Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)

The corporate stream allows international corporations that are looking to expand their operations into Ontario or buy an already existing business in the province to nominate key staff members to live and work in the province of Ontario.

Once the business has been successfully set up and met all obligations as per the performance agreement, five company staff members could be eligible to be nominated for permanent residency.

Eligibility criteria:

The eligibility would depend on how viable the business is and the economic benefits that the proposed business would bring to the province. If the business proposal is approved by the OINP, key staff members of the business would be able to apply for a temporary work permit so that they would be able to establish the business in the province.

Corporation Requirements:

• At the time of submitting the application, the corporation should have been established for a minimum of 3 years.
• Eligible business types include: Public corporations, Sole proprietorships and Partnerships.

Investment Requirements:

• The corporation should make a minimum investment of $5 million to either expand their business to Ontario or to purchase an existing business in the province.
• The proposed business must demonstrate significant economic benefits to Ontario.

Local Job Creation Requirements:

• You must create 5 new permanent and full-time jobs for Canadian Citizens or permanent residents for each key staff member that you propose for permanent residency. For eg: if you nominate 5 key staff members for PR, then you would need to create 25 new positions within your corporation, for existing Canadian Citizens or permanent residents.
• The employee wage rates must be set at or above the prevailing wage rates for the job position.
• A full-time permanent job position should consist of a minimum of 1,560 hours of paid employment within a period of 1 year.
• The position must be continuously filled for at least 10 months prior to the submission of your final report.

General Requirements:

• There should be a direct structural linkage between the parent corporation and the proposed business in Ontario (eg: a subsidiary, branch etc).
• The proposed business should not intend to make profits through the sale of goods and services.
• The primary income source must be earned income, not passive (unearned) income.
• The business must comply with all legal Canadian requirements and regulations.
• If an existing business is purchased, then it needs to be incorporated in Ontario.
• The business would need to comply with all the Province’s labour laws.
• The proposed business must be permanent and cannot be project or seasonal based.
• Any third-party investors must be a Schedule I or Schedule II bank or an institutional investor.
• The business should not be involved in an immigration linked investment scheme.
• A business plan needs to be submitted for the proposed business.

Key Staff and Position Requirements:
Up to 5 key staff members may be nominated for permanent residency to establish the business in Ontario. All staff members must meet Stage 1 and stage 2 requirements when applying as listed below.

• Stage 1: Key Staff Application Requirements
  1. The nominated key staff members would need to be holding senior, executive or management positions as per Skill level O or A in the National Occupation Classification (NOC) code.
  2. Only one key staff member from NOC skill level A position can be nominated. All other proposed staff members need to be in Skill level O.
  3. The key staff members proposed must have worked for a minimum of 3 years in the last 5 years in the job position they intend to hold in the proposed business. They must also have been continuously working for your corporation in the 12 months immediately prior to application submission.
  4. Key staff members cannot have an immediate family relationship with any of the company board of directors or Executive board or shareholders who have more than a 10% equity in the business
  5. Proposed key staff members should not have held any equity in the corporation, except in a situation where the equity was part of the renumeration package or employee contract. In this case, they should not have held more than 10% equity in the business.
  6. The key staff position in the proposed business in Ontario must be a permanent and full-time and meet the prevailing wage levels.
• Stage 2: Key Staff Nomination Requirements
  1. Position Requirement: All key staff must hold the position that they were approved for by the OINP and carry out the approved job responsibilities. They should be earning at the prevailing wage rate or above, for the position they hold within the corporation.
  2. Residency Requirement: All key staff members need to reside for at least 9 months of the year in Ontario on a temporary work permit to support the business.
  3. Language Requirement: Key staff need to have a minimum language proficiency of CLB 4 or higher in either English or French in all components of the language exam.

STEPS TO APPLY  

• All applications must be submitted online through the OINP e-filling portal.
• It takes roughly 3 hours to complete the application You don’t have to complete the application in one sitting. You can save your work and continue at a later time if you cannot finish it in one go.
• The application can be completed yourself or using a representative.
• A fee of $3,500 needs to be paid for EACH key staff applicant you nominate.
• Payment methods accepted are card payments only: VISA or Mastercard.

1.2 Business Category: Entrepreneur stream
The Entrepreneur stream is for entrepreneurs residing outside Canada and interested in starting a new business or buying an existing business in Ontario. Once the business has been established in Ontario, this stream allows the Entrepreneur and one business partner, the opportunity to be nominated for permanent residency. If nominated, applicants would need to apply to the federal government, through IRCC, as the final decision will be made by them.

Eligibility requirements

1. Business experience:
   • You must show that you have at least 3 years of full-time business experience in the last 5 years and the experience must be as a business owner or senior manager.
   • As a business owner you should also have played an active role in the business and have a minimum of 1/3rd ownership of the business.
2.  Net worth:
   • If the business is located within the Greater Toronto area it should have a minimum net worth of $1,500,000.
   • If the business is located outside the Greater Toronto Area it should have a minimum net worth of $800,000.
   • If the business is in the IT and Communications sector, then a minimum net worth of $800,000 is required, regardless of where the company is located.
3. Personal investment funds and minimum equity
   • If the proposed business is located in the Greater Toronto area, then you must have a personal investment of $1,000,000 with a 1/3rd equity ownership in the business.
   • If the business is located outside the greater Toronto area, then you need to make a minimum personal investment of $500,000 with a 1/3rd equity ownership.
   • If the business is in the IT and Communications sector, then you need to make a minimum personal investment of $500,000 with a 1/3rd equity ownership regardless of where the business is located.
4. Active involvement: You need to be actively involved in the day-to-day management of the business
5. Capital investment purpose: The primary reason for investing capital in the business is to make a profit, not for capital gains, interest or dividends.
6. Job creation: You must create a minimum of two full-time permanent jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents within the first 20 months of establishing the business and pay them at the prevailing wage rate for the position.
7. Additional requirements if purchasing an existing business:>
   • You need to make at least one business related visit to Ontario within 12 months of registering an Expression of Interest.
   • The business needs to have been in continuous operation by the same owners for the last 5 years before applying.
   • 100% ownership of the business must be transferred to the applicant or business partner.
   • A portion of your personal investment must be used to expand or improve the business in Ontario.
   • You need to retain all full time, permanent employees that worked in the business prior to transferring the ownership.
8. Business purpose: The proposed business should not make profits from the sale of goods or services.
9. Canadian and Ontario legal requirements: The business needs to comply with all Federal, Provincial, Municipal and regulatory agreements, including compliance with the province’s labour and employment laws.
10. Permanent business: The business must be permanent and cannot be project based or seasonal.
11. Business in Ontario: You need to maintain a physical place of business in Ontario at all times.
12. Application fee: The application fee is $3,500 for yourself and for your business partner. Payment must be made online and methods accepted are Visa and Mastercard.

STEPS TO APPLY

This stream has two application stages:

Stage 1

1. Register an expression of interest (EOI) online
2. If invited to apply, then submit an online application through the OINP e-Filing Portal. The invitation to apply will have all the details. You can complete the application yourself or have a representative do it on your behalf. It takes about 90 minutes to complete. You must submit the application within 90 days of being invited to apply.
3. You and your business partner would need to attend an in-person interview at the OINP office in Toronto.
4. If the stage 1 application is complete then you must sign a performance agreement

Stage 2

1. A temporary work permit support letter will be issued so that you can apply to the IRCC for a temporary work permit
2. You would be given 1.5 years (20 months) to establish your business and submit a final report
3.  If the business meets all the requirements, you would be asked to provide additional documentation to ensure that you are eligible for nomination for permanent residence. Including:
   • Demonstrate a minimum language proficiency of CLB 4 in all components of the language exam in either English or French.
   • While establishing your business in Ontario, you would need to be physically living in Ontario for at least 75% of the time.
   • You need to be actively involved in the day-to-day management of the business

*If your application is successful and you receive a letter of nomination, then you would be given a period of 6 months to apply for permanent residence in Ontario.

This stream offers skilled foreign workers with occupations listed under skill type O, A or B of the NOC code, the opportunity to live and work in Ontario. It is open to foreign workers both in and outside Canada.

Eligibility Requirements

• Job offer requirements:
  • You must have a job offer in Ontario from a valid employer. The job offer must be full-time and permanent (minimum of 1,560 hours a year, with at-least 30 hours of paid work per week)
  • The job must fall under skill level O, A or B of the NOC code.
  • The salary must be at the prevailing wage rate or higher for the occupation. The wage rates do not apply if you have a collective agreement between the employer and a union that determines what your wage rate is.
  • The position offered would need to align with the employer’s existing business activities, and the position should be needed to maintain or grow the company’s business.
  • The work that you do in the position must occur primarily in Ontario.

• Applicant requirements
  • You need to have a minimum of two years, full-time paid work experience in the same occupation as your job offer in the five years immediately prior to submitting the application OR You need to show proof of a licence for the job that you have been offered.
  • If you require a licence when you apply for the job, you need to provide it along with the application.
  • You must show your intention to live in Ontario after being granted permanent residence.
  • If you are applying from within Canada, you must be on a valid permit – visitor, study or work permit.

• Employer requirements
  • Been in active business 3 years immediately prior to submitting the application
  • Have a physical office in Ontario
  • Have no outstanding orders against the company under the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 or the Occupational Health and Safety Act
  • Show that sufficient efforts were made to first recruit Canadian permanent residents and Citizens before offering employment to a foreign worker
  • Revenue and employee requirements:
    • If working in the Greater Toronto area, the company must make a minimum of $1,000,000 in gross annual revenue, and have at least five full-time employees who are Canadian permanent residents or citizens for the duration of the most recently concluded fiscal year
    • If the company is situated outside the Greater Toronto area, the company would need to show a minimum of $500,000 in total gross annual revenue and at-least three full-time employees who are Canadian permanent residents or citizens for the duration of the most recently concluded fiscal year
  • The employer must fill out and sign an employer form, and give it to you to scan and upload along with your application

  STEPS TO APPLY

  • Applications would need to be made online through the OINP e-filing portal
  • The application takes about 3 hours to complete.
  • you must submit your application within 14 calendar days after you register, or your registration will expire
  • The application can be completed by yourself or a representative
  • Cost of applying: The application and processing fees of applying in the Greater Toronto area is $2,000 and outside the Greater Toronto area is $1,500. Payment can be made online by either a Visa or Mastercard.
  • If the application is successful, you would receive a nomination approval letter and an OINP certificate of nomination by email.
  • After being nominated, you would be given six months to apply for permanent residence.

  2.2 Employer Job Offer Category: International Student Stream

  This stream is for International students who have received a job offer in an occupation which falls under Skill type O, A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) and allows you to live and work in Ontario. It is open to international students both in and outside Canada.

  Eligibility requirements

  • Job offer requirements
    • Must have a full-time, permanent job offer in Ontario with a minimum of 1,560 hours of work per year (minimum 30 hours of paid work per week)
    • The job offer must fall under skill level O, A or B of the NOC code
    • The wages offered must be in line with prevailing wage rates or higher for the position offered. The wage rate does not apply if you have a collective written agreement between your employer and the workplace.
    • The position that is offered would need to align with the employer’s existing business activities and the position should be needed to maintain or grow the company’s business.
    • The work that you do in the position must occur primarily in Ontario.
  • Applicant requirements
    • Education: You need to have obtained a degree or diploma that was a minimum of two years in length and based on a full-time basis from an eligible Canadian education institute. Alternatively you need to have a degree or diploma that takes one year to complete if you study on a full-time basis, and one that requires a completed degree as an admission requirement. You should also have completed at least half of your studies while living and studying in Canada.
    • A valid licence or other authorization
    • Show intention to live in Ontario after you have been granted permanent residence
    • Have legal status in Canada if applying onshore – a visitor, study or work permit
    • The application must be submitted within two years of the date of your education qualification (degree, diploma or certificate)
  • Employer requirements
    • Been in active business 3 years immediately prior to submitting application
    • Have a physical office in Ontario
    • Have no outstanding orders against the company under the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 or the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
    • Revenue and employee requirements:
      • If working in the Greater Toronto area, the company must make a minimum of $1,000,000 in gross annual revenue, and have at least five full time employees who are Canadian permanent residents or citizens for the duration of the most recently concluded fiscal year
      • If the company is situated outside the Greater Toronto area, then the company would need to show a minimum of $500,000 in total gross annual revenue and at-least three full-time employees who are Canadian permanent residents or citizens for the duration of the most recently concluded fiscal year
    • The employer must fill out and sign an employer form, and give it to you to scan and upload along with your application

    STEPS TO APPLY

    • Applications would need to be made online through the OINP e-filing portal
    • The application takes about 3 hours to complete.
    • You must submit your application within 14 calendar days after you register, or your registration will expire
    • The application can be completed by yourself or a representative
    • Application fee is $1,500 and payment can be made online using Visa or Mastercard
    • If the application is successful, you would receive a nomination approval letter and an OINP certificate of nomination by email.
    • After receiving the nomination, you would be given six months to apply for permanent residence.
    
    

    Employer Job Offer Category: In-Demand Skills Stream

    This stream allows foreign workers who have received a job offer in certain on-demand occupations like agriculture or construction, to apply for permanent residence in Ontario. The stream is open to both foreign workers in and outside Canada.

    Eligibility Requirements

    Job offer requirements

    • Must have a full-time, permanent job offer in Ontario with a minimum of 1,560 hours of work per year (minimum 30 hours of paid work per week)
    • The position must be in an occupation under one of the following skill levels: C or D of the NOC code:
      • NOC 7441 - residential and commercial installers and servicers
      • NOC 7521 - heavy equipment operators (except crane)
      • NOC 7611 - construction trades helpers and labourers
      • NOC 8431 - general farm workers
      • NOC 8432 - nursery and greenhouse workers
      • NOC 8611 - harvesting labourers
      • NOC 9462 - industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
    • The wages offered must be in-line with prevailing wage rates or higher for the position offered. The wage rate does not apply if you have a collective written agreement between your employer and the workplace.
    • The position that is offered would need to align with the employer’s existing business activities and the position should be needed to maintain or grow the company’s business.
    • The work that you do in the position must occur primarily in Ontario.
    
    

    Applicant requirements

    • You would need to have worked at-least one year on full-time basis or the equivalent in part time, paid work in Ontario under the same occupation as your job offer.
    • The work experience should have been gained within the three years immediately prior to applying, while legally living in the province. Full-time work would amount to a minimum of 30 hours per week, with at-least 1,560 hours of paid work in a year. Part-time work means working for a minimum of 15 hours per week, resulting in a total of 1,560 paid hours of work in a period of two years.
    • Valid licence or other authorization
    • A minimum language proficiency of CLB 4 in either English of French across all components of the exam. The test results cannot be more than 2 years old at the time of applying.
    • You would need to have a minimum of a Canadian high school diploma or an international equivalent. If your studies were completed outside Canada, you would need to get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to prove the educational qualification is valid.
    • You must have enough money to support yourself and any dependent family members when you settle in Canada.
    • Show intention to live in Ontario after you have been granted permanent residence
    • Have legal status in Canada if applying onshore – a visitor, study or work permit
    
    

    Employer requirements

    • Been in active business, 3 years immediately prior to submitting an application
    • Have a physical office in Ontario
    • Have no outstanding orders against the company under the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 or the Occupational Health and Safety Act
    • Revenue and employee requirements:
      • If working in the greater Toronto area, the company should be making a minimum of $1,000,000 in gross annual revenue, and have at least five full time employees who are Canadian permanent residents or citizens for the duration of the most recently concluded fiscal year
      • If the company is outside the Greater Toronto area, then the company would need to show a minimum of $500,000 in total gross annual revenue and at-least three full-time employees who are Canadian permanent residents or citizens for the duration of the most recently concluded fiscal year
    • The employer must fill out and sign an employer form, and give it to you to scan and upload along with your application

    STEPS TO APPLY

    • Applications would need to be made online through the OINP e-filing portal
    • The application takes about 3 hours to complete.
    • You must submit your application within 14 calendar days after you register, or your registration will expire
    • The application can be completed by yourself or a representative
    • Cost of applying: The application and processing fees if applying in the Greater Toronto area is $2,000 and outside the Greater Toronto area is $1,500. Payment can be made online by either a Visa or Mastercard.
    • If the application is successful, you would receive a nomination approval letter and an OINP certificate of nomination by email.
    • After receiving the nomination, you would be given six months to apply for permanent residence.

International Graduates: Master’s Graduate Stream

The Master’s graduate stream is for International graduates who hold a Master’s degree from Ontario, allowing them to live and work permanently in the province.

Eligibility requirements

• Education: You must have achieved a Master’s degree by pursuing at-least one year of full time study (15 hours a week) and gained your degree from an eligible Ontario University
• You must demonstrate a minimum language proficiency of CLB 7 in either English or French on all components. The test results should not be older than two years at the time of application.
• You must have lived at-least one out of the last two years in Ontario before applying for the visa
• You must have sufficient funds to support yourself and any dependent family members when you settle in Canada
• You must show the intent to live and work in Ontario once you receive your permanent residency
• At the time of applying, you should either be living in Ontario on a legal status (Study, work permit or a visitor record) or living outside of Canada
• You must submit your application within two years of completing the requirements to obtain your master’s degree. If you do not have the degree with you at the time of application, you would need to get an official letter from your University indicating when your degree will be granted.

STEPS TO APPLY

• Applications would need to be made online through the OINP e-filing portal
• The application takes about 2 hours to complete.
• You must submit your application within 14 calendar days after you register, or your registration will expire
• The application can be completed by yourself or a representative
• Application fee is $1,500 and payment can be made online using Visa or Mastercard
• If the application is successful, you would receive a nomination approval letter and an OINP certificate of nomination by email.
• After receiving the nomination, you would be given six months to apply for permanent residence.

3. Human Capital Category:

3.1.2 International Graduates: PHD graduate stream 

This stream allows international graduates with a PHD in Ontario to live and work in Ontario permanently.

Eligibility requirements

• Education: You must have achieved a PHD degree from an eligible Ontario University and at least two years of your PhD studies must have been completed while legally living and studying in Ontario.
• You must have enough funds to support yourself and any dependent family members after you settle in Canada
• You must show the intent to live and work in Ontario once you receive your permanent residency
• At the time of applying, you should either be living in Ontario on a legal status (Study, work permit or a visitor record) or living outside of Canada
• You must submit your application within two years of completing the requirements to obtain your PHD. If you do not have the degree with you at the time of application, you would need to get an official letter from your University indicating when your degree will be granted.

STEPS TO APPLY

• Applications would need to be made online through the OINP e-filing portal
• The application takes about 2 hours to complete.
• You must submit your application within 14 calendar days after you register, or your registration will expire
• The application can be completed by yourself or a representative
• Application fee is $1,500 and payment can be made online using Visa or Mastercard
• If your application is successful, you would receive a nomination approval letter and an OINP certificate of Nomination by email.
• You would have six months from being nominated to apply for permanent residency.

3. Human Capital Category

3.2.1 Ontario’s Express Entry: French Speaking Skilled worker Stream

This stream allows French- speaking foreign skilled workers who have strong English language abilities to live and work in Ontario permanently.

To be applicable, candidates would need to have a valid profile in the IRCC Express Entry system and receive a Notification of Interest from the province before you could apply to be nominated for Permanent Residency. If you are nominated, you would need to additionally apply to the federal government through the IRCC.

IRCC’s express entry system

Before creating an online profile in the IRCC’s Express entry system you must first:

• take a language test to determine your language ability
• If you have an overseas education qualification you would need to get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to ensure that the qualification is valid
• Determine which skill type your previous work experience would fall under on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code

Once the above is complete, you can create your individual express entry profile. If you meet all the eligibility criteria, you will be accepted into the express entry pool of candidates. You will receive an express entry profile number and a job seeker validation code. These would need to be submitted along with your application to the OINP.

To qualify for the French speaking skilled worker stream, you would additionally need to meet the requirements of one of the following federal immigration programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), or
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

When submitting your application to the OINP, you will need to specify which of the above two federal programs you would like to be assessed against.

Eligibility requirements

1. Work experience

   Decide which of the following two programs you want to be assessed against:

   • Federal Skilled Worker Program
   • Canadian Experience Class

   Under the Federal Skilled worker program, you must:

   • Have at least a year of continuous, paid full-time work experience or the equivalent in part-time work, under skill type O, A or B of the NOC code.
   • The work experience should have been in the primary occupation listed in your express entry profile and should have been gained within five years from the date of the Nomination of Interest from Ontario.
   • Your work experience may be from Canada or overseas.

   Under the Canadian Experience Class, you must:

   • Have at least a year of continuous, paid, full-time work experience or the equivalent in part-time work, under a skill type O, A or B of the NOC code.
   • The work experience should have been in one or more occupations listed in the express entry profile and obtained within the three years from the date of receiving your nomination of interest from Ontario.
   • The work experience should also have been completed while in Canada on a legal status.

   Under both programs:

   • The work experience must have been obtained in a period of one year, totalling to a minimum of 1,560 hours of paid work.
   • The required work experience must have been reached by the date you receive your nomination. Any work completed after receiving the NOI would not be counted.
   • Full-time work experience refers to working for a minimum of 30 hours of paid work per week, amounting to at-least 1,560 hours of work in a year.
   • Part-time equivalent work experience is:
   • Working in one job with a minimum of 15 hours of paid work per week, amounting to a total of 1,560 hours of paid work within two years OR
   • Working more than one job, amounting to a total of 30 hours of paid work per week, and resulting in a minimum of 1,560 hours of paid work in one year.
   • Internships and volunteer work does not count as valid work experience
2. Education

   You need to have a minimum of a Canadian Bachelor’s, Master’s or PHD degree or an international equivalent. If your studies were completed overseas, you would need to get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report to prove the validity of your education qualification. The ECA assessment should be done with one of the following IRCC approved organizations:

   • Comparative Education Service – University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies
   • International Credential Assessment Service of Canada
   • International Credential Evaluation Service
   • International Qualifications Assessment Service
   • Medical Council of Canada (professional body for Doctors)
   • Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (professional body for Pharmacists)
   • World Education Services

   The ECA report should not be older than 5 years when submitting the application.

3. Language:

   Minimum requirements

   English language: Minimum proficiency level of CLB 6 in reading, writing, listening and speaking

   French Language: Minimum language proficiency of CLB 7 in reading, writing, listening and speaking

   *An approved language test would need to be taken to determine the minimum language proficiency. Accepted language tests are TEF and TCF Canada for French, and IELTS and CELPIP for English. The test results of the language exam should not be more than 2 years old.

4. Settlement Funds: You must have sufficient funds to support yourself and any dependent family members when you settle in Canada.
5. Intention to reside in Ontario: You must intend to live in the province of Ontario once you gain your permanent residence.
6. Legal Status: if applying from within Canada, you would need to be on a valid visitor record, study permit or a work permit.
7. Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): If you choose to be assessed against the FSWP, you would need to score a minimum of 67 points on the following selection factors- Age, Education, Language proficiency, Work experience, Adaptability and Arranged employment in Canada.

STEPS TO APPLY

• Once you receive a notification of interest, you would have 45 days to apply under this stream
• You have to apply online through the OINP e-Filing Portal
• The application takes about 3 hours to complete.
• You must submit your application within 14 calendar days after you register, or your registration will expire
• The application can be completed by yourself or a representative
• Application fee is $1,500 and payment can be made online using Visa or Mastercard
• If your application is successful, you will receive a nomination approval letter and an OINP certificate of nomination by mail.
• You would be given 30 days to accept or refuse the nomination in the express entry system.
• Once accepted, you will receive an additional 600 points for being nominated.
• You will receive an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence from the IRCC. Once you receive the ITA, you would be given 60 days to submit your application for permanent residence

3.2.2 Ontario’s Express Entry: Human Capital Priorities Stream

The Human Capital priorities stream allows foreign skilled workers with the required education, language proficiency and skilled work experience the chance to apply for permanent residency in Ontario.

Before applying for permanent residence under this stream, all candidates must have a valid profile in the IRCC express entry system and have received a Notification of Interest from Ontario. If you are nominated, the next step would be to apply to the federal government through IRCC.

IRCC’s express entry system

Before creating an online profile in the IRCC’s Express entry system you must first:

• take a  language test to determine your language ability
• If you have an overseas education qualification you would need to get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to ensure that the qualification is valid
• Determine which skill type your previous work experience would fall under on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code

Once the above is complete, you can create your individual express entry profile. If you meet all the eligibility criteria, you will be accepted into the express entry pool of candidates. You will receive an express entry profile number and a job seeker validation code. These would need to be submitted along with your application to the OINP.

To qualify for the French speaking skilled worker stream, you would additionally need to meet the requirements of one of the following federal immigration programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), or
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

When submitting your application to the OINP, you will need to specify which of the above two federal programs you would like to be assessed against.

Eligibility requirements

1. Work experience

   Decide which of the following two programs you want to be assessed against:

   • Federal Skilled Worker Program
   • Canadian Experience Class

   Under the Federal Skilled worker program, you must:

   • Have at least a year of continuous, paid full-time work experience or the equivalent in part-time work, under a skill type O, A or B of the NOC code.
   • The work experience should have been in the primary occupation listed in your express entry profile and should have been gained within five years from the date of the Nomination of Interest from Ontario.
   • Your work experience may be from Canada or overseas.

   Under the Canadian Experience Class, you must:

   • Have at least a year of continuous, paid full-time work experience or the equivalent in part-time work, under a skill type O, A or B of the NOC code.
   • The work experience should have been in one or more occupations listed in the express entry profile and obtained within the three years from the date of receiving your nomination of interest from Ontario.
   • The work experience should also have been completed while in Canada on a legal status.

   Under both programs:

   •  The work experience must have been obtained in a period of one year, totalling to a minimum of 1,560 hours of paid work.
   • The required work experience must have been reached by the date you receive your nomination. Any work completed after receiving the NOI would not be counted.
   • Full-time work experience refers to working for a minimum of 30 hours of paid work per week, amounting to at-least 1,560 hours of work in a year.
   • Part-time equivalent work experience is:
   • Working in one job with a minimum of 15 hours of paid work per week, amounting to a total of 1,560 hours of paid work within two years OR
   • Working more than one job, amounting to a total of 30 hours of paid work per week, and resulting in a minimum of 1,560 hours of paid work in one year.
   • Internships and volunteer work does not count as valid work experience
2. Education

   You need to have a minimum of a Canadian Bachelor’s, Master’s or PHD degree or an international equivalent. If your studies were completed overseas, you would need to get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report to prove the validity of your education qualification. The ECA assessment should be done with one of the following IRCC approved organizations:

   • Comparative Education Service – University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies
   • International Credential Assessment Service of Canada
   • International Credential Evaluation Service
   • International Qualifications Assessment Service
   • Medical Council of Canada (professional body for Doctors)
   • Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (professional body for Pharmacists)
   • World Education Services

   The ECA report should not be older than 5 years when submitting the application.

3. Minimum requirements
   • You need to have a minimum language ability of CLB 7 in either English or French by taking an approved English or French language test.
   • Accepted language tests for French language are TEF and TCF Canada and for English language; IELTS and CELPIP
   • The test results of the language exam should not be more than 2 years old.
4. Settlement Funds: You must have sufficient funds to support yourself and any dependent family members when you settle in Canada.
5. Intention to reside in Ontario: You must intend to live in the province of Ontario once you gain your permanent residence.
6. Legal Status:  if applying from within Canada, you would need to be on a valid visitor record, study permit or a work permit.
7. Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): If you choose to be assessed against the FSWP, you would need to score a minimum of 67 points on the following selection factors- Age, Education, Language proficiency, Work experience, Adaptability and Arranged employment in Canada.

STEPS TO APPLY

• Once you receive a notification of interest, you would have 45 days to apply under this stream
• You have to apply online through the OINP e-Filing Portal
• The application takes about 3 hours to complete.
• The application can be completed by yourself or a representative
• Application fee is $1,500 and payment can be made using Visa or Mastercard
• If your application is successful, you will receive a nomination approval letter and an OINP certificate of nomination by mail.
• You would be given 30 days to accept or refuse the nomination in the express entry system.
• Once accepted, you will receive an additional 600 points for being nominated.

3.2.3 Ontario’s Express Entry: Skilled Trades Stream

The Skilled Trades Stream allows foreign nations with prior work experience in eligible skilled trades in Ontario, to live and work in Ontario permanently.

Before applying for permanent residence under this stream, all candidates must have a valid profile in the IRCC express entry system and received a Notification of Interest from Ontario. If you are nominated, the next step would be to apply to the federal government through IRCC.

IRCC’s express entry system

Before creating an online profile in the IRCC’s Express entry system you must first:

• take a  language test to determine your language ability
• If you have an overseas education qualification you would need to get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to ensure that the qualification is valid
• Determine which skill type your previous work experience would fall under on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code

Once the above is complete, you can create your individual express entry profile. If you meet all the eligibility criteria, you will be accepted into the express entry pool of candidates. You will receive an express entry profile number and a job seeker validation code. These would need to be submitted along with your application to the OINP.

To qualify for the French speaking skilled worker stream, you would additionally need to meet the requirements for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

Eligibility requirements

1. Work experience

   A minimum of a year of cumulative, paid, full-time work experience or the equivalent in part-time work completed in Ontario in a skilled trade, as listed in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code under Minor Group 633 or Major Groups 72,73 or 82.

   The work experience should also have been obtained in the last two years from the date of the Nomination of interest, in one or more occupations listed in your express entry profile. The work experience should also have been gained while on a legal permit in Canada.

   Cumulative work- Means the work that you have completed should add up to one year in total. It does not have to be one year of continuous work.

   • Full-time work experience refers to working for a minimum of 30 hours of paid work per week, amounting to at-least 1,560 hours of work in a year.
   • Part-time equivalent work experience is:
     • Working in one job with a minimum of 15 hours of paid work per week, amounting to a total of 1,560 hours of paid work within two years OR
     • Working more than one job, amounting to a total of 30 hours of paid work per week, and resulting in a minimum of 1,560 hours of paid work in one year.
   • The work experience must have been obtained in a period of one year, totalling to a minimum of 1,560 hours of paid work.
   • If you worked in a compulsory trade, only the work experience you got after becoming qualified to practice the trade would count as valid work experience
   • The required work experience must have been reached by the date you receive your nomination. Any work completed after receiving the NOI would not be counted.
   • Internships and volunteer work does not count as valid work experience
   • Paid work gained while enrolled in studies at a post-secondary institution or self-employment would not be counted
2. Hold a valid certificate or license
3. Current residence in Ontario: You must be living on Ontario on a valid work permit at the time that you apply
4. Language: Minimum requirements
   • You need to have a minimum language ability of CLB 5 in either English or French by taking an approved English or French language test.
   • Accepted language tests for French are TEF and TCF Canada and IELTS and CELPIP for English.
   • The test results of the language exam should not be more than 2 years old.
5. Settlement Funds: You must have sufficient funds to support yourself and any dependent family members when you settle in Canada.
6. Intention to reside in Ontario: You must intend to live in the province of Ontario once you gain your permanent residence.
7. Legal Status:  if applying from within Canada, you would need to be on a valid visitor record, study permit or a work permit.

STEPS TO APPLY

• Once you receive a notification of interest, you would have 45 days to apply under this stream
• You have to apply online through the OINP e-Filing Portal
• The application takes about 3 hours to complete.
• The application can be completed by yourself or a representative
• Application fee is $1,500 and payment can be made online using Visa or Mastercard
• If your application is successful, you will receive a nomination approval letter and an OINP certificate of nomination by mail.
• You would be given 30 days to accept or refuse the nomination in the express entry system.
• Once accepted, you will receive an additional 600 points for being nominated.