What is the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program?

A: The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is a program under which prospective immigrants with the skills and experience targeted by the province may receive an Ontario Provincial Nomination Certificate, which will allow that foreign national to apply for Canadian permanent residence with processing times that are faster than other Canadian immigration classes.

How does the OINP work?

A: The OINP is an immigration program through which Ontario nominates individuals and their families for permanent resident status based on provincial labour market objectives. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program offers both base and enhanced (Express Entry) nominations.

Eligible candidates for an OINP stream can, depending on the stream in question, either make an application directly to the program or receive a Notification of Interest (NOI), which serves as an invitation to apply from the province to the potential applicant. The province will determine eligibility and process the application. If the applicant is successful, he or she receives a provincial nomination certificate. From this point, the applicant makes an application for permanent residence to the federal government, which determines medical and security admissibility.

What is the Ontario Express Entry: Human Capital Priorities Stream?

A:  This stream is designed for foreign skilled workers with the necessary education, work experience, language characteristics to help them become established and integrated into Ontario’s labour market and communities. In order to be considered under this stream, candidates must be eligible to enter the federal Express Entry pool through either the Federal Skilled Worker Class or the Canadian Experience Class.

Candidates may not apply directly to this stream. Instead, they must first receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) from the OINP based on their Express Entry profile.

What are the eligibility criteria for the Ontario Express Entry: Human Capital Priorities Stream?

A: To qualify under this stream, candidates must:

• 
  Score a minimum of 400 points under the CRS. The score must remain at or above 400 during both the Ontario nomination processing stage and at the federal application for permanent residence processing stage;
• 
  Have a minimum level of work experience;
• 
  Candidates who choose to be assessed against the Federal Skilled Worker Class criteria must have at least one year of continuous and full-time employment experience, or part-time equivalent, in a National Occupation Classification (NOC) level 0, A, or B occupation in the five years prior to the date of the NOI from the OINP.
• 
  Candidates who choose to be assessed against the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) criteria must have at least one year of cumulative and full-time employment experience, or part-time equivalent, in a NOC 0, A, or B occupation in Canada in the three years prior to the date of the NOI from the OINP.
• 
  Have a Canadian Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree OR an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report produced by a designated organization indicating that their foreign education credential is equivalent to a Canadian Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD;
• 
  Demonstrate a language proficiency level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 or above in all four competencies (speaking, reading, writing, and listening);
• 
  Intend to reside in Ontario, as demonstrated by a statement of intent and indication of ties to Ontario; and
• 
  Possess sufficient funds to cover settlement costs in Ontario. This must be supported by bank statements.

Is an individual required to live and reside permanently in Ontario once he or she immigrates?

A:  As part of any PNP application, applicants are required to submit a Settlement Plan indicating why they wish to live in the province and how they intend to settle. Applicants are also required to sign an ‘intention to reside’ document with their application. That being said, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms ensures that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents are allowed to work and reside in any location across Canada. Once an individual obtains Canadian permanent residence, he or she has the right to work and reside in any Canadian province or territory.

To know more about eligibility requirements for Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program reach us @ info@visaguider.com