The Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (OINP) is an immigration program designed to help employers in Ontario fill labour market shortages with skilled foreign workers. It is also designed to attract foreign entrepreneurs and investors to the province to establish or purchase a business and contribute to the economy.
The OINP has several streams through which individuals can apply for nomination. These are divided mainly into three:
1. Employer Job Offer Category:
This category is designed for foreign workers who have a job offer from an employer in Ontario. There are three streams under this category:
Foreign Worker Stream:
This stream is for individuals who have a job offer for a high-skilled occupation in Ontario. To be eligible for this stream, the applicant must have:
- A job offers from an Ontario employer in a skilled occupation at National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A, or B;
- At least two years of work experience in the occupation related to the job offer;
- A Canadian degree, diploma, or certificate, or an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report showing that their foreign education is equivalent to a Canadian one; and
- A minimum language proficiency level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 in English or French.
International Student Stream:
This stream is for international students who have graduated from an eligible Canadian institution and have a job offer in Ontario. To be eligible for this stream, the applicant must have:
- A job offers from an Ontario employer in a skilled occupation at NOC skill level 0, A, or B;
- Graduated from an eligible Canadian institution with a diploma, degree, or certificate program that is at least one year long;
- Completed at least half of their studies in Canada; and
- A minimum language proficiency level of CLB 5 in English or French.
In-Demand Skills Stream:
This stream is for individuals who have a job offer in specific in-demand occupations in Ontario, such as agriculture, construction, and trucking. To be eligible for this stream, the applicant must have:
- A job offers from an Ontario employer in one of the eligible occupations in the In-Demand Skills Stream;
- At least nine months of full-time (or the equivalent in part-time) work experience in the occupation related to the job offer in the past three years;
- The necessary licensing or certification required to work in the occupation in Ontario, if applicable; and
- A minimum language proficiency level of CLB 4 in English or French.
In addition to the above requirements, applicants for all streams under the Employer Job Offer Category must also meet other criteria, such as demonstrating ties to Ontario and proving their intent to live and work in the province.
2. Business Category:
The Business Category Stream is one of the streams under the Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (OINP). This stream is designed to attract foreign entrepreneurs and investors who are interested in establishing or purchasing a business in Ontario. The category has two streams:
Entrepreneur Stream:
This stream is for individuals who are interested in starting a new business or purchasing an existing one in Ontario. To be eligible for this stream, the applicant must have:
- A minimum net worth of CAD 800,000 if the business is located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), or a minimum net worth of CAD 400,000 if the business is located outside the GTA;
- A minimum investment of CAD 600,000 if the business is located in the GTA, or a minimum investment of CAD 200,000 if the business is located outside the GTA;
- At least 24 months of full-time business experience as an owner or senior manager within the past 60 months;
- A viable business plan for the proposed business in Ontario; and
- A minimum language proficiency level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 in English or French.
Corporate Stream:
This stream is for individuals who are senior executives or business owners who are interested in expanding their business to Ontario or purchasing an existing Ontario business. To be eligible for this stream, the applicant must have:
- A business that has been established for at least 36 months before the application;
- A minimum net worth of CAD 5 million if the business is located in the GTA or a minimum net worth of CAD 3 million if the business is located outside the GTA;
- A minimum investment of CAD 1 million to expand the business to Ontario or purchase an existing Ontario business;
- At least three years of senior management experience within the past five years;
- A viable business plan for the proposed business in Ontario; and
- A minimum language proficiency level of CLB 4 in English or French.
In addition to the above requirements, applicants for both streams under the Business Category Stream must also meet other criteria, such as demonstrating ties to Ontario and proving their intent to live and work in the province.
3.Human Capital Category:
This stream is designed to attract highly skilled foreign workers who have the necessary education, work experience, language proficiency, and other factors that can contribute to Ontario’s economy and society.
The category has three streams:
International Graduate Stream:
This stream is for international graduates who have completed a full-time degree or diploma program at a publicly-funded Canadian college or university and wish to stay and work in Ontario. To be eligible for this stream, the applicant must have:
- Graduated from an eligible program at a publicly-funded Canadian college or university.
- Completed at least half of the studies in Canada.
- Applied within two years of completing the degree or diploma program.
- A minimum language proficiency level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in English or French.
- Legal status in Canada.
- Sufficient settlement funds.
Ontario’s Express Entry Stream:
This stream is for skilled workers who have received an invitation to apply for permanent residency through the federal government’s Express Entry system and meet the eligibility criteria for the Human Capital Priorities Stream or the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream.
To be eligible for this stream, the applicant must:
- Have a valid Express Entry profile;
- Meet the eligibility criteria for either the Human Capital Priorities Stream or the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream;
- Have work experience in one of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill levels 0, A, or B;
- A minimum language proficiency level of CLB 7 in English or French; and
- Sufficient settlement funds.
In-Demand Skills Stream:
This stream is for skilled workers who have work experience in one of the in-demand occupations identified by the OINP.
To be eligible for this stream, the applicant must have:
- A minimum of one year of full-time work experience in one of the in-demand occupations identified by the OINP;
- A job offers from an eligible Ontario employer in the same occupation as the work experience;
- A minimum language proficiency level of CLB 4 in English or French;
- Sufficient settlement funds; and
- A minimum level of education or equivalent to Canadian high school education.
In addition to the above requirements, applicants for the Human Capital Category Stream must also meet other criteria, such as demonstrating ties to Ontario and proving their intent to live and work in the province.