The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is an economic immigration program designed to help Ontario meet its labour market and economic development priorities. The program allows Ontario to nominate, for permanent residence, individuals who have the skills and experience to contribute to Ontario’s economy, and assists employers in recruiting and retaining foreign workers.

The OINP is operated by the province of Ontario in partnership with the federal government through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The OINP assesses applications and nominates candidates for permanent residence. Individuals nominated by the OINP can then apply for permanent residence through IRCC, IRCC makes the final decision on each application and issues permanent resident visas to successful applicants.

Ontario Express Entry is a new application management system introduced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to manage permanent resident applications for skilled migration to Canada.

The OINP is made up of three categories: Business, Employer Job Offer and Human Capital. Ontario Express Entry has created three streams for skilled workers who want to live and work permanently in Ontario. The 3 streams fall under Human Capital category.

Business category

• Corporate stream

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program’s Corporate Stream helps and supports established international corporations looking to expand into Ontario or buy an existing business. Once the business has been successfully established and meets the obligations of a Performance Agreement, a maximum of five key staff that are essential to the establishment, continued operation and success of the business can become eligible for nomination for permanent resident status.

• Entrepreneur stream

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program’s (OINP) Entrepreneur Stream helps individuals from countries outside of Canada to implement a new business idea or buy an existing business in Ontario. It also offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to be nominated for permanent resident status once their business has been successfully established in Ontario.

Employer Job Offer Category

• Foreign Worker Stream

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) offers an opportunity for skilled foreign workers with a job offer to permanently live and work in Ontario. Applicants can only apply if they have received a full-time job offer of an indeterminate duration from an Ontario employer and have a completed and signed Employer Form to upload as part of the application package.

• International Student Stream

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) offers international students with a job offer the opportunity to permanently live and work in Ontario. Applicants can only apply if they have received a full-time job offer of an indeterminate duration from an Ontario employer and have a completed and signed Employer Form to upload as part of the application package.

• In-demand Skills Stream

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) offers an opportunity for in-demand foreign workers with a job in specific occupations in the agricultural and construction sectors offer to permanently live and work in Ontario. Applicants can only apply if they meet all eligibility criteria, have received a permanent and full-time job offer from an Ontario employer and have a completed and signed Employer Form to upload as part of the application package

Human Capital Category

• Masters Graduate Stream

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) offers an opportunity for international students with a master’s degree obtained in Ontario to live and work permanently in Ontario. Applicants applying to the master’s Graduate Stream can apply without a job offer.

• PhD Graduate Stream

The PhD Graduate Stream provides international students with PhD degrees an opportunity to live and work permanently in Ontario. This stream enables the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) to nominate individuals who have the required education and other requirements to help them successfully establish and integrate into Ontario’s labour market and communities. Applicants do not need a job offer to apply.

• Ontario’s Express Entry French Speaking Skilled Worker Stream

Ontario’s Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream is for French-speaking skilled workers who have strong English language abilities and who want to live and work permanently in Ontario. This stream enables the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) to nominate individuals that have qualified for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) Express Entry pool and who have the required education, skilled work experience, language ability, and other characteristics to help them successfully establish and integrate into Ontario’s labor market and communities.

• Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream

Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream is designed for skilled workers who want to live and work permanently in Ontario. This stream enables the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) to nominate individuals that have qualified for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) Express Entry pool and who have the required education, skilled work experience, language ability, and other characteristics to help them successfully establish and integrate into Ontario’s labour market and communities.

• Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trade Stream

Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream is designed for skilled workers with work experience in an eligible skilled trade who want to live and work permanently in Ontario.

This stream enables the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) to nominate individuals that have qualified for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) Express Entry pool and who have the skilled work experience, skilled trades’ certification (if required), language ability, and other characteristics to help them successfully establish and integrate into Ontario’s labor market and communities.