Ontario

Ontario is considered as financial hub of Canada. Ontario is most desirable province for immigrants in all immigration categories. Majority of people choose Ontario as their new home because of job opportunities, high income and multiculturism. Its also a favorite destination for the international students, approximately 50% of international students choose Ontario to pursue their further studies. Toronto is the largest city of Ontario and is well known to welcome newcomers from diverse background.

Ontario’s economic provincial program is known as Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program has the following streams:

Employer Job offer category

1. Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream

If you are a skilled foreign worker with a job offer in Ontario, you may qualify under this stream.

Eligibility: –

• You must have a permanent full-time job offer, job must be in a skilled occupation at Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
• You must demonstrate work experience in the same occupation as the NOC code of your job offer. To meet the work experience requirement, you must have at least two years of cumulative paid full-time work experience in the same occupation as your job offer. You must have gained this work experience within the five years prior to the date you submit your application.
• If your job offer is for an occupation that requires a mandatory license or other authorization in Ontario, you must hold a valid license or authorization from the appropriate regulatory body in Ontario at the time of application submission.
• Employer Job Offer: International Student stream. This stream is open to international students in and outside of Canada, who are graduated from an eligible Canadian institution.

Eligibility: –

You must have a permanent full-time job offer, job must be in a skilled occupation at Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) and you must be graduated from an eligible Canadian institution with one of the following:

• a degree or diploma that takes at least two years to complete if you study on a full-time basis, or
• a degree, diploma or certificate that takes at least one year to complete if you study on a full-time basis and that requires a completed degree as an admission requirement

Note: Full-time study is determined by your college or university. Generally, it means a minimum of 15 hours of instruction per week during the academic year, including any period of training in the workplace that is part of your studies.

• You must also have completed more than half of your studies while living and studying in Canada.
• You must submit your application within two years of completing your degree, diploma, or certificate (also known as your education credential). For example, if your degree, diploma, or certificate is dated June 1, 2019, you must apply to this stream on or before June 1, 2021.This means that the date on your educational credential must be within two years of your application submission date,
• You must have a permanent full-time job offer, job must be in a skilled occupation at Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC)
• If you are applying from within Canada, you must have a legal status (a visitor record, study permit, or work permit) at the time you apply and should maintain that status until the time of nomination. You may apply if you are in ‘implied status’ at the time of your OINP application submission.
• Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream This stream is for foreign worker in an in-demand occupation in a specific sector such as agriculture, construction, trucking or personal support work with a job offer in Ontario.

The position offered can be in any location in Ontario (inside and outside the Greater Toronto Area) and must be in one of the following occupations in National Occupational Classification (NOC) Skill Level C or D:

• NOC 3413 – nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
• NOC 4412 – home support workers and related occupations, excluding housekeepers
• NOC 7441 – residential and commercial installers and servicers
• NOC 7511 – transport truck drivers
• NOC 7521 – heavy equipment operators (except crane)
• NOC 7611 – construction trades helpers and labourers
• NOC 8431 – general farm workers
• NOC 8432 – nursery and greenhouse workers
• NOC 8611 – harvesting labourers
• NOC 9462 – industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers

The position offered must be outside the Greater Toronto Area  and must be in one of the following occupations in National Occupational Classification (NOC) Skill Level C or D:

• NOC 9411 – machine operators, mineral and metal processing
• NOC 9416 – metalworking and forging machine operators
• NOC 9417 – machining tool operators
• NOC 9418 – other metal products machine operators
• NOC 9421 – chemical plant machine operators
• NOC 9422 – plastics processing machine operators
• NOC 9437 – woodworking machine operators
• NOC 9446 – industrial sewing machine operators
• NOC 9461 – process control and machine operators, food, beverage and associated products processing
• NOC 9523 – electronics assemblers, fabricators, inspectors and testers
• NOC 9526 – mechanical assemblers and inspectors
• NOC 9536 – industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing process operators
• NOC 9537 – other products assemblers, finishers and inspectors

Eligibility: –

• You must have at least 9 months of cumulative paid full-time work experience (or the equivalent in part-time work) in Ontario, in the same in-demand occupation (same NOC code) as your job offer.
• You must have gained this work experience within the three years prior to the date you submit your application, not the date you received the invitation to apply, while legally living and working in Ontario.
• You must be able to understand, read, write and speak either English or French at a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 or higher.
• You must have a Canadian secondary school (high school) diploma or credential, or its equivalent in another country.

Human Capital category

1. French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream: if you are a French-speaking skilled worker with strong English language abilities, this stream is for you.

A valid profile in Express Entry system is required to receive a Notification of Interest from Ontario before you can apply under this program.

Eligibility requirements:

• Pick an express entry program to apply under, Federal skilled worker program or Canadian Experience Class
• your work experience must have been obtained over a period of at least one year – work experience totaling 1,560 hours obtained in less than a one-year period does not qualify
• if your work experience was obtained in Ontario in an occupation that requires a license or other authorization, only work experience acquired after becoming qualified to practice that occupation in Ontario will qualify
• You must have a Canadian bachelor’s, master’s or PhD degree or its equivalent in another country.
• You must be able to understand, read, write and speak French at a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 or higher AND understand, read, write and speak English at CLB level 6 or higher.
• You must have enough money to support yourself and your dependent family members when you settle in Canada.
• If you are applying from within Canada, you must have legal status (a visitor record, study permit, or work permit) at the time you apply and should maintain that status until the time of nomination.

• Human Capital Priorities stream: this stream is for foreign workers with the required skilled work experience, language abilities and education. For this category applicant must have an express entry profile in ECE or FEW categories.

Eligibility requirements:

• at least one year of continuous paid full-time work experience in Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC)
• Experience must be in the same primary occupation as mentioned Express Entry profile and it must be within the last five years from the date of submitting the application
• if work experience was obtained in Ontario in an occupation that requires a license or other authorization, only work experience acquired after becoming qualified to practice that occupation in Ontario will qualify
• Candidate must have a Canadian bachelor’s, master’s or PhD degree or its equivalent in another country.
• Candidate must be able to understand, read, write and speak either English or French at a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 or higher.
• Skilled Trades stream: – this stream is for foreign nationals who have experience in eligible skilled trades. For this category applicant must have an express entry profile in Skilled Trades Stream.

Eligibility requirements:

• at least one year of cumulative paid full-time work experience in Ontario  in a skilled trade that is listed in Minor Group 633 or Major Groups 72, 73 or 82 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC)
• work experience must be obtained within the last two years from the date of submitting your application
• if you worked in a compulsory trade, only work experience acquired after becoming qualified to practice that occupation in Ontario will qualify
• If you are claiming work experience in a compulsory trade, even if you are no longer working in the trade, you must have a valid certificate or licence in Ontario at the time you apply and you must have held a valid certificate or licence that covers the period of work experience that is being used to meet the minimum one year of work experience in an eligible skilled trades occupation.
• You must be living in Ontario and hold a valid work permit at the time you apply. You can also apply under implied status. You are not required to have a job at the time you apply.
• You must be able to understand, read, write and speak either English or French at a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 or higher.
• You must have enough money to support yourself and your dependent family members when you settle in Canada.
• Masters Graduate stream:  If you have a master’s degree from an Ontario university you can apply under this program.

Eligibility requirements:

• A master’s degree from an eligible Ontario university
• English or French at a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 or higher
•  You must have legally lived in Ontario for at least one year in the past two years before you apply and must submit application within 2 years of fulfilling requirements.
• Must have enough money to support yourself and your dependent family members

• PhD Graduate stream

Eligibility requirements:

• At least 2 years of PhD studies must be finished while living and studying in Ontario.
• You must have legally lived in Ontario for at least one year in the past two years before you apply and must submit application within 2 years of fulfilling requirements.
• Must have enough money to support yourself and your dependent family members

Business category

Entrepreneur stream : Currently, the business category has only one category called entrepreneur stream. This category is for those people who want to start a business or buy an existing business in Ontario.

Eligibility requirements:

• Must have business experience of 24 months in the last 60 months
• Must have a net worth of CAD $800,000 if the business will be in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) OR CAD $400,000 if the business will be located outside the GTA
• Must make a minimum personal investment of CAD $600,000 if the business will in the GTA OR CAD $200,000 if the business will be outside the GTA
• Must control at least one-third of the equity in the business.
• Must be actively involved in the management of the business
• The main purpose of investing must be to make profit
• Must create at least two permanent full-time jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents, if the business will be in GTA, OR one permanent full-time job if the business will be outside the GTA. If the business is in the information and communications sector, or digital communications sector, only one full-time job is required, regardless of location.
• Must meet additional requirements if you are purchasing an existing business.
• English or French at Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 4.