ontario regulation 149/25

made under the

Ontario Immigration Act, 2015

Made: June 5, 2025
Filed: June 30, 2025
Published on e-Laws: July 2, 2025
Published in The Ontario Gazette: July 19, 2025

Amending O. Reg. 421/17

(APPROVALS UNDER THE ONTARIO IMMIGRANT NOMINEE PROGRAM AND OTHER MATTERS)

1. Subsections 2 (1.1), (2) and (3) of Ontario Regulation 421/17 are revoked and the following substituted:

(2) The eligibility criteria for applicants for certificates of nomination in each of the categories mentioned in subsection (1), and for approval of an employment position, are set out in Ontario Regulation 422/17 (General) made under the Act.

2. (1) Section 3.1 of the Regulation is amended by striking out the portion before paragraph 1 and substituting the following:

(1) Subject to subsection (2), the following process applies to applicants in the international student with a job offer category, in-demand skills category, master’s graduate category and Ph.D. graduate category:

. . . . .

(2) Section 3.1 of the Regulation is amended by adding the following subsections:

(2) An applicant in the international student with a job offer category or the in-demand skills category shall not register an expression of interest unless the applicant’s employer has registered as an employer with the director and submitted to the director a copy of the job offer that was given to the applicant.

(3) For applicants in the foreign worker category, the process described in subsection (1) applies, in addition to the following for applicants who are or will be employees:

1.  The applicant shall not register an expression of interest unless the applicant’s employer has registered as an employer with the director and submitted to the director a copy of the job offer that was given to the applicant.

(4) For employer applicants seeking approval of an employment position and for employed foreign national applicants for a certificate of nomination in any of the categories listed in paragraphs 1 to 3 of subsection 2 (1), the process described in subsection (1) applies, in addition to the following:

1.  Before applying for an approval of an employment position, an employer applicant must first register as an employer with the director and submit a job offer for the foreign national applicant for a certificate of nomination to the director.

2.  Before applying for a certificate of nomination, an employed foreign national applicant must have been issued a job offer from an employer who has registered with the director.

3. (1) Section 7 of the Regulation is amended by striking out the portion before paragraph 1 and substituting the following:

Suspension and return of applications

7. The director may, in respect of applications in any or all categories set out in subsection 2 (1), suspend receiving applications, or return to applicants any applications and application fees for which a decision has not been made, if the director believes the suspension or return is warranted, having regard to the following factors:

. . . . .

(2) Section 7 of the Regulation is amended by adding the following paragraphs:

5.  The immediate labour market needs of the province.

6.  Any systemic compliance or enforcement concerns.

Commencement

4. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, this Regulation comes into force on the later of July 1, 2025 and the day this Regulation is filed.

(2) Section 3 comes into force on the day this Regulation is filed.