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

Foreign workers, international students and others with the right skills, experience and education apply to the OINP for a nomination.

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

For other ways to immigrate to Ontario, visit the Government of Canada’s website.

 

What you need to know

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 which operate under an expression of interest system. To qualify under the employer job offer streams you must create a profile in the OINP e-Filing Portal then register an expression of interest for your employer job offer category, have received an invitation to apply and have a full-time and permanent job offer from an Ontario employer.

• 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

These streams operate under an expression of interest system. To qualify under the Masters Graduate or PhD Graduate streams, you must create a profile in the OINP e-Filing Portal then register an expression of interest for your graduate stream, have received an invitation to apply and apply within two years of getting your graduate degree from an eligible Ontario university.

• Masters Graduate stream

• PhD Graduate stream

 

Ontario’s Express Entry

These streams operate through the federal government’s Express Entry System. 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

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.

• Entrepreneur stream