Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is Canada’s largest provincial nominee programme, drawing large numbers of immigrants to the province.

Ontario is Canada’s most popular destination for immigrants from around the world. As Canada’s most populous province, it is home to close to 40 per cent of Canadians. Ontario is also home to Canada’s capital, Ottawa, and its largest city, Toronto. Ontario is the leading destination for newcomers to Canada.

The province receives one-third of all newcomers each year. People choose to settle in Ontario for its employment opportunities, high incomes and diverse population. More than half of those living in Toronto were born outside Canada.

Through this programme, prospective immigrants whose skills and experience match the province’s objectives can receive a nomination from Ontario, after which they may apply for permanent residence in Canada withImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) overview

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)Ontario’s official programme is the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), launched in 2007.

The OINP’s main objectives are to address skills shortages in targeted sectors, facilitate investment in Ontario and ensure that newcomers can settle and integrate well in the province.

At the outset, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program was permitted to nominate a maximum of 1,000 newcomers. Ontario now nominates more than 15,000 newcomers a year.

Some of Ontario’s immigration streams are base streams and others are enhanced streams.

Enhanced streams are those linked to theExpress Entrysystem. This is the federal immigration system Canada uses to manage permanent residence applications through the country’s 3 main economic immigration programmes.

Through this system, candidates are scored against theThe Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The highest-scoring candidates are then invited to apply for permanent residence.

Those who receive a nomination from an enhanced provincial programme are awarded an additional 600 points, making anInvitation to Apply (ITA)to apply for permanent residence all but certain. They also receive the nomination through their Express Entry profile.

Base streams are those not linked to the Express Entry system. Candidates who receive a provincial nomination must apply directly to IRCC.

Ontario’s immigration streams

For those wishing to immigrate to Ontario under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), there are 3 types of immigration stream to choose from:

• Express Entry streams
• Masters or PhD Graduate streams
• Employer Job Offer streams.

Ontario’s Express Entry streams are for highly skilled workers, French-speaking highly skilled workers and skilled tradespeople. These streams operate through Canada’s federal Express Entry system. Only candidates with a valid Express Entry profile are eligible to receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) from the OINP through these streams.

The Masters and PhD Graduate streams are for international students who have graduated from a university in Ontario with a master’s or doctoral degree. No job offer is required to apply under this category.

Finally, the employer job offer streams are for candidates with a valid job offer in Ontario from an employer willing to nominate them.

The table below breaks down each stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). Note that each stream has additional requirements set out in its own section:

Category	Job offer required?	Linked to Express Entry?	Additional requirements
Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream	No	Yes	– Must hold a valid Express Entry profile. – Must have at least 1 year of paid full-time work experience as required by theFederal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)orCanadian Experience Class (CEC). – Must hold a Canadian bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree (or its equivalent from another country). Different requirements apply tonursing. – Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)level 7 or higher (English or French).
Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream	No	Yes	– Must hold a valid Express Entry profile. – Must have at least one year of paid full-time work experience as required by the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). – Must hold a Canadian bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree (or its equivalent from another country). Different requirements apply tonursing. – Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 or higher (English or French).
Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream	No	Yes	– Must hold a valid Express Entry profile. – Must have at least one year of full-time work experience inmajor groups 73, 82, 83 and 93of theNational Occupational Classification (NOC). – Must hold a valid Ontario certificate or licence (if working in acompulsory trade). – Must be living in Ontario and hold a valid work permit at the time of application. – Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 or higher (English or French).
Employer Job Offer stream: Foreign Worker	Yes	No	– Must hold a job offer (meeting the requirements) in a highly skilled occupation at NOC Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) level 0, 1, 2 or 3. – Must have 2 years of work experience if the occupation does not require a licence or other authorisation, or (where no licence/authorisation is needed for the job) in the same occupation as the job offer. – The position offered must be genuinely necessary to the employer’s business operations. – The work must be performed in the province of Ontario. – The wage must meet or exceed the median wage for that occupation in Ontario.
Employer Job Offer stream: In-Demand Skills	Yes	No	– Must hold a job offer (meeting the requirements) in a highly skilled occupation. – The job must be in an in-demand occupation and meet the location and NOC requirements. – Must have nine months of work experience. – The position offered must be genuinely necessary to the employer’s business operations. – Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 or higher (English or French). – Must hold a secondary school qualification. – The wage must meet or exceed the median wage for that occupation in Ontario.
Employer Job Offer stream: International Student	Yes	No	– Must hold a job offer (meeting the requirements) in a highly skilled occupation. The level of education must be equivalent to: + A university degree or diploma requiring 2 years of full-time study to complete + A postgraduate degree or diploma requiring at least 1 year of full-time study to complete + A college graduate certificate requiring at least one year of full-time study to complete + A university graduate certificate requiring at least 1 year of full-time study to complete. – The wage must exceed the low wage for that occupation in Ontario.
Masters Graduate stream	No	No	– Must hold a master’s degree from an eligible university in Ontario, comprising at least 1 year of full-time study (15 hours of study a week). – Current students may apply only if they are taking a course to meet the requirements of a licensed or regulated profession in Ontario, or if they are working full time in Ontario. – Applications to this stream must be submitted within 2 years of completing the requirements for the master’s degree. – Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 or higher (English or French). – Must have lived lawfully in Ontario for at least one year of the past 2 years and intend to continue living in the province. – Candidates are not eligible for this stream if they are living in any Canadian province or territory other than Ontario.
PhD Graduate stream	No	No	– Must hold a doctoral degree from an eligible university in Ontario. – At least 2 years of doctoral study must have been completed while living and studying lawfully in Ontario. – Applications to this stream must be submitted within 2 years of completing the requirements for the doctoral degree. – Must have lived lawfully in Ontario for at least 1 year of the past 2 years and intend to continue living in the province.

Requirements

The following additional eligibility criteria apply to most streams of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). They are explained in full in this section and referred to repeatedly as criteria for the various streams.

A valid licence and certification (where applicable)

If a candidate’s work experience is in a compulsory trade (even if only part of their work experience, and even if they no longer work in that role), they must demonstrate that they held (and/or hold) a valid licence or certificate from a recognised regulatory body in Ontario.

Current residence and legal status in Ontario

If applying from within Canada, the candidate must hold valid status (such as a visitor record, study permit or work permit) at the time of application and maintain that status until the nomination is received. Some streams are open to eligible candidates both inside and outside Canada.

Candidates may also apply if they are on “maintained” status when submitting the OINP application. “Maintained” status arises where the candidate has submitted a request toImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)to renew or extend a temporary status document (such as a visitor record, work permit or study permit) before that document expires.

This status allows the candidate to remain in Canada and continue working or studying under the conditions of their current permit until a decision is made on the application pending at IRCC.

Intention to reside in Ontario

Candidates in this stream must plan to live in Ontario once permanent residence is granted. This intention is established by assessing their ties to Ontario, which may include:

• Working, or having worked, in Ontario
• Having received a job offer, or having applied or interviewed for a job
• Studying
• Volunteering
• Renting or owning property
• Travel
• Having professional networks, affiliations, family ties and personal relationships.

Proof of funds

Candidates must have sufficient funds to support themselves and their dependent family members when settling in Canada.

Family members include a spouse, common-law partner and children under 22, as well as those children’s own children.

Candidates may meet this requirement through one or a combination of the following:

• A balance evidenced by bank statements, or account statements showing other investments such as unlocked fixed deposits, mutual funds and the like
• Annual income from current employment in Ontario
• A job offer in Ontario

The OINP’s definitions of work

Definition of work	Eligible experience
Cumulative work	The work performed must amount to one year in total (1,560 hours), but need not be 1 continuous year of work.
Full-time work experience	The candidate has worked in a job with at least 30 paid hours of work a week, amounting to at least 1,560 paid hours of work in 1 year.
Equivalent part-time work experience	The candidate: – Has worked in a job for at least 15 hours a week over 2 years, amounting to at least 1,560 hours across that two-year period – Has worked across several jobs totalling at least 30 hours a week over one year, amounting to at least 1,560 paid hours of work across that 1-year period

Language testing

To demonstrate English or French ability for the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), candidates must sit a language test with an authorised testing body. The test date must fall within the two years before the date of application.

For English tests, only the following are accepted:

• IELTS General Training
• CELPIP General
• PTE Core

For French tests, the following are accepted:

• TEF Canada
• TCF Canada

Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream

The OINP Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream is designed to give foreign workers with eligible work experience, language ability and education a route to living and working permanently in Ontario.

Candidates in this stream must hold a valid profile in IRCC’s Express Entry pool and receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) from the OINP before they can apply online for a provincial nomination for permanent residence (PR).

Candidates who receive a nomination through Ontario’s Express Entry are notified. The candidate is then free to accept or decline the nomination. Accepting it brings an additional 600 CRS points. This means the candidate will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in the next all-programme Express Entry draw.

Requirements

Below are the minimum requirements for eligibility through one of the Human Capital Priorities streams:

• Must have sufficient funds to support themselves and their family
• Must intend to reside in Ontario
• Must meet the additional requirements for the stream applied to, set out below:

Category	Job offer required?	Linked to Express Entry?	Additional requirements
Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream	No	Yes	– Must hold a profile in Express Entryis valid. – Must have at least 1 year of paid full-time work experience as required by theFederal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)orCanadian Experience Class (CEC). – Must hold a Canadian bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree (or its equivalent from another country), withEducational Credential Assessment (ECA). Different requirements apply to nurses. – Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)level 7 or higher (English or French).

Candidates in the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) Human Capital Priorities Stream may choose to have their work experience assessed against the criteria of the FSWP or the CEC (both part of the federal Express Entry system).

Although the 2 programmes have slightly different work experience criteria, candidates must in both cases:

• Have at least 1 year of work experience meeting the requirements for full-time work or the equivalent part-time work.
• Have gained the work experience only after obtaining the licence or other authorisation needed to perform the work in Ontario (where required). Work experience gained before holding a valid licence or authorisation is not considered eligible under this stream.

In addition to the criteria above, candidates must also demonstrate:

• A valid licence (where required for the work experience)
• Sufficient proof of funds appropriate to their circumstances
• Intention to reside in Ontario
• And legal status in Canada (if applying from within the country)

Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream

The OINP French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream is for highly skilled workers proficient in both English and French. To be considered under this stream, candidates must have registered with the OINP Expression of Interest (EOI) system.

Candidates in this stream must hold a valid profile in IRCC’s Express Entry pool and receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) from the OINP before they can apply online for a provincial nomination for permanent residence (PR).

Candidates who receive a nomination through Ontario’s Express Entry are notified. The candidate is then free to accept or decline the nomination. Accepting it brings an additional 600The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)points. This means the candidate will receive anInvitation to Apply (ITA)in the next draw.

Requirements for the Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream:

Category	Is a job offer required?	Linked to Express Entry?	Additional requirements
Ontario French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream	No	Yes	– Must hold a valid Express Entry profile – Must have at least 1 year of paid full-time work experience as required by theFederal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)orCanadian Experience Class (CEC) – Must hold a Canadian bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree (or its equivalent from another country). Different requirements apply to nurses – Language requirement:Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)level 7 or higher (English or French)

In addition to the criteria above, candidates must:

• Intend to reside in Ontario
• Hold legal status in Canada, if applying from within the country
• Have sufficient settlement funds to meet the programme requirement

Note: candidates must sit two language tests (English and French) to be eligible for this stream.

Ontario Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)Ontario Express Entry Skilled Trades Streamis for newcomers with professional experience in an eligible skilled trade. To be considered under this stream, candidates must have registered withthe OINP Expression of Interest (EOI) system.

Candidates in this stream must hold a valid profile in the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Express Entry pool and receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) from the OINP before applying online for a provincial nomination for permanent residence (PR).

Candidates who receive a nomination through Ontario Express Entry are notified. The candidate is then free to accept or decline the nomination. Accepting it brings an additional 600 CRS points. This means the candidate will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in the next all-programme Express Entry draw.

Category	Is a job offer required?	Linked to Express Entry?	Additional requirements
Ontario Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream	No	Yes	– Must hold a valid Express Entry profile – Must have at least 1 year of paid full-time work experience in major groups 73, 82, 83 and 93 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) – Must hold a valid Ontario certificate or licence (if working in a compulsory trade) – Must be living in Ontario and hold a valid work permit at the time of application – Language requirement: Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 or higher (English or French)

In addition to the criteria above, candidates in this stream must:

• Currently reside in Ontario and hold legal status in Canada. If the candidate’s work permit has expired, they may still apply to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) provided they applied to IRCC to renew/extend the work permit before it expired
• Demonstrate the settlement funds required for their circumstances
• Intend to settle in Ontario if permanent residence status is granted

Masters and PhD Graduate streams

The following programmes are not linked to Express Entry. Candidates must create a profile and register an expression of interest (EOI) to be nominated for permanent residence (PR) by the OINP

Masters stream

The Masters Graduate stream is designed to give international students who have completed a master’s degree in Ontario the opportunity to be nominated for permanent residence.

Under this stream, candidates must register with the OINP Expression of Interest (EOI) system before applying online for a nomination from the Government of Ontario.

Stream	Is a job offer required?	Linked to Express Entry?	Eligibility requirements
Masters Graduate stream	No	No	– Must hold a master’s degree from an eligible university in Ontario, comprising at least 1 year of full-time study (15 hours of study a week). Current students may apply only if they are taking a course to meet the requirements of a licensed or regulated profession in Ontario, or if they are working full time in Ontario – Applications to this stream must be submitted within 2 years of completing the requirements for the master’s degree – Language requirement: Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 or higher (English or French) – Must have lived lawfully in Ontario for at least 1 year of the past 2 years and intend to continue living in the province – Candidates are not eligible for this stream if they are living in any province or territory other than Ontario

In addition to the criteria above, candidates must:

• Demonstrate sufficient settlement funds for this stream, appropriate to their circumstances
• Intend to reside in Ontario
• Hold legal status in Canada at the time of application, if applying from within the country

PhD stream

The PhD Graduate stream is designed to give international students who have completed a doctoral degree in Ontario the opportunity to apply for permanent residence.

Stream	Is a job offer required?	Linked to Express Entry?	Eligibility requirements
PhD Graduate stream	No	No	– Must hold a doctoral degree from an eligible university in Ontario. At least 2 years of doctoral study must have been completed while living and studying lawfully in Ontario – Applications to this stream must be submitted within 2 years of completing the requirements for the doctoral degree – Must have lived lawfully in Ontario for at least 1 year of the past 2 years and intend to continue living in the province

In addition to the criteria above, candidates must:

• Demonstrate sufficient settlement funds for this stream, appropriate to their circumstances
• Intend to reside in Ontario
• Hold legal status in Canada at the time of application, if applying from within the country

Employer Job Offer streams

These streams offer a route to permanent residence for those with an eligible job offer in the province of Ontario. Each stream has its own additional requirements.

All Employer Job Offer streams of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) require:

• The job offer is made for a full-time, permanent position
• The job offer is in an occupation eligible under the requirements of each stream
• The work set out in the job offer is essential to the employer’s business operations. This means the work offered must be consistent with the employer’s current business activity, and the position recruited for must need to be filled urgently in order to maintain or grow the business
• The work set out in the job offer is performed in Ontario

How it works

• Candidates need to create a profile on the OINP online application portal and register an expression of interest (EOI).
• Ontario holds regular provincial draws to invite the highest-ranked candidates in the pool. If invited, the candidate receives a notification in the portal and must submit the application within 14 calendar days.

Foreign Worker category

The Employer Job Offer: International Worker stream offers a route for international workers (both inside and outside Canada) to settle permanently in Ontario. To be considered under this stream, candidates must have registered with the OINP Expression of Interest (EOI) system.

Stream	Is a job offer required?	Linked to Express Entry?	Eligibility requirements
Employer Job Offer stream: International Worker	Yes	No	– Must hold a job offer (meeting the stated requirements) in a skilled occupation at NOC Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) level 0, 1, 2 or 3 – Must have 2 years of work experience if the occupation does not require a licence or other authorisation, or (where no licence/authorisation is needed for the job) in the same occupation as the job offer – The position offered must be essential to the employer’s business operations – The work must be performed in the province of Ontario – The wage must meet or exceed the median wage for that occupation in Ontario

In addition to the criteria above, candidates must:

• Intend to reside in Ontario
• Hold legal status in Canada, if applying from within the country
• Have sufficient settlement funds to meet the programme requirement
• Hold a job offer paying at or above the current median wage in the particular region of Ontario where the work will be performed. The current median wage can be found on the government’s Job Bank site

International Student category

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) Employer Job Offer: International Student stream provides a pathway for international workers (both inside and outside Canada) with a job offer in an in-demand occupation to settle permanently in Ontario. To be considered under this stream, candidates must have registered with the OINP Expression of Interest (EOI) System.

Stream	Is a job offer required?	Linked to Express Entry?	Eligibility requirements
Employer Job Offer: International Student stream	Yes	No	– Must have a job offer (meeting the stated requirements) in a skilled occupation. The level of education must be equivalent to: + A university degree or diploma requiring 2 years of full-time study to complete + A postgraduate degree or diploma requiring at least 1 year of full-time study to complete + A college diploma requiring at least one year of full-time study to complete + A university degree requiring at least one year of full-time study to complete

In addition to the criteria above, candidates must:

• Intend to reside in Ontario
• Hold legal status in Canada, if applying from within the country
• Have sufficient settlement funds to meet the programme requirement
• Hold a job offer paying at or above the low wage level for the specific region of Ontario where the work will be performed. Current low wage levels can be found on the government’sJob Bankpage.

In-Demand Skills category

The Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream provides a pathway for international workers (both inside and outside Canada) with a job offer in an in-demand occupation to settle permanently in Ontario. To be considered under this stream, candidates must have registered with theExpression of Interest (EOI) Systemof the OINP.

Stream	Is a job offer required?	Linked to Express Entry?	Eligibility requirements
Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream	Yes	No	– Must have a job offer (meeting the stated requirements) in a skilled occupation. The level of education must be equivalent to: + A university degree or diploma requiring 2 years of full-time study to complete + A postgraduate degree or diploma requiring at least 1 year of full-time study to complete + A college diploma requiring at least one year of full-time study to complete + A university degree requiring at least one year of full-time study to complete

In addition to the criteria above, candidates must:

• Intend to live in Ontario;
• Hold legal status in Canada, if applying from within the country
• Have sufficient settlement funds to meet the programme requirement
• Hold a job offer paying at or above the low wage level for the specific region of Ontario where the work will be performed. Current low wage levels can be found on the government’sJob Bankpage.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)