Officially called the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), those accepted by the program are basically set on a fast track to Canada Immigration as a provincial nominee within the Express Entry system.
There are three ways you may qualify for a nomination:
- Employer job offer category: for workers who already have a permanent job offer from an Ontario employer
- Human capital category: for workers who have valuable work experience, education, language skills, and a profile in Canada’s Express Entry system; or for graduate students
- Business category: for entrepreneurs looking to start a new or buy an existing business in Ontario
Employer job offer category
The employer job offer category has three streams. You must have a full-time and permanent job offer from an Ontario employer to qualify.
- 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
Human capital category
The human capital category has two sub-categories, the international graduate streams and Ontario’s Express Entry streams.
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.
- Masters Graduate Stream & PhD Graduate Stream
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 (Entrepreneur stream)
The business category has one stream. You must be an entrepreneur from outside of Canada who is looking to implement a new business idea or buy and grow an existing business in Ontario.