Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program
Ontario is Canada’s most popular landing destination for immigrants from around the world.
A large and culturally diverse population, natural resources, and strategic location contribute to a vibrant economy. Toronto is Canada’s largest city and the country’s most important financial center. Many people work in the service or manufacturing industries, accounting for most of Canada’s exports. The Niagara region is known for its vineyards, wine, and orchards. Ontario farmers raise dairy and beef cattle, poultry, vegetables, and grains. Founded by the United Empire Loyalists, Ontario has the largest French-speaking population outside Quebec and has a proud history of preserving its language and culture.
About Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program
The Ontario PNP, officially the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), became permanent in February 2009. The main objectives of the OINP are to respond to skill shortages in targeted areas, make it easier to invest in Ontario, and make sure newcomers can settle and integrate well into the province. When it started, the Ontario PNP was only allowed to nominate up to 1,000 newcomers in 2009. Today, Ontario nominates some 8,000 newcomers per year.
Some Ontario immigration streams are base streams, and others are enhanced streams. Enhanced streams are those that are aligned with the Express Entry system. This is the federal immigration system that Canada uses to manage permanent residence applications through the country’s three main economic class immigration programs. This system gives a candidate a point score based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The highest-ranking candidates are then invited to apply for permanent residence. Those with a nomination from an enhanced provincial program get an extra 600 points, effectively guaranteeing an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. They also get their nomination through their Express Entry profile.
Base streams are streams that are not aligned with the Express Entry systems. Candidates who get a provincial nomination must apply directly to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
If you wish to immigrate to Ontario, then you have three categories to choose from:
• Human Capital Category
• Employer Job Offer Category
• Business Category
The Human Capital Category is divided into two sub-streams, the Ontario Express Entry and International Graduates sub-stream.
The following programs fall into the Human Capital Category: Ontario Express Entry sub-stream:
• Human Capital Priorities: This category includes the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
• Skilled Trades: For individuals with relevant Ontario work experience in an eligible trade occupation.
• French-Speaking Skilled Worker: This program operates, like Human Capital Priorities, through FSWP and CEC. Applicants for French-Speaking Skilled workers must have strong skills in both French and English.
You will be notified if you receive a nomination through Ontario Express Entry. It will then be up to you, the candidate, to accept or refuse the nomination. Accepting the nomination awards you an extra 600 CRS points. You will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in the next all-program Express Entry draw.
The following programs fall into the Human Capital Category: International Graduates sub-stream. They are not aligned with Express Entry. An applicant must create a profile and register an expression of interest (EOI):
• Master’s Graduate Stream: For individuals who received Master’s degrees from an Ontario University
• Ph.D. Graduate Stream: For individuals who received Ph.D. from an Ontario University.
Note: The Master’s Graduate Stream and the Ph.D. Graduate Stream both use Ontario’s Expression of Interest (EOI) system
Application Fee: CAD 1,500
Processing Time: 30-60 days
The following are the minimum requirements needed to be eligible through one of the streams under the Human Capital Category:
- Must have enough money to support yourself and your family.
- Must intend to live in Ontario
- Must meet the additional requirements for the stream you are applying for, set out below:
Category | Is a job offer required? | Express Entry aligned? | Additional Requirements |
Human Capital Priorities Stream | No | Yes | · Must have valid Express Entry profile. · Must have at least one year of full-time paid work experience. · Must have a bachelor’s, master’s or PhD degree. · Language requirement: CLB level 7 or higher (English or French) |
French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream | No | Yes | · Must have valid Express Entry profile · Must have at least one year of full-time paid work experience · Must have a bachelor’s, master’s or PhD degree · Language requirement: CLB level 7 or higher (French). |
Skilled Trades Stream | No | Yes | · Must have valid Express Entry profile · Must have at least one year of full-time paid work experience · Must have a valid certificate or licence (if applicable) · Must be currently living in Ontario and hold a valid work permit at the time of application · Language requirement: CLB level 5 or higher (English or French) |
Master’s Graduate Stream | No | No | · Must have a master’s degree from an eligible university in Ontario. · Language requirement: CLB level 7 or higher (English or French) · Must have legally lived in Ontario for at least one year in the past two years.
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Ph.D. Graduate Stream | No | No | · Must have a PhD degree from an eligible university in Ontario. · Must have legally lived in Ontario for at least one year in the past two years.
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Once you know which stream you are eligible for, you must register for a One-key account on the OINP website. You must create a profile and begin your application through the portal by clicking the file number beside the stream you wish to apply. You will also need to upload the required documents.
If you are applying for one of the Express Entry streams, you must maintain a good profile until you are nominated.
If your application is successful, you will receive a Nomination Approval Letter and an OINP Certificate of Nomination by email.
For Express Entry Streams: You will receive your nomination through your Express Entry profile. You will need to accept the nomination, after which you will receive an additional 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. You will be invited to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry in the next draw.
For Graduate Streams: You must apply for permanent residence with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) within six months. Include your nomination approval letter and certificate with your application.
The following three programs exist under the Employer Job Offer Category:
- Foreign worker stream: for skilled workers
- International students: for recent graduates of Ontario post-secondary institutions
- In-demand skills stream: for intermediate skilled workers in certain sectors, such as agriculture, construction, trucking, and personal support workers
Stream | Application Fee | Processing Time |
Foreign Worker Stream | CAD $1,500 if the job offer is outside the Greater Toronto Area. CAD $2,000 if the job offer is within the Greater Toronto Area (City of Toronto, Durham, Halton, York and Peel regions) | 60-90 days |
International Student Stream | CAD $1,500 |
You must first create a profile on the OINP e-Filing Portal and register your Expression of Interest (EOI). Ontario regularly holds provincial draws to invite the highest-ranking candidates to the pool. If you are invited, you will receive a notification in the portal, and you must submit your application within 14 calendar days. You can submit your application through your One-key account.
You must first create a profile on the OINP e-Filing Portal and register your Expression of Interest (EOI). Ontario regularly holds provincial draws to invite the highest-ranking candidates to the pool. If you are invited, you will receive a notification in the portal, and you must submit your application within 14 calendar days. You can submit your application through your One-key account.
The Regional Immigration Pilot works as part of the Employer Job Offer Category. The pilot helps Ontario attract and retain immigrants to rural and small communities in Ontario to fill labour shortages. It also supports the growth of the economy in these communities. This pilot is for people with a job offer from an employer in a pilot community. Ontario has 150 nomination spaces for 2021 available.
There are three pilot communities that are part of the Ontario Regional Immigration Pilot:
- Chatham-Kent
- Cities of Belleville and Quinte West
- The city of Cornwall.
To be eligible to immigrate to Ontario through its Regional Immigration Pilot, you must:
- Have a full-time, permanent job offer from an employer in one of the pilots communities
- Meet the criteria for one of the Employer Job Offer streams.
If you wish to apply for the pilot, you first must register an Expression of Interest (EOI). When you are doing so, you will be asked if you intend to apply under the Regional Immigration Pilot.
FAQ for Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program
Ontario’s Human Capital Category does not require a job offer. This includes the following streams:
- Human Capital Priorities Stream
- French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream
- Skilled Trades Stream
- Master’s Graduate Stream
- PhD Graduate Stream.
However, Ontario’s Employer Job Offer Category is for candidates who have an eligible job offer in Ontario from an employer who is willing to nominate them.
For the Human Capital Category (except the Masters Graduate Stream and the PhD Graduate Stream), you are required to register for a ONe-key account on the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) website.
Create a profile, start your application on the website and upload the required documents. If you’re successful, you’ll receive a Nomination Approval Letter, a work permit support letter and a nomination certificate by email.
You’ll then have to submit an application to Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) within six months and include your letter and certificate.
If you are an Express Entry candidate, you will also receive your nomination through the Express Entry system, receive additional points and an invitation to apply in a subsequent draw.
For the Employer Job Offer Category, you must first create a profile on the OINP e-Filing Portal, and register your Expression of Interest (EOI).
Ontario regularly holds provincial draws to invite the highest-ranking candidates in the pool. If you are invited, you will receive a notification in the portal and you will have to submit your application within 14 calendar days.
As for the Business Category, however, you will have to submit an Expression of Interest first by contacting the OINP by email and asking for a registration form. Complete the form and email it back.
You will be placed in a pool and will be ranked against other candidates. Ontario regularly holds draws where the highest-ranked candidates are invited to submit an application to the Entrepreneur Stream, through the OINP e-Filing Portal.
You will also need to hire a qualified vendor to review your personal net worth and legal accumulation of funds.
If you have a profile on the federal Express Entry system and are interested in immigrating to Ontario, you must first register for an ONe-key account on the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) website.
You will have to create a new profile, and choose to apply through the stream you are eligible for.
Next, upload your documents.
If you are successful, you will receive a Nomination Approval Letter, a work permit support letter and a nomination certificate by email.
You will also receive your nomination through the Express Entry system. Once you accept, you will receive an additional 600 points. This effectively guarantees that you will be invited to apply for permanent residence in a subsequent Express Entry draw.
There are several streams to choose from when deciding to immigrate to Ontario through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).
It is unlikely that one person is eligible for all streams. For this reason, it is important to learn about the stream that you are eligible for. That will be the “easiest” stream for your particular situation.
Processing time for the Human Capital Category is 30-60 days.
For the Employer Job Offer Category, it takes 60-90 days, except for the International Student stream which takes 90-120 days.
For the Business Category, the Expression of Interest (EOI) takes less than 30 days to process but the processing time for the application depends on how complex the application is.
There are multiple ways to qualify to immigrate to Ontario through its PNP program. It is important to know the different immigration categories that you may be eligible for.
Ontario’s Human Capital Category is for
- skilled workers
- french-speaking skilled workers
- tradespersons
- master’s graduates
- Ph.D. graduates
You don’t need a job offer to qualify for one of the streams under the Human Capital Category.
If you do have a job offer from an employer willing to nominate you, then you may qualify through the Employer Job Offer Category. It doesn’t matter where you live at the time of application.
If you’re looking to start a business in Ontario, or purchase an existing business, then you may consider the Business Category.
For each of these options, it is important that you first check if you are eligible before taking any further steps.
U.S. residents and citizens may seek to immigrate as skilled workers through Express Entry. Those who already know which province or territory they plan to immigrate to, may be able to apply under one of the Provincial Nominee Programs. The Quebec Skilled Worker Program is also an option for those planning to settle in Quebec.
Streams under the province’s Employer Job Offer Category, as well as the Master’s Graduate and PhD Graduate streams under the Human Capital Category, now operate with an Expression of Interest (EOI) system. This means that interested candidates can register their interest on the province’s website. You can do this at any time throughout the year, and your registration will remain valid for 12 months.
The remaining streams under the Human Capital Category operate through the federal Express Entry system. All of these streams are currently open.
All streams are currently accepting applications.
There are many reasons why you may want to immigrate to Ontario. For example, the province’s capital, Toronto, is one of the most diverse cities in the world. In fact, over half of the population were born outside of Canada.
In addition, there are many job opportunities in Toronto and neighbouring cities. There are many major corporations with their Canadian headquarters based in Toronto such as Apple, Coca Cola, Google, Microsoft, ASUS, Intel, SAP and Citibank. Key industries include finance, technology, film and media, and tourism.
Ontario also boasts some of the best universities in the world including the University of Toronto, the University of York, McMaster University, the University of Waterloo, the University of Ottawa, Ryerson University, Carelton University, the University of Guelph, as well as others.
Some popular colleges in Ontario include:
- Seneca College;
- George Brown College;
- Humber College;
- Centennial College;
- Niagara College;
- Canadore College;
- Mohawk College.