Ontario is Canada’s most populous province, home to the nation’s capital, Ottawa, and its largest city, Toronto. It is Canada’s leading manufacturing province and abounds in natural resources. However, the largest part of its economy is the services sector, which employs 79% of the province and includes business, financial, professional and technical services, as well as culture and arts.

Ontario’s varied landscape ranges from the rocky and mineral-rich Canadian Shield to more than 250,000 lakes which form one-fifth of the world’s freshwater reserves. Moreover, about 60% of the province’s land is classified as forested land, representing 2% of the world’s forests.

Multiculturalism is highly celebrated in Ontario, Toronto is called the most multicultural city in the world. Indeed, more than one hundred languages and dialects are spoken here, including several Algonquian-speaking and Iroquoian-speaking Aboriginal peoples.

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) supports employers by facilitating the immigration of managerial, professional and skilled foreign workers and international students required to meet their human resources needs.

The province of Ontario operates the OINP in partnership with the federal immigration department, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Interested candidates must follow a two-stage process: apply for nomination to the provincial government, and then, if nominated, apply for permanent residence to the federal government.

OINP Streams

The OINP manages three immigration categories: Human Capital, Employer Job Offer and Business Immigration. Each category is further divided into several streams.

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) supports employers by facilitating the immigration of managerial, professional and skilled foreign workers and international students required to meet their human resources needs.

The province of Ontario operates the OINP in partnership with the federal immigration department, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

OINP Streams

The OINP manages three immigration categories: Human Capital, Employer Job Offer and Business Immigration. Each category is further divided into several streams.

Human Capital Category

This category enables OINP to nominate candidates who have the skills, education and work experience to contribute to Ontario’s economy and labour market. It is comprised of three Express Entry streams and two international student streams:

• Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream
• Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream
• Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream
• Masters Graduate Stream
• PhD Graduate Stream

Employer Job Offer Category 

Interested individuals may apply under this category only if they have the support of an Ontario employer who has extended to them a full-time indeterminate job offer.

• Foreign Worker Stream
• International Student Stream
• In-Demand Skills Stream
• Regional Immigration Pilot

Business Category 

The Ontario Business Immigration program has one immigration stream directed to applicants with a successful business background.

• Entrepreneur Stream

Ontario operates an Expression of Interest system to manage the intake of five streams: Employer Job Offer (all three streams) and International Student (Masters and PhD Graduates).

The province also operates three Express Entry streams targeting applicants who have the requisite qualifications, including education, experience, language proficiency and ability to successfully establish in Ontario and contribute to the province’s economic development.

The Entrepreneur Stream has a special status among Ontario’s programs, as it accepts only expressions of interest. Interested candidates cannot apply directly for nomination, they must wait to be selected and invited to apply. However, they do not require a valid Express Entry profile, so they do not need to meet the requirements of any federal program.

Canada announced that a temporary public policy will be implemented to offer a pathway to permanent residence for eligible, out-of-status construction workers in the Greater Toronto Area.

OINP Draws

The OINP issues periodic Invitations to Apply (ITAs) through its Expression of Interest system and Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to candidates in the Express Entry pool, allowing them to apply for nomination under one of the targeted streams. The details and methodology used are published after the draws are done.