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5 min read
Have you ever thought of immigrating to Ontario? Over 234,977 immigrants have moved to Ontario in the past two years alone, Ontario actually holds over 40 percent of the Canadian population.
Ontario is best known for being Canada’s main economic hub and as Canada’s wealthiest province. The province has a significant share of the country's natural resources and the most mature and diversified industrial economy.
Learn why moving to Ontario is the best idea with the 5 things to know about the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).
5 Things You Should Know About Moving to Ontario
1. The minimum CRS score for OINP is 400 points
In order to apply for the Human Capital Priorities Stream, which falls under the OINP, you’ll need to first clear the 67 points system. Once you have, you’re eligible to create an Express Entry profile and submit that into the Express Pool along with the profiles of other candidates.
The minimum requirement to be considered for OINP is 400 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points.
What is the Human Capital Priorities Stream of Ontario?
The Human Capital Priorities Stream is known as the centre of the OINP because of its success in bringing thousands of skilled immigrant workers over to Ontario. This stream requires you to have an active Express Entry profile in order to be considered. If you’re successful you’ll receive an additional 600 CRS points as well as an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residency.
What makes this Human Capital Priorities Stream quite special is that you can’t apply directly to the stream or even make an Expression of Interest. This gives you, along with other candidates, hope and a chance to be issued a Notification of Interest (NOI).
2. A job offer isn’t required in order to be eligible
If you would like to apply for Ontario’s PNP as a skilled worker without a job offer, then you can do so through Ontario's Express Entry- Human Capital Priorities Stream as mentioned above.
What are the OINP Express Entry-Human Capital Priority Stream Requirements?
To be eligible for the OINP Express Entry-Human Capital Priority Stream you will need to:
- Have an active Express Entry profile;
- Meet the eligibility requirements for one of the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or Canadian Experience Class (CEC);
- Meet the stream’s work experience requirements;
- Have a Canadian Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. degree or an equivalent foreign education credential;
- Demonstrate a language proficiency level of 7 or higher of the Canadian Language Benchmark;
- Intend to live permanently in Ontario; and
- Have sufficient funds to cover settlement costs in Ontario.
For 2021 so far, the Human Capital Priorities Stream has been one of the most productive Ontario PNP streams with 4,851 Notification of Interest (NOI) already issued to Express Entry candidates.
3. Ontario has processing times that are quick as 60 days
Decisions can be made by the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) within 60 days. After this, the next step will usually take between seven and eight months long. Now, this may seem like a long time to you, however, compared with the usual time of 17 to 32 month processing time, we can see that it’s indeed much faster.
| Average Application Processing Times | |
|---|---|
| OINP Stream | Estimated Processing Time |
| Ontario’s Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker | 30 – 60 days |
| Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities | 30 – 60 days |
| Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades | 30 – 60 days |
| Masters Graduate | 30 – 60 days |
| PhD Graduate | 30 – 60 days |
| Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker | 30 – 60 days |
| Employer Job Offer: International Student | 30 – 60 days |
| Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills | 30 – 60 days |
| Entrepreneur | Expression of Interest (EOI) Assessment: Less than 30 days Applications: Depends on application complexity |
4. Top in-demand jobs in Ontario
The Ontario in-demand occupations under the Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream are the following:
| Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream | |
|---|---|
| NOC Code | Eligible Occupations |
| 7241 | Electricians |
| 7316 | Machine fitters |
| 8211 | Supervisors, logging and forestry |
| 8261 | Fishing masters and officers |
| 8221 | Supervisors, mining and quarrying |
| 7312 | Heavy-duty equipment mechanics |
| 7236 | Ironworkers |
| 7373 | Water well drillers |
| 7331 | Oil and solid fuel heating mechanics |
| 6332 | Baker |
| 8262 | Fisherman |
5. International students can immigrate to Ontario through the OINP
The OINP's International Graduate Stream gives international students, who have a Masters or Ph.D. degree from public-funded universities in Ontario, the ability to apply to the OINP without having a job offer.
You’ll need to submit your application within two years from the date your degree was granted. Please note you can’t apply before your degree is finished.
As an international student, you’re required to have settlement funds that enable you to support yourself while you look for a permanent and full-time job. If you’re successful you will receive a provincial nomination from the OINP which will allow you to apply for Canadian permanent residency.
Now is the time to move to Canada with the government welcoming 401,000 permanent residents in 2021, even better you know which province to move to with the 5 things to know about the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).
The OINP's International Graduate Stream application fee is $1,500.
What are the requirements for the OINP's Masters Graduate Stream
If you would like to apply for the above stream, then you must:
- Complete a full-time study program that lasted at least 1 year to get a master’s degree;
- Graduate from a designated learning institution (DLI) in the province;
- Apply within 2 years of obtaining the master’s degree;
- Have legal status in Canada;
- Demonstrate language proficiency with a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of level 7 for English or French on an approved language test;
- Demonstrate sufficient financial resources to meet the settlement fund requirements as determined by the IRCC;
- Reside in Ontario for at least 12 months in the last 2 years before applying;
- Intend to live and work in Ontario;
- Not intend to enroll in further education.
If you do have a job offer, then you won’t have to show proof of settlement funds as submitting a valid job offer letter from a designated employer in the province shows you meet the requirement.
What are the requirements for the OINP's Ph.D. (PG) Graduate Stream
If you would like to apply for the above stream, then you must:
- Graduate from a 2-year Ph.D. program from a designated publicly-funded institution in Ontario;
- Live in Ontario for at least 1 year in the last 2 years before applying;
- Have sufficient funds to meet the settlement fund requirements;
- Have the intention to live and work in Ontario;
- Apply within 2 years of completing your Ph.D. program; and
- Have temporary residence status in Canada.
Move to Ontario With CanadianVisa.org
Immigrating to another country can be daunting when you aren’t sure what the best option for you or your family is. CanadianVisa.org works with Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) who collectively have many years of experience. They can guide you through your journey to Canada by ensuring you know exactly which program to apply for, making sure you know which documents are needed from you as well as submitting them on your behalf.
Not only does this make the journey easier but it can also increase your success rate. So now you’re aware of the 5 things to know about the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) as well as who can get you there.
