Ontario

Ontario – One Province that has it all. Whether you are looking for scenic beauty, industrial hub or political center of Canada. The answer to all is Ontario Province. This province is home to at least 40% of the Canadians with the capital of Canada – Ottawa and the largest city of Canada – Toronto being part of this province.

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program is the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) of Canada and was known earlier as Opportunities Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (OOPNP). With this program at hand

Ontario is Canada’s most popular landing destination for immigrants from around the world. As Canada’s most populous province, nearly 40 percent of Canadians call Ontario home. Ontario is also home to Canada’s capital city, Ottawa, and its largest city, Toronto. In many ways, Ontario is the center of Canada’s economic, social, and political life.

Canada is a nation of DREAMS.

Ontario’s Provincial Nominee Program is called the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). With this program the aim is to provide prospective candidates having the needed skills and experience with an Ontario Provincial Nomination Certificate that will give them the opportunity to go for Permanent Residency under Canada Immigration that is processed in much lesser time period than the other ways and classes.

The OINP accepts applications under the following immigration categories:

Ontario Express Entry

➤ Human Capital Priorities Stream

➤ French Speaking Skilled Worker Stream

General Category

➤ Foreign Workers with a Job Offer Stream

International Student Category

➤ International Students with a Job Offer Stream

➤ International Students – Masters Graduate Stream

➤ International Students – PhD Graduate Stream

Business Category

➤ Entrepreneur Stream

➤ Corporate Stream

➤ Investors Stream – It has been discontinued

OINP Streams for Immigration

As of May 2016 there are certain high volume OINP streams that have been put on temporary hold for taking up applications to select them for permanent residency, as announced by Ontario. However, lower volume streams are still open for prospective candidates and are accepting applications for the Canada Immigration Permanent Residency.

Ontario Express Entry Category

Under this category there are two streams for requirements are mentioned below:

Human Capital Priorities Stream

As of 16th February 2016, NOI, as Notification of Interest, under the Human Capita Priorities Stream has been put on temporary hold. With this stream in hand the prospective candidates can get nominated by OINP to enter Federal’s Express Entry pool of eligible candidates provided they are equipped with needed education qualification, language skills, work experience and similar attributes that will aid them to gain a spot in the Ontario’s communities and labour market with full success and smooth integration.

Eligibility Requirement under OINP:

➤ The CRS score should be at least 400. The applicant must ensure that while processing under Ontario Nomination as well as at the stage of Federal application for permanent residency the CRS score should not go below 400. It should remain at 400 or go beyond.

➤ The applicant should be ready with either a Bachelor’s, PhD or Master’s from a Canadian education institution or have an ECA (Education Credential Assessment) report generated from a recognized institution providing proof that the foreign education level is equivalent with that of Canadian Master’s, PhD or Bachelor’s degree.

➤ At least some level of work experience:

➤ The applicant should show minimum proficiency level under CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) level 7or beyond for all four abilities that are, speaking, writing, listening and reading. This ability and CLB7 must be provided with proof in the form of test results from any of the following:

➤ The applicant should show intention to stay in Ontario, by providing proof in form of intent and indication of ties to Ontario statement.

➤ The prospective candidate should have adequate personal funds to cover the cost of living in Ontario which should be backed by bank statements.

➤ Additional requirements set under CEC and FSWP category should be met fully.

French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream

This stream under Express Entry Category is for those prospective candidates who are skilled workers having some level of proficiency in French language along with hold on language English as well wishing to reside and work on permanent basis in Ontario. Under this stream OINP gets to put forth those applicants in the pool of candidates of Express Entry program provided they are equipped with needed education qualification, language skills, work experience and similar attributes that will aid them to gain a spot in the Ontario’s communities and labour market with full success and smooth integration.

Eligibility Requirements:

➤ The applicant should show minimum proficiency under CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) level 7 for French and CLB level 6 for English for all four abilities that are, speaking, writing, listening and reading. This ability and CLB7 / CLB6 must be provided with proof in the form of test results from any of the following:

➤ The applicant should be ready with either a Bachelor’s, PhD or Master’s from a Canadian education institution or have an ECA (Education Credential Assessment) report generated from a recognized institution providing proof that the foreign education level is equivalent with that of Canadian Master’s, PhD or Bachelor’s degree.

➤ The applicant should show intention to stay in Ontario, by providing proof in form of intent and indication of ties to Ontario statement.

➤ The prospective candidate should have adequate personal funds to cover the cost of living in Ontario which should be backed by bank statements.

General Category

From 9th May, 2016 onwards the applications for Pre-screening of employer process has been put on hold for momentary period. However those Foreign Skilled Workers with job offers applicants who have already received approval from OINP can continue to file for Nominee process and submit the required application.

Under this category, employers of Ontario recruit those foreign workers who are eligible, approved for some specific skilled positions with NOC skill type 0 or with skill level A or B as classified by the Government of Canada. These prospective candidates could be staying in Canada or abroad while filing for the application.

International Student Category

From 9th May 2016 onwards, Master’s and PhD graduate stream has put hold on accepting applications from new prospective candidates. However, the stream for International Student with Job Offer is still open and can be applied by prospective candidates who already have a job opportunity which has been given all clear after thorough verification via Employer Pre-screen process. This category under OINP for Canada Permanent Residency is created for students of foreign nationals. There are three basic streams under this category.

International Student with a Job Offer Stream

This streams aims to assist Canadian employers to enroll students of foreign nationals’ compatible of job opening present with them. It is open for employers in Ontario and students with job opportunity in the Ontario province.

Minimum Requirements need to be met by Foreign National students with an approved job opportunity from a Canadian employer to become eligible are:

➤ Have been established for at least 36 months at the time of application;

➤ Currently employ key staff seeking nominations, and these key staff must be essential to the business operation in Ontario;

➤ Create five full-time permanent positions for Canadian citizens or permanent residents for each nominee position being sought;

➤ Key staff nominees will have two years to demonstrate a minimum language requirement prior to permanent residence nomination; and

➤ Create five new full-time permanent jobs for Canadians or permanent residents per key staff member.

Investors Stream

Investor’s stream under Business category of OINP to gain opportunity for Permanent Residency of Canada has been permanently discontinued.

Gaining Permanent Residency of Canada through Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program and other Provincial Nominee Program is although the fastest way, it is however, quite complex as well. The applicant first needs to be accepted under the PNP and then wait to apply again for the permanent resident visa. .