About Ontario’s Express Entry French Speaking Skilled Worker stream
The Ontario Express Entry French-speaking Skilled Worker stream is an immigration program administered by the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). This program is designed for skilled French-speaking immigrants with strong knowledge of the English language who want to live and work in Ontario as a permanent residents of Canada.
To receive an invitation to apply from Ontario, it is mandatory for the individuals to have an active profile under IRCC’s Express Entry system. The immigration programs of Express Entry that are accepted under this stream include:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
One cannot apply directly to this stream. Instead, he or she must first receive a Notice of Interest (NOI) or Invitation from the OINP based on his or her factors, including education, experience, and language proficiency, as requested by the labour market of the province.
Applicants invited through the Ontario Express Entry French-speaking Skilled Worker (FSSW) stream get an additional benefit of 600 points in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), either after nomination or approval of the application. This increases the total CRS score and increases the chances of getting Canadian permanent residence status.
Moreover, it is not necessary to have a job offer from an Ontario employer to apply under this stream.
How does the Ontario PNP’s FSSW stream work?
- The Ontario’s French-speaking Skilled Worker (FSSW) stream is by invitation only.
- It is mandatory for the applicants to have knowledge of both French and English, where French will be the primary language and English will be the secondary one.
- In addition to this, applicants must have an active Express Entry profile in one of the following programmes: FSWP or CEC .
- After the activation of the Express Entry profile, applicants need to wait for the Notification of Interest (NOI) from OINP , which will be sent based on the parameters specified in the profile.
- At the time of the draw, OINP evaluates submitted Express Entry profiles and sends NOIs to the applicants meeting the minimum requirements of the labour market.
- Following receipt of a NOI, applicants need to submit their complete application and have to pay the application processing fee of CAD $1,500 online via the OINP’s e-Portal within 45 days.
- If the application is approved by the OINP, the applicants will be notified that they have been chosen for the provincial nomination.
- This notification will be sent to the applicant’s Express Entry profile.
- Accepting a provincial nomination raised the CRS score by 600 points, boosting the chances of receiving an invitation to apply (ITA) from IRCC to apply for a Canadian PR visa
- After submission of the ITA application within the specified time frame, IRCC evaluates the application and, upon successful evaluation, approves the application for a PR visa.
- The average processing time for applications submitted to IRCC via Express Entry is six months.
What is the eligibility criteria of Ontario PNP’s FSSW stream?
The most common question among foreign skilled workers, who applied for a Canadian permanent residence visa via Express Entry’s FSWP or CEC programs and preferred Ontario above any other province in Canada is, “What are the minimum eligibility requirements for Ontario Express Entry’s French Speaking Skilled Worker (FSSW) stream?”
Let’s understand the minimum eligibility requirements of this stream:
|
Factors
|
Requirements
|
| Active Express Entry Profile |
Must have a profile under one of the following two federal programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
|
| Education |
Must have education equivalent to Canadian Bachelor’s, Master’s or Ph.D. degree. |
| Language Skills |
- It is mandatory to have good knowledge of French with a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 or higher in all modules.
- In addition to this, it is also mandatory to have knowledge of English language with a minimum score of CLB level 6 or above in each module CLB Level 7 or higher (either English or French Language Exam)
|
| Work Experience |
For candidates with profile in FSWP
- At least one year of continuous paid full-time work experience, obtained within the last five years from the date of submitting your application to the OINP.
- There should be no breaks in employment over a one year period
For candidates with profile in CEC
- At least one year of cumulative paid full-time work experience, obtained within the last three years from the date of submitting your application to the OINP .
|
| CRS Score |
One must have a minimum CRS score under the Express Entry system, as determined by the Province of Ontario, for each round of invitations. |
| Job offer |
Not Required |
Legal status in Canada
(if applicable) |
If living in Canada currently one must have legal status (e.g., a study permit, a work permit, or visitor registration). |
Processing time for Ontario PNP or OINP streams
The processing time of Ontario PNP or OINP streams depends on the number of applications submitted into the stream. The average processing time of each stream operated under the Ontario PNP or OINP is as follows:
|
OINP Stream
|
Estimated Processing Time
|
| Ontario’s Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker |
70 – 100 days |
| Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities |
70 – 100 days |
| Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades |
70 – 100 days |
| Masters Graduate |
90 – 120 days |
| Ph.D. Graduate |
90 – 120 days |
| Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker |
90 – 120 days |
| Employer Job Offer: International Student |
90 – 120 days |
| Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills |
90 – 120 days |
| Entrepreneur Stream |
Expression of Interest (EOI) Assessment: Less than 30 days
Applications: Depends on application complexity
|
Documents required for Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (OINP) Applications
Candidates are required to scan and upload copies of the following mandatory documents with the application:
-
Notification of Interest (NOI) from Ontario
-
Identity documents
-
Documents showing Legal Status in Canada (if applicable)
-
Education documents
-
Language Exam results
-
A valid job offer from Ontario (if applicable)
-
Employment Documents of experience gained outside/ inside Canada
-
Proof of funds
-
Resume
-
Intent Letter
-
Other optional documents (if applicable)
FAQ
Yes, both French and English language tests are required to apply to OINP’s French-Speaking Skilled Workers (FSSW) stream. In these two languages, French is the primary language and English is the secondary language, with a minimum of CLB 7 in all French modules and a minimum of CLB 6 in all English modules required.
When deciding to immigrate to Ontario using the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), there are a number of streams from which to select. One person probably won’t be qualified for all of the streams, and that’s why it is important that you are aware of the stream you qualify for. Contact us so we can address all of your inquiries.
The average processing time for the applications submitted under the Human Capital category is 70-100 days, whereas for applications submitted under the Employer Job Offer category and International Student stream, it is 90-120 days.For the business category, the expression of interest (EOI) takes less than 30 days to process, but the application processing for nomination time depends on the complexity of the application.
Yes. Currently, all streams are available.
