Ontario PNP Program

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)

Ontario is the most sought-after province in Canada as it is the center of the country’s economic, social, and political life. It is the most populous province in Canada, with approximately 40% of the Canadian population living in the province. In order to fulfill the labor market needs of Ontario, the province operates the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), which nominates potential immigrants who can contribute to the economic development of the province.

Ontario’s PNP/OINP has the following sub-categories that are designed to welcome immigrants with different backgrounds, like skilled workers, business immigrants, and graduates

• Human Capital Category
• Employer Job Offer Category
• Business Category

Categories under Ontario PNP/ OINP

If you have the skills and experience that Ontario employers need

These OINP streams focus on the applicant’s skills and experience and contribute to the economic development of the province.

These streams are aligned with IRCC’s Express Entry program. To apply, you should have an active profile in the Express Entry pool. These streams are:

• Human Capital Priorities Stream: This stream enables the OINP to nominate candidates registered in the Express Entry system for a provincial nomination. Invitations are extended to candidates who possess the required work experience, education, and other key qualifications.
• French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream: Through this stream, the province of Ontario can nominate French-speaking candidates who not only demonstrate proficiency in the French language but also maintain an active Express Entry profile.
• Skilled Trades Stream: This stream allows the province to target tradespersons with current or recent work experience within Ontario.

If you have a Masters or PhD degree from an Ontario university

These streams targets recently graduated international students who have obtained a master’s or doctoral degree from an eligible university in Ontario.

• Masters Graduate Stream: International students who have graduated with a master’s degree from an eligible educational institution in the province of Ontario are eligible to apply for provincial nomination under this stream.
• PhD Graduate Stream: International students who have graduated from a Ph.D. educational program from a provincial education institution can apply under this stream.

If you have a job offer in Ontario

In this category, eligible employers in Ontario nominate immigrants and/or international students who have a valid job offer in the province.

• Employer Job Offer – Foreign Worker stream: This stream gives foreign workers with a job offer in a skilled occupation from an employer in Ontario an opportunity to apply for an Ontario provincial nomination and live and work in Ontario permanently.
• Employer Job Offer – International Student stream: International students with job offers in a skilled occupation from employers in Ontario can apply for Ontario provincial nomination through this stream.
• Employer Job Offer – In-Demand Skills stream: This stream gives foreign workers with a job offer in specific in-demand occupations such as agriculture, construction, trucking, personal support work, and other select occupations an opportunity to apply for an Ontario provincial nomination and live and work in Ontario permanently.

If you are a foreign entrepreneur with a great business idea

• Entrepreneur Stream: Experienced business people from all over the world who wish to own and manage their own business in the province of Ontario can apply through this stream. Once the candidate’s application is successfully processed, a letter of support for a temporary work permit—which is based on a performance agreement—is issued to them to start a business in the province. If the candidate meets all the conditions of the signed performance agreement, then they are nominated for a permanent resident visa in Canada.

Eligibility requirements for Ontario PNP – Express Entry Stream?

The table below depicts the minimum eligibility criteria for Ontario PNP – Express Entry Streams:

Requirements to apply for OINP’s Employer Job-offer Category?

The following table will illustrate the basic criteria to be eligible under various categories under the Ontario PNP – Employer Job-offer category:

Eligibility to apply for OINP’s Business Category – Entrepreneur Stream?

The minimum eligibility requirements in Ontario to be eligible under the OINP’s Entrepreneur Stream are as follows:

OINP Tech Draws

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) Tech draw is a newly introduced pathway of the OINP under the Human Capital Priorities Stream that identifies candidates with technical skills from the Express Entry pool and invites them to apply for an Ontario provincial nomination and live and work in Ontario permanently.

Candidates must:

• Meet the minimum requirements of the Human Capital Priorities stream, and
• Have a primary occupation in the list of targeted National Occupation Classification (NOC) codes.

The list of targeted in-demand NOC codes for OINP Tech Draws is as follows:

• Data Scientists (NOC 21211)
• Software engineers and designers (NOC 21231)
• Computer systems developers and programmers (NOC 21230)
• Software developers and programmers (NOC 21232)
• Web developers and programmers (NOC 21234)
• Web designers (NOC 21233)
• Database analysts and data administrators (NOC 21223)
• Computer and information systems managers (NOC 20012)
• Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers (NOC 21311))

OINP Application Processing Times

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 Document Checklist

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)