How the program works?

Ontario’s Immigrant Nominee Programs (OINP) offers a pathway to permanent residence for individuals who are interested in immigrating to Ontario.
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The program allows Ontario to nominate individuals for immigration based if they meet specific criteria based on the province’s economic and demographic needs.

How to qualify

There are three ways you may qualify for a nomination in Ontario:

1. EMPLOYER JOB OFFER CATEGORY

This category gives foreign workers with a job offer in a skilled occupation the opportunity to permanently live and work in Ontario. Both the employer and the job itself must meet certain conditions in order to qualify for nomination under this category.

The employer job offer category has three streams that operate under an Expression of Interest system (EOI):

- 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

2. HUMAN CAPITAL CATEGORY

This category gives foreign workers with skilled work experience, education, and language abilities the opportunity to apply to permanently live and work in Ontario.

The human capital category has two sub-categories.

INTERNATIONAL GRADUATES:

These streams operate under an Expression of Interest system. You must create a profile in the OINP e-Filing Portal, and register an Expression of Interest for your graduate stream.

- Masters Graduate stream

- PhD Graduate stream

ONTARIO’S EXPRESS ENTRY:

These streams operate under 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 a profile 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

3. BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEUR STREAM

This category is for entrepreneurs from outside Canada looking to start a new business or buy an existing business in Ontario.

The application is a two-stage process, outlined below.

STAGE 1

- Register an expression of interest (EOI) by email 

- If invited to apply, submit an online application 

- Attend a mandatory interview with your business partner (if applicable)

- If your stage 1 application is successful, you must sign a performance agreement

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AT STAGE ONE

To qualify in the first step of the process, you must:

- demonstrate that you will have a viable business that will benefit Ontario’s economy

- have at least 24 months of full-time business experience in the last 60 months

- have a minimum personal net worth of $800,000 Canadian if your business will be located in the Greater Toronto Area, or $400,000 if your business will be located outside of the Greater Toronto Area

- make minimum investments in your business from your personal net worth. If your business will be located in the Greater Toronto Area, you must make a minimum personal investment of $600,000. If your business will be located outside of the Greater Toronto Area, you must make a minimum personal investment of $200,000.

- must control at least one-third of the equity in the business

- you must be actively involved in managing the business

- the primary purpose of investing in the business must be to make a profit—not to derive interest, dividends or capital gains

- you must create at least 2 permanent full-time jobs if your business will be located in the Greater Toronto Area, or 1 permanent full-time job if your business will be located outside of the Greater Toronto Area.

Additional requirements apply if you are purchasing an existing business in Ontario.

STAGE 2

- Apply for a temporary work permit. A temporary work permit support letter will be issued to you by the government of Ontario

- Implement your business plan and submit a final report within 20 months from the date you arrive in Ontario

- If your business meets all requirements, gather documentation and submit it to make sure you are eligible for nomination for permanent residence.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AT STAGE TWO

To qualify if the second step of the process, you must:

- demonstrate English or French language skills at a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 4

- be physically living in Ontario for 75% of the time during which you are establishing your business

- be actively involved in the day-to-day management activities of your business

- meet all the commitments agreed to in your performance agreement, which are based on information provided in your Express of Interest (EOI) and business plan.

​​​​​​​ In addition to meeting the minimum requirements above, you must also meet general business requirements. To learn more or to get started on your application, contact our trusted immigration lawyers today.