Ontario, located in central Canada, is the most popular destination for new immigrants to the country. The province is home to Toronto, Canada’s economic capital, as well as Ottawa, the nation’s capital. Ontario is, in many ways, the economic, social, and political heart of Canada. By far the most popular destination for newcomers to Canada is Ontario. Each year, the province welcomes one-third of all newcomers. People moved to Ontario for job opportunities, a high standard of living, and a diverse population. Indeed, more than half of Toronto’s population was born outside of Canada.

OVERVIEW OF THE ONTARIO PNP

The Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (OPNP), formerly known as the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), became permanent in February 2009.

The OINP’s primary objectives are to address skill shortages in targeted areas, to make investing in Ontario easier, and to ensure that newcomers settle and integrate successfully into the province.

When the Ontario PNP began in 2009, it was limited to nominating up to 1,000 newcomers. Today, Ontario accepts approximately 8,000 newcomers each year.

Certain immigration streams in Ontario are considered base streams, while others are considered enhanced streams.

Enhanced streams are those that adhere to the Express Entry system’s requirements. This is the federal immigration system in Canada that is used to manage applications for permanent residence under the country’s three primary economic class immigration programmes.

This system assigns a candidate a point total based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The candidates with the highest rankings are then invited to apply for permanent residence.

Those who have been nominated through an enhanced provincial programme receive an additional 600 points, effectively guaranteeing them an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. Additionally, they receive their nomination via their Express Entry profile.

Base streams are unaligned with Express Entry systems. Candidates who have been nominated by a provincial government must apply directly to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

ONTARIO IMMIGRATION CATEGORIES

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), is a network of immigration pathways that allow foreign nationals to become permanent residents of Canada. The PNP is strategically designed to attract immigrants who will benefit the province: skilled workers, workers in high-demand sectors, entrepreneurs, and investors. The province maintains three distinct immigration streams:

• Human Capital Category;
• Employer Job Offer Category;
• Business Category.

ONTARIO HUMAN CAPITAL CATEGORY

Ontario Human Capital is a broad term that refers to a variety of immigration streams aimed at attracting candidates for Ontario’s labour force. Human Capital streams place a premium on skills, abilities, and experience that indicate a foreign national could easily enter the Ontario labour force. Individuals with work or educational experience in Ontario, fluency in both English and French, and competitive Express Entry profiles may be successful in one of these streams.

• Human Capital Priorities – Express Entry: – This category includes the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
• French-Speaking Skilled Worker – Express Entry: – As with Human Capital Priorities, this programme is administered by FSWP and CEC. Candidates for the French-Speaking Skilled Worker position must possess strong communication skills in both French and English.
• Skilled Trades – Express Entry: – For individuals with relevant Ontario work experience in an eligible trade occupation.

“You will be notified if you receive a nomination through Ontario Express Entry. The candidate will then have the option of accepting or declining the nomination. Accepting the nomination entitles you to 600 additional CRS points. This means that you will be invited to apply (ITA) in the next Express Entry draw for all programmes.”

• Masters Graduate: – For individuals who received Master’s degrees from an Ontario University
• Ph.D. Graduate: – For individuals who received Ph.D.’s from an Ontario University.

“Both the Masters and Ph.D. Graduate Streams utilize Ontario’s Expression of Interest (EOI) system.”

EMPLOYER JOB OFFER CATEGORY

Applicants who have a valid job offer from an Ontario employer may apply for immigration under the Ontario Employer Job Offer stream. Both the employer and the job must satisfy certain criteria in order to be valid. Additionally, the applicant must meet certain eligibility requirements depending on the application stream chosen.

• Foreign Worker stream: – for skilled workers;
• International Student with a Job Offer: – for recent graduates of Ontario post-secondary institutions;
• In-Demand Skills: – for intermediate skilled workers in certain sectors, such as agriculture, construction, trucking and personal support workers.

BUSINESS CATEGORY

The Ontario Entrepreneur Stream is one of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program’s (OINP) business streams. OINP is a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) administered by the province of Ontario. This stream is intended for experienced business owners or senior business executives interested in relocating to Ontario. Successful applicants must establish a new business or acquire an existing one in which they will assume day-to-day management responsibilities.

Entrepreneurs may be nominated for permanent resident status after operating an Ontario business for a minimum of 18 months. This is an invitation-only programme. Candidates interested in applying must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) via the OINP e-Filing Portal. Following the completion of the profile registration process, the candidate will be assigned a score based on the Ontario Entrepreneur Ranking System. Candidates who achieve the highest competitive scores will be invited to submit an official application for admission to the programme.