nominee Program 2017.
• The Pilot International Masters Graduate Stream accepts a maximum of 1000 applicants.
• The International Student with a Job Offer Stream accepts applicants with a job offer that is not necessarily in the same field as the student’s degree or diploma.
• Through the Ontario Corporate Stream, before being nominated by Ontario for Canada Permanent Residency (PR) status, key employees of the corporation can obtain two-year Temporary Work Permits from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) allowing them to build the business in Ontario while not yet being permanent residents.
• The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program considers businesses in the City of Toronto or in the Durham, Halton, Peel, or York regions as part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

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