Ontario immigrant nominee-program (OINP)

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is the economic immigration program of the province. It works in collaboration with the Government of Canada through Immigration, Refugees and Canadian Citizenship.

The OINP recognizes and nominates people for permanent residence who have the skills and experience the Ontario economy needs, and the Government of Canada further takes the final decision to approve applications.

There are four ways you may qualify for a nomination:

Employer job offer category

You must have a full-time and permanent job offer from an Ontario employer to qualify. The employer job offer category has three streams.

  • Foreign Worker stream: for workers in skilled positions
  • International Student stream: for recent graduates in Ontario
  • In-Demand Skills stream: for intermediate skilled workers in specific sectors, such as agriculture, construction, trucking and personal support workers

International graduates

To qualify under the Masters Graduate or PhD Graduate streams, you must have a graduate degree from an eligible Ontario university and apply within two years of getting your degree. It is further subdivided into the following categories:

  • Masters Graduate stream: It gives international graduates with an Ontario master’s degree the opportunity to apply to permanently live and work in Ontario. You must apply online to be nominated by the Ontario government for permanent residence. If you are nominated, your next step is to apply to the federal government through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). They make the final decision on who becomes a permanent resident.
  • PHD Graduate stream: Individuals who have obtained a PhD degree in Ontario can apply directly for OINP. They do not need a job offer.

Ontario’s Express Entry

To qualify under Ontario’s Express Entry streams, you must have received a notification of interest from Ontario and have an up-to-date profile with your most current work experience, language tests and education in the federal government’s Express Entry system.

  • French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream: for French-Speaking skilled workers with the required work experience, education and language proficiency in French and English
  • Human Capital Priorities stream: for skilled workers with the required work experience, education and language proficiency in French or English
  • Skilled Trades stream: for workers with work experience in Ontario in an eligible trade occupation

Business Category

This stream is for entrepreneurs from outside of Canada interested in starting a new business or buying an existing business in Ontario. It gives an entrepreneur (and up to one foreign national business partner) the opportunity to be nominated for permanent residence once their business has been established in Ontario.

Support for businesses

The Business Immigration Services team takes an active role in helping employers find talent solutions with immigration. We are here to help businesses navigate the immigration system to:

  • fill labour shortages
  • retain international students
  • get skilled workers faster

Amygration business hours are from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm local time at our office locations in Vancouver and Toronto.

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