The provincial nominee program in this province is called Opportunities Ontario and was launched in February 2009. It supports Ontario employers by facilitating the immigration of managerial, professional and skilled foreign workers and international students required to meet their human resources needs.
The Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (OINP) is comprised of three streams:
- OINP Employer Stream;
- OINP Human Capital Stream;
- OINP Business Stream;
OINP Employer Stream
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) offers an opportunity for employers to recruit and retain highly skilled foreign workers and qualifying international students for permanent, full-time jobs.
Eligible employers must submit a Pre-screen Application to OINP to have the position they want to fill approved. If the Pre-screen Application is approved, the foreign worker or qualifying international student that the employer wants to recruit, the prospective nominee, must submit a Nominee Application within 60 calendar days of the approval of the Pre-screen Application.
The Pre-screen Application is free.
OINP no longer accepts incomplete Employer Pre-Screen and Nominee applications, and will return them to applicants.
Skilled Foreign Worker Program
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) offers an opportunity for skilled foreign workers with a job offer to permanently live and work in Ontario. Prospective nominees can only apply if they have received an approved permanent full-time job offer from an Ontario employer, or from a business making an approved and endorsed investment in Ontario.
For applicants with a job offer from an Ontario employer, the nominee application fee is $2,000 for those with job offers in the Greater Toronto Area, and $1,500 for those with job offers outside of the Greater Toronto Area.
For applicants with a job offer from a foreign company making an investment under the Investment Component in Ontario, the nominee application fee is $3,500. This fee can be paid by either the applicant or the employer, but must be included in the nominee application package.
To be eligible to apply for Ontario nomination as a foreign worker, candidates must have:
- A full-time job offer, for which they are qualified, from an approved Ontario employer in a skilledoccupation (listed as NOC A, B, or 0);
- At least 2 years of work experience or have appropriate registration in Ontario (if the occupation is regulated in Ontario);
- Received an Employer Pre-Screen Approved Position Form, along with the nominee application package from the Ontario employer;
- An offered wage that meets the prevailing wage level in Ontario for the occupation;
- Legal status, if the prospective nominee is in Canada.
OINP no longer accepts incomplete nominee applications, and will return them to applicants. In cases where OINP returns incomplete applications to applicants, OINP will also return the enclosed processing fees.
International Students Program
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) offers international students with a job offer the opportunity to permanently live and work in Ontario. Prospective nominees (the applicant) can only apply if they have received an approved permanent full-time job offer from an Ontario employer, or from a business making an approved and endorsed investment in Ontario.
The application fee for international students with a job offer is $1500.
This fee can be paid by either the applicant or the employer, but must be included in the nominee application package.
To be eligible to apply for Ontario nomination as a International Student, candidates must have:
- A full-time job offer, for which they are qualified, from an approved Ontario employer in a skilledoccupation (listed as NOC A, B, or 0);
- At least 2 years of work experience or have appropriate registration in Ontario (if the occupation is regulated in Ontario);
- Received an Employer Pre-Screen Approved Position Form, along with the nominee application package from the Ontario employer;
- An offered wage that meets the prevailing wage level in Ontario for the occupation;
- Legal status, if the prospective nominee is in Canada.
OINP no longer accepts incomplete nominee applications, and will return them to applicants. In cases where OINP returns incomplete applications to applicants, OINP will also return the enclosed application fees.
OINP Human Capital Stream
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program helps employers meet their human resource needs for workers, by enabling them to recruit foreign workers and international students. Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program includes nominations for both the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) and the Ontario Express Entry.
This stream has four categories:
- International Masters Graduates
- International PhD Graduates
- Ontario Express Entry: Human Capital Priorities
- Ontario Express Entry: French-Speaking Skilled Worker
International Masters Graduates
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) offers an opportunity for International Students- Masters Graduates to live and work permanently in Ontario.
To be eligible to apply for Ontario nomination as a International Masters Graduate, candidates must have:
- NO Job offer required;
- Have graduated from a Master’s program at an eligible ON institute;
- 1 Year of full time degree;
- Apply within 2 years of masters granted;
- Language proficiency CLB7;
- Have completed at least half of their studies in Canada;
- 1 Year of residence in ON in the past 2 years;
- Residing ON when applying;
- Proof of savings or income;
- Not enrolled in future studies;
A $1500 processing fee is charged for applications submitted under this category.
International PhD Graduates
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) offers an opportunity for International Students- PhD Graduates to live and work permanently in Ontario.
To be eligible to apply for Ontario nomination as a PhD Graduate, candidates must have:
- NO Job offer required;
- Have graduated or waiting degree from a Master’s program at an eligible ON institute;
- Studied at least two years of the program in ON;
- Apply within 2 years of PhD granted;
- Residing ON when applying;
A $1500 processing fee is charged for applications submitted under this category.
Ontario Express Entry: Human Capital Priorities
This stream enables the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) to nominate individuals who have qualified for Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC’s) Express Entry pool and who have the required education, skilled work experience, language ability, and other characteristics to help them successfully establish and integrate into Ontario’s labour market and communities.
To be eligible to apply for Ontario nomination as a Human Capital, candidates must have:
- 400 points in EE Rank;
- Language proficiency CLB7;
- Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree and ECA if obtained outside Canada;
- One year of paid full time NOC 0, A, B work experience in Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)-continuous in past 5 years and for Canadian Experience Class (CEC)- Cumulative in past 3 years.
Ontario Express Entry: French Speaking Skilled Worker
The Ontario French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream is for French-Speaking skilled workers who have strong English language abilities and who want to live and work permanently in Ontario. This stream enables OINP to nominate individuals that have qualified for Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s Express Entry pool and who have the required education, skilled work experience, language ability, and other characteristics to help them successfully establish and integrate into Ontario’s labour market and communities.
To be eligible to apply for Ontario nomination as a French Skilled Worker, candidates must have:
- Language proficiency CLB7 in French and CLB6 in English
- Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree and ECA if obtained outside Canada
- One year of paid full time NOC 0, A, B work experience in Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) continuous in past 5 years
- One year of paid full time NOC 0, A, B work experience in Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Cumulative in past 3 years.
Ontario Business Immigration
The Ontario Business Immigrant Nominee Program has three streams:
- Corporate Stream
- Investor Stream
- Entrepreneur Stream
Corporate Stream
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program’s Corporate Stream helps and supports established international corporations looking to expand into Ontario or buy an existing business. Once your business has been successfully established, key staffs are eligible to apply for nomination that could lead to permanent resident status.
Corporation and key staff must meet following criteria to apply to the Corporate Stream:
- Your corporation must invest a minimum of $5 million CDN in a new or existing business
- Your corporation must create five full-time, permanent positions for Canadian citizens or permanent residents per key staff
- Key staff seeking nomination must be currently employed with the corporation and be essential to the establishment, continued operation and success of the business in Ontario
- Key staff must meet a minimum language requirement of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB 5) level or equivalent in order to be nominated after your business has been established in Ontario
Investor Stream
To qualify, investments must be of significant importance to Ontario and must create jobs for Ontarians. New investments and expansions to current operations are eligible.
Investments need to meet the following eligibility guidelines:
- The amount of the investment is at least $3,000,000;
- The investment must be endorsed by another Ontario ministry at the Deputy Minister level for the investment and the number of key positions requested;
- The investment must create at least five net permanent full-time jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents in Ontario;
- May request up to 25 nominees positions (NOC 0, A, B) which are essential and permanent full time.
Entrepreneur Stream
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program’s Entrepreneur Stream is designed to support individuals from countries outside Canada who are looking to implement a new business initiative or buy an existing business in our province. The program offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to be nominated for permanent resident status once their new business has been successfully established in Ontario.
Entrepreneurs need to meet the following eligibility guidelines:
- Be actively involved, on an ongoing basis, in the management of the business;
- Control, or will control, at least 33.334% of the equity in the business, or make a minimum $1 million investment in the business;
- Not have the option of redeeming the investment after a specified period;
- Invest the capital in the business not for the primary purpose of deriving interest, dividends or capital gains.
Investment Nominee Positions being considered for approval by Opportunities Ontario must:
- Be necessary for the long-term success of the investment;
- Be in a skilled occupation;
- Be permanent, full-time positions;
- Meet prevailing wage levels. Information about wages for a variety of professions can be found on the Service Canada Labour Market Information website.
