Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is the province’s economic immigration program. It works in partnership with the Government of Canada through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The OINP recognizes and nominates people for permanent residence who have the skills and experience the Ontario economy needs. Foreign workers, international students and others with the right skills, experience and education apply to the OINP for a nomination. The Government of Canada makes the final decision to approve applications for permanent residence.
There are three ways you may qualify for a nomination:
-
Employer job offer category: for workers who already have a permanent job offer from an Ontario employer
-
Human capital category: for workers who have valuable work experience, education, language skills, and a profile in Canada’s Express Entry system; or for graduate students
-
Business category: for entrepreneurs looking to start a new or buy an existing business in Ontario
Employer Job Offer Category
The employer job offer category has three streams which operate under an expression of interest system. You must have a permanent job offer (in Skill Type 0 or Skill Levels A or B) from an Ontario employer and receive an invitation to apply.
-
Foreign Worker Stream: for workers in skilled positions.
-
International Student Stream: for recent graduates in Ontario. This stream is open to international students in and outside of Canada.
-
In-Demand Skills Stream: for intermediate skilled workers in specific sectors, such as agriculture, construction, trucking and personal support workers.
The above streams are open to foreign workers in and outside of Canada. You must meet all requirements for job offer, education, licence (if applicable), intention to live in Ontario, legal status (if in Canada) and application period.
Human Capital Category
The human capital category has two sub-categories, the International Graduate stream, and Ontario’s Express Entry stream.
International Graduates
An expression of interest for your graduate stream must be submitted, and you must have received an invitation to apply and apply within two years of getting your graduate degree from an eligible Ontario university.
You must meet all mandatory requirements with respect to age, language, Ontario residency, settlement funds, intention to live in Ontario, residency at the time of application, legal status in Canada (if applicable) and application period.
Ontario's Express Entry
These streams operate through the federal government’s Express Entry System. To qualify under Ontario’s Express Entry streams, you must have received a notification of interest from Ontario and have an up-to-date profile with your most current work experience, language tests and education in the federal government’s Express Entry system.
-
French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream: for French-Speaking skilled workers with the required work experience, education and language proficiency in French and English
-
Human Capital Priorities stream: for skilled workers with the required work experience, education and language proficiency in French or English
-
Skilled Trades stream: for workers with work experience in Ontario in an eligible trade occupation
Business Category
The business category has one stream. You must be an entrepreneur from outside of Canada who is looking to implement a new business idea or buy and grow an existing business in Ontario.