December

December 31, 2019

Important Notice

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program has reached its increased 2019 nomination allocation and has started to notify successful applicants. The OINP has issued a total of 7350 nominations to successful applicants across all streams in 2019, including the 700 additional nominations received through an in-year reallocation. An additional 41 nominations were issued for temporary foreign workers in intermediate skilled occupations (National Occupation Classification (NOC) – Skill Level C) through the federal government’s NOC C initiative.

New applications, and applications which have already been submitted to the OINP, will continue to be accepted and considered under the OINP’s 2020 nomination allocation.

You can check the status of your application at any time through the OINP e-Filing Portal.

Please monitor this OINP Updates page for news, announcements and program developments.

December 20, 2019

Program Update: Regional Immigration Pilot

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will begin a two-year Regional Immigration Pilot in early 2020. The Regional Immigration Pilot will help fill labour market needs of businesses in small and rural communities that are not currently being met locally.

While developing the pilot, feedback was gathered from stakeholders in a number of small and rural communities across the province. Communities were chosen based on their specific skilled labour challenges, the ability to help newcomers get settled, and interest from community stakeholders.

 The communities selected for the Regional Immigration Pilot are:

  • Chatham-Kent – a unique rural and small urban environment for newcomers and a highly integrated “welcoming community”.
  • Cornwall – an opportunity to work with a very engaged Francophone community with high employment needs for English and French employers.
  • Belleville/Quinte West – a regional approach to an area with a high-level of regional engagement and coordination among economic development and immigration stakeholders

The OINP will work collaboratively with local stakeholders in the three pilot communities to spread awareness of the OINP and increase program uptake. This work could include in-person training sessions with local employers, informational webinars or OINP attendance at local industry or employer events/conferences.

The pilot will also include a set-aside of approximately 150 nominations under the OINP Employer Job Offer Category streams, which will be reserved for applicants with job offers in the pilot communities.

Outcomes from the pilot will help inform further efforts to regionalize economic immigration in Ontario.

The OINP will also continue to engage with all communities in Ontario to raise awareness and understanding of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program and how the program could help fill local labour market gaps. 

More information about the Regional Immigration Pilot can be found here.

December 17, 2019

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) Scam involving a fake website

The OINP has identified an immigration related fraud scheme whereby a fake OINP website is being used to collect personal information from applicants. For information about the program please only visit  www.ontario.ca/oinp

For future inquiries or complaints of this nature, please contact the program by email at: programintegrityteam@ontario.ca

December 11, 2019

Important Notice

Issuance of Notifications of Interest under Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades stream

On December 11, 2019 the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) issued Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to candidates who may qualify for Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades stream.

NOIs were issued to candidates who had a Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS) between 410 and 479.

If you received a NOI, please visit the Skilled Trades stream webpage for information about program criteria and how to apply.

Applications will be accepted and considered under the OINP’s 2020 nomination allocation.

December 9, 2019

Important notice

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has reached its 2019 nomination allocation, a total of 6,650 nominations for successful applicants across all streams.

Eligible applications under the OINP – In Demand Skills Stream will continue to be processed for the distinct nomination allocation granted under the federal government’s NOC C initiative for 2019.

The OINP has also received an increase of 700 nominations to its 2019 allocation. The program will continue to process applications and issue nominations until the increased allocation is fulfilled.

Please visit our web page for additional information on the OINP and the program updates page for updates on stream activities.

December 4, 2019

Important Notice

Please be advised that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will be undergoing scheduled system maintenance on Friday, December 6, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. (EST) to Monday, December 9 at 9:00 a.m. (EST). You may be unable to submit an online application during this time.

Any client whose application deadline is affected by the system maintenance is asked to contact the program directly at ontarionominee@ontario.ca.

December 2, 2019

Entrepreneur Stream – Invitations to Apply Issued

Please be advised that the OINP has issued 16 Invitations to Apply under the Entrepreneur Stream. The minimum score was 118. Only those whose Expressions of Interest were scored by November 21, 2019 were eligible for consideration for this draw.

November

November 22, 2019

Important Notice

Please note that from November 21, 2019 until May 19, 2020 the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) will place a temporary pause on its assessment of educational credentials for immigration purposes so that it can address the backlog the organization is experiencing.  IQAS will process applications for immigration purposes that were submitted and paid for before November 21, 2019.

November 22, 2019

Important Notice

Please be advised that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will be undergoing scheduled system maintenance on Friday, November 22, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. (EST) to Monday, November 25 at 8:00 a.m. (EST). You may be unable to submit an online application during this time.

Any client whose application deadline is affected by the system maintenance is asked to contact the program directly at ontarionominee@ontario.ca.

November 8, 2019

Important Notice

Please be advised that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will be undergoing scheduled system maintenance on Thursday, November 14, 2019 from 2:00 p.m. (EST) to Monday, November 18 at 9:00 a.m. (EST). You may be unable to submit an online application during this time.

Any client whose application deadline is affected by the system maintenance is asked to contact the program directly at ontarionominee@ontario.ca.

November 4, 2019

ALERT: The OINP Entrepreneur Stream is administered in accordance with the requirements set out in the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015 and the regulations made thereunder. A passive investment option is NOT permitted under the Entrepreneur Stream. While passive investments, including mutual and/or pooled fund securities, are permissible for the purpose of satisfying the personal net worth criterion of the Entrepreneur Stream, they are NOT eligible for inclusion in an applicant’s minimum business investment amount. Neither the Government of Ontario nor the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has approved or endorsed any foreign investment program or fund, whether designed to facilitate the nomination of a foreign national for permanent residence in Ontario, or otherwise. Any claim otherwise is false.

October

October 31, 2019

Important Notice

Please be advised that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will be undergoing scheduled system maintenance on Friday, November 1, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. (EST) to Monday, November 4 at 8:00 a.m. (EST). You may be unable to submit an online application during this time.

Any client whose application deadline is affected by the system maintenance is asked to contact the program directly at ontarionominee@ontario.ca.

September

September 23, 2019

Intake Closed for the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream

Please note that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has closed intake to the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream as of September 23, 2019. No new applications can be submitted as of this date.

The Employer Job Offer Foreign Worker and International Student streams have seen a significant increase in applications in 2019 and due to Ontario’s limited nomination allocation from the Federal government, the province has met its application target for these streams for the year.

The Employer Job Offer Foreign Worker and International Student Streams will re-open in 2020 to accept applications for the new nomination year. The Employer Job Offer In-Demand Skills Stream remains open to applications at this time.

Please monitor this page for news, announcements and program developments.

September 20, 2019

Entrepreneur Stream – Invitations to Apply Issued

Please be advised that the OINP has issued 15 Invitations to Apply under the Entrepreneur Stream. The minimum score was 127. Only those whose Expressions of Interest were scored by September 12, 2019 were eligible for consideration for this draw.

August

August 27, 2019

OINP is now accepting applications to the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is now accepting applications to the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream.

To apply, applicants must access the OINP e-Filing Portal directly from the OINP website. The link to the e-Filing Portal is located on the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream webpage.

The Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream will remain paused to intake at this time.

Please continue to monitor the OINP Program Updates page for news, announcements and program developments.

August 19, 2019

Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream: Issuance of Notifications of Interest by Targeted Occupations

On August 15, 2019, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) issued targeted Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to candidates who qualify for Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities (HCP) Stream. The OINP targeted candidates with work experience in the following NOC codes:

  • 0114 Other administrative services managers
  • 0601 Corporate sales managers
  • 1122 Professional occupations in business management consulting
  • 0124 Advertising, marketing and public relations managers
  • 0621 Retail and wholesale trade managers
  • 1111 Financial auditors and accountants
  • 3012 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
  • 0111 Financial managers
  • 1114 Other financial officers
  • 0651 Managers in customer and personal services, n.e.c.

To be eligible for nomination, applicants must demonstrate work experience in one of the 10 eligible NOC codes. Your application may be refused if you do not demonstrate work experience in one of the eligible NOC codes.

August 8, 2019

Important Notice

Please be advised that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will be undergoing scheduled system maintenance on Friday, August 9, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. (EST) to Monday, August 12 at 8:00 a.m. (EST). You may be unable to submit an online application during this time.

Any client whose application deadline is affected by the system maintenance is asked to contact the program directly at ontarionominee@ontario.ca.

August 1, 2019

Tech Draw: Issuance of Notifications of Interest under Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream

On August 1, 2019, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) issued targeted Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to candidates who qualify for Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities (HCP) Stream. The OINP targeted candidates with work experience in the following NOC codes:

  • 2173 Software engineers and designers
  • 2174 Computer programmer and interactive media developers
  • 2147 Computer engineers
  • 2175 Web designers and developers
  • 2172 Database analysts and data administrators
  • 0213 Computer and information systems managers

To be eligible for nomination, applicants must demonstrate work experience in one of the 6 eligible NOC codes. Your application may be refused if you do not demonstrate work experience in one of the eligible NOC codes.

Through this dedicated approach, we’re helping to make it easier for businesses in the technology sector to recruit top talent from around the world.

To ensure that this initiative meets the needs of Ontario employers, we engaged with stakeholders across the province through a survey and face-to-face consultations. This helped us choose priority occupations for the targeted technology occupations draws.

For more information on this initiative, please visit the OINP Tech Draw page.

July

July 15, 2019

Ontario Regional Immigration Pilot

Ontario is open for business and a skilled labour force is at the core of the province’s economy.

The Ontario government is working to make it easier for businesses to attract top talent and skilled workers from around the world.

To spread the benefits of immigration to smaller communities, Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade staff will work with communities to explore innovative approaches to bring highly skilled immigrants to smaller communities.

The government is engaging with selected rural and small community stakeholders to assess interest in the proposed pilot and to gather information about existing community immigrant attraction and retention efforts.

It is anticipated that the pilot would begin in 2020 and over the term of the pilot the government would work closely with local stakeholders to support their efforts to retain and attract skilled labour to their communities.

Regional Pilot Highlights

The regional immigration pilot is intended to be a made-in-Ontario approach to bring skilled workers to rural and smaller communities to fill labour gaps.

The government is currently gathering feedback on pilot development from a geographically and culturally diverse sample of communities across Ontario.

Through engagement with community municipal partners and key stakeholders, the government will determine local interest and capacity for participation in the pilot. 

Statistical analysis was used to identify prospective communities using the following criteria: population size (20,000 to 200,000), newcomer settlement, newcomer settlement infrastructure, such as language and settlement services, and economic characteristics.

Final selection of pilot communities would be based on data analysis, along with the results from engagement with communities.

Ontario’s regional immigration pilot is not intended to duplicate the Federal Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot. An Ontario pilot would specifically target the needs of Ontario communities and explore how to better regionalize the OINP to better support Ontario employers in smaller communities.

July 12, 2019

Tech Draw: Issuance of Notifications of Interest under Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream

On July 12, 2019, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) issued targeted Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to candidates who qualify for Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities (HCP) Stream. The OINP targeted candidates with work experience in the following NOC codes:

  • 2173 Software engineers and designers
  • 2174 Computer programmer and interactive media developers
  • 2147 Computer engineers
  • 2175 Web designers and developers
  • 2172 Database analysts and data administrators
  • 0213 Computer and information systems managers

To be eligible for nomination, applicants must demonstrate work experience in one of the 6 eligible NOC codes.  Your application may be refused if you do not demonstrate work experience in one of the eligible NOC codes.

Through this dedicated approach, we’re helping to make it easier for businesses in the technology sector to recruit top talent from around the world.

To ensure that this initiative meets the needs of Ontario employers, we engaged with stakeholders across the province through a survey and face-to-face consultations. This helped us choose priority occupations for the targeted technology occupations draws.

For more information on this initiative, please visit the OINP Tech Draw page.

July 9, 2019

Important Notice

Individuals who registered Expressions of Interest under the Entrepreneur Stream and have not been invited to apply are no longer eligible

Please be advised that effective July 8, 2019, registrants with Expressions of Interest who have not been invited to apply to the Entrepreneur Stream will need to register new Expressions of Interest to be eligible for future invitations.

Applications under the Entrepreneur Stream received in response to Invitations to Apply issued prior to July 8, 2019 will continue to be processed based on pre-July 8, 2019 Entrepreneur Stream criteria. Invitations to apply are valid for 90 days from their date of issuance.

We encourage interested applicants to review the new Expression of Interest registration process on the Entrepreneur Stream page. Registering an Expression of Interest will continue to be free.

July 8, 2019

Important Notice - Regulatory Amendments

Please be advised that the regulations under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015 have been amended. New applications will be processed in accordance with the amended regulations posted on e-Laws on July 8, 2019.
Amendments were made to simplify program requirements, add greater clarity and consistency to stream criteria, and introduce changes to the In-Demand Skills Stream and the Entrepreneur Stream. The amendments include the following:

  • Under the In-Demand Skills Stream, the work experience requirement has been reduced and three new National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes related to personal support workers and transport truck drivers were added as eligible occupations to support changing labour market needs.
  • To make the Entrepreneur Stream more attractive to job creators, and compete with comparable jurisdictions, the threshold of investment needed has been lowered from $1 million to $600,000 in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and from $500,000 to $200,000 outside the GTA or in the information and communications technology or digital communications sector. The net worth thresholds have also been reduced and the applicant screening process has been fine-tuned to ensure Ontario is attracting the best businesses and entrepreneurs.

Program materials, including application guides and website pages, have been updated to reflect the regulatory amendments. Carefully review the relevant application guide to ensure you meet all stream criteria before submitting an application.

We encourage you to review the updated regulations on Ontario’s e-Laws website:

Please monitor this page for news, announcements and program developments.

July 4, 2019

Important Notice

Please be advised that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will be undergoing scheduled system maintenance on Friday, July 5, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. (EST) to Monday, July 8 at 8:00 a.m. (EST). You may be unable to submit an online application during this time.

Any client whose application deadline is affected by the system maintenance is asked to contact the program directly at ontarionominee@ontario.ca.

June

June 3, 2019

Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream: Issuance of Notifications of Interest by Targeted Occupations

On May 31, 2019, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) issued targeted Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to candidates who qualify for Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities (HCP) Stream. The OINP targeted candidates with work experience in the following NOC codes:

  • 0114   Other administrative services managers
  • 0601   Corporate sales managers
  • 1122   Professional occupations in business management consulting
  • 0124   Advertising, marketing and public relations managers
  • 0621   Retail and wholesale trade managers
  • 1111   Financial auditors and accountants
  • 3012   Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
  • 0111   Financial managers
  • 1114   Other financial officers
  • 0651   Managers in customer and personal services, n.e.c.

May

May 31, 2019

Important Notice

Please be advised that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will be undergoing scheduled system maintenance on Friday, May 31, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. (EST) to Sunday, June 2 at 11:00 p.m. (EST). You may be unable to submit an online application during this time.

Any client whose application deadline is affected by the system maintenance is asked to contact the program directly at ontarionominee@ontario.ca.

April

April 30, 2019

OINP has paused intake to the Masters Graduate Stream

Please note that the Masters Graduate Stream has reached its registration intake limit. The stream is now closed and no additional registrations for this stream will be accepted until further notice.

Please continue to monitor this page for news, announcements and program developments.

If you successfully registered for the Masters Graduate Stream and received a registration number from the OINP e-Filing Portal, you will receive an email containing your file number within 3 business days. Once you receive a file number you have 14 days to submit an application.

April 30, 2019

OINP now accepting applications to the Masters Graduate Stream

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is now accepting applications to the Masters Graduate Stream.

The opening is limited to 667 registrations. A notice will be posted on this page to advise applicants once the intake limit has been met.

You must access the OINP e-Filing Portal directly from the Masters Graduate Stream page on the OINP website. Please click on the button ‘Submit an application.’

If you successfully register for the Masters Graduate Stream you will receive a confirmation number from the OINP e-Filing Portal. Within 3 business days, you will receive an email containing your file number. Once you receive a file number you have 14 days to submit an application.

If you experience technical difficulties while using the OINP e-Filing Portal, please contact the OINP directly at: ontarionominee@ontario.ca and include a screen shot with the URL and a visible date and timestamp.

April 29, 2019

Important notice

An important OINP update will be announced the week of April 29, 2019.

Please monitor this page for news, announcements and program developments.

April 26, 2019

Intake Pause for the Employer Job Offer: International Student and Foreign Worker Streams

Please note that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is pausing intake to both the Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream and Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream as of April 26, 2019. No new applications can be submitted as of this date.

These streams have seen a significant increase in applications in 2019 making it necessary to pause intake to the streams due to Ontario’s limited nomination allocation from the Federal government.

The OINP will continue to monitor the intake of applications across all streams and will determine when these streams can be reopened at a later date in 2019.

Please monitor this page for news, announcements and program developments.

April 26, 2019

Important Notice

Please be advised that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will be undergoing scheduled system maintenance and testing from Friday, April 26, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. (EST) to Monday, April 29 at 9:00 a.m. (EST).

During this period, no registrations or applications will be accepted. Clients should not access the system during this time period, and anything submitted to the system will be withdrawn by the program.

Any client whose application deadline is affected by the system maintenance is asked to contact the program directly at ontarionominee@ontario.ca.

April 16, 2019

Important Notice - Proposed Regulatory Amendments

In an effort to simplify program requirements, add more clarity and consistency to stream criteria, and introduce changes to the In-Demand Skills Stream and the Entrepreneur Stream, the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade is proposing amendments to:

  • Ontario Regulation 421/17 (Approvals under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program and Other Matters)
  • Ontario Regulation 422/17 (General)

The amendments are now posted on Ontario’s Regulatory Registry for public consultation for a period of 45 calendar days.

  • proposed amendments to Ontario Regulation 422/17 (General), a Minister’s Regulation made under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015
  • proposed amendments to Ontario Regulation 421/17 (Approvals under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program and Other Matters), a Lieutenant Governor in Council Regulation made under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015

We encourage you to provide feedback on these proposed changes during the consultation period which will end on May 30, 2019.

April 12, 2019

Important Notice

Please be advised that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will be undergoing scheduled system maintenance and testing from Friday, April 12, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. (EST) to Monday, April 15 at 9:00 a.m. (EST).

During this period, no registrations or applications will be accepted. Clients should not access the system during this time period, and anything submitted to the system will be withdrawn by the program.

Any client whose application deadline is affected by the system maintenance is asked to contact the program directly at ontarionominee@ontario.ca.

April 05, 2019

Update – Masters Graduate Stream

Please note that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)  is working to resolve technical issues that occurred on March 5 during the Masters Graduate Stream opening. We are developing a solution to re-open the Masters Graduate Stream as soon as possible.

April 05, 2019

Entrepreneur Stream – Invitations to Apply Issued

Please be advised that the OINP has issued 22 Invitations to Apply under the Entrepreneur Stream. The minimum score was 112.

March

March 28, 2019

Please be advised that system maintenance of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program general inquiries telephone line is now complete.

March 28, 2019

Please be advised that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program general inquiries telephone line will be undergoing system maintenance on March 28, 2019.

Clients with inquiries are asked to contact the program directly at ontarionominee@ontario.ca.

March 27, 2019

Please be advised that system maintenance of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program general inquiries telephone line is now complete.

March 27, 2019

Please be advised that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program general inquiries telephone line will be undergoing system maintenance on March 27, 2019.

Clients with inquiries are asked to contact the program directly at ontarionominee@ontario.ca.

March 22, 2019

Important Notice

Please be advised that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will be undergoing scheduled system maintenance and testing from Friday, March 22, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. (EST) to Monday, March 25 at 9:00 a.m. (EST).

During this period, no registrations or applications will be accepted. Clients should not access the system during this time period, and anything submitted to the system will be withdrawn by the program.

Any client whose application deadline is affected by the system maintenance is asked to contact the program directly at ontarionominee@ontario.ca.

March 19, 2019

Update – Masters Graduate Stream

The Masters Graduate Stream opening of March 5, 2019 was closed before achieving its target of 1,000 registrants due to technical issues. The program can confirm that 333 applicants successfully registered while the stream was open.

The OINP continues to investigate the cause of the technical issues experienced during the March 5th opening of the Masters Graduate Stream. We are working to open the stream as soon as possible, once we know the system issues have been fully addressed. Please continue to monitor this page for news, announcements and program developments.

March 19, 2019

Important Notice

Please be advised that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will be undergoing scheduled system maintenance on Tuesday, March 19, 2019 from 12:00pm (EST) to 2:00 p.m. (EST). You will be unable to submit an online application during this time.

March 15, 2019

Important Notice

Please be advised that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will be undergoing scheduled system maintenance and testing from Friday, March 15, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. (EST) to Monday, March 18 at 9:00 a.m. (EST).

During this period, no registrations or applications will be accepted. Clients should not access the system during this time period, and anything submitted to the system will be withdrawn by the OINP.

Any client whose application deadline is affected by the system maintenance is asked to contact the OINP directly at ontarionominee@ontario.ca.

March 15, 2019

Ontario’s 2019 Nomination Allocation

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has received its 2019 nomination allocation from the federal government. The province’s 2019 allocation is 6,650, plus an additional 250 nominations specifically for temporary foreign workers in intermediate skilled occupations (National Occupation Classification [NOC] - Skill Level C) through the federal government’s NOC C initiative.

The OINP is monitoring the intake of applications to all program streams with respect to the limits of Ontario’s federal nomination allocation in 2019.

Please monitor this page for news, announcements and program developments.

March 6, 2019

Update – Masters Graduate Stream

The Masters Graduate Stream was opened at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday March 5th with an intake limit of 1,000 registrations. Due to technical issues, the stream was closed at 11:42 a.m. We are investigating the issue and will provide an update when more information is available. We are working to open the stream as soon as possible.

Please be advised, if you have emailed the OINP regarding technical issues with the Masters Graduate Stream, we will be responding to your inquiry in the coming days.

Please continue to monitor this page for news, announcements and program developments.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

March 5, 2019

Important notice

Please be advised that due to technical issues the OINP has closed intake to the Masters Graduate Stream. Please continue to monitor the OINP Updates page for news, announcements and program developments.

March 5, 2019

OINP now accepting applications to the Masters Graduate Stream

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is now accepting applications to the Masters Graduate Stream.

The opening is limited to 1,000 registrations. A notice will be posted on this page to advise applicants once the intake limit has been met.

You must access the OINP e-Filing Portal directly from the Masters Graduate Stream page on the OINP website. Please click on the button ‘Submit an application.’

If you experience technical difficulties while using the OINP e-Filing Portal, please contact the OINP directly at: ontarionominee@ontario.ca and include as much detail as possible. Please include a screen shot and details about how the error occurred.

March 4, 2019

Important notice

Please be advised that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will open the Masters Graduate Stream at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday March 5, 2019. The opening will be limited to 1,000 registrations in the e-Filing Portal.

You must access the OINP e-Filing Portal directly from the Masters Graduate Stream page on the OINP website by clicking on the button ‘Submit an application.’

Please monitor this page for news, announcements and program developments.

February

February 25, 2019

Changes to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program

As of February 26th, 2019, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will issue Certificates of Nomination and additional program correspondence (i.e. work permit support letters, applicant and employer approval letters) by email as PDF documents only. The OINP will no longer send these documents by courier.

You can check the status of your application at any time through the OINP e-Filing Portal.

Please monitor this OINP Program Updates page for news, announcements and program developments.

February 22, 2019

2018 OINP Program Results

Demand for the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is strong. The province’s nomination allocation from the federal government was 6,600 in 2018.

The OINP met its full 2018 nomination allocation in early November. In December, the federal government granted Ontario an additional 250 nominations, which were allocated before year end. This brought the total number of nominations in 2018 to 6,850 principal applicants. Those applications included 6,721 spouses and dependents for a total of 13,571 new immigrants to Ontario.

Nominations were issued under the following streams:

2018 OINP Nominations by Streamfootnote 1
Stream Number of Nominations
Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream 1,254
Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills Stream 35
Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream 934
PhD Graduate Stream 175
Masters Graduate Stream 1,215
Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream 648
Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream 2,190
Ontario’s Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream 387
Business Streamsfootnote 2 12
Grand Total 6,850

In 2018, the OINP saw a high number of nominations in technology-related occupations. Approximately 25 per cent of all nominations were to individuals citing work experience or a job offer in a high-tech occupation, including software engineers and designers, computer programmers, interactive media developers, IT systems analysts and technology consultants.

The program also surpassed its 5 per cent target for francophone immigration, reaching a program high of 7.7 per cent or 526 francophone nominees. Most applicants received nominations under the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream and the Human Capital Priorities Stream.

Nominees in 2018 came from over 140 different countries with applicants from India and China receiving the highest number of nominations.

Top 10 Countries of Birth
Country of Birth Number of Nominations  
India 2,651
China 1,424
South Korea 303
Brazil 203
Nigeria 158
Pakistan 124
Iran 111
Philippines 110
Algeria 105
Morocco 94

At least 36 per cent of nominees already had a job offer in Ontario prior to nomination. More than 94 per cent held a post-secondary degree and at least 60 per cent had high language skills (CLB 7 or above) in at least one of Canada’s official languages.

The OINP will continue to be responsive to Ontario employers and to Ontario’s broader labour market needs in 2019 and beyond. This includes continuous improvements to program delivery, customer service, as well as incorporating stakeholder feedback to help address labour shortages in high-demand sectors.

Note: Ontario is currently awaiting its nomination allocation for 2019 from the federal government.

February 14, 2019

Important Notice

Please be advised that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will be undergoing scheduled system maintenance on Friday, February 15, 2019 from 7:00 p.m. (EST) to Saturday, February 16 at 8:00 p.m. (EST). You may be unable to submit an online application during this time.

Any client whose application deadline is affected by the system maintenance is asked to contact the program directly at ontarionominee@ontario.ca.

January

January 30, 2019

Important notice: Notifications of interest under Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream

Please note that on January 24, 2019, through a search in the federal Express Entry pool for qualifying candidates under Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream, a number of Notifications of Interest (NOIs) were issued in error to candidates who do not meet the stream criteria. Please note that the NOIs issued on January 24th may be only used by candidates applying to Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream and will not be accepted to support applications under any other stream. Please carefully consult the application guide for the Skilled Trades Stream prior to submitting an application. Ontario apologizes for any inconvenience and asks that you contact the program inquiries line at 416-327-0374 or 1-866-214-6820 (toll-free within North America) if you have any further questions.

January 28, 2019

Important notice: Technical difficulties with OINP e-filing portal

Please be advised that the program was experiencing technical difficulties with the OINP e-Filing Portal. The issue has now been resolved.

We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.

January 28, 2019

Important notice: Technical difficulties with OINP e-filing portal

Please be advised that the program is experiencing technical difficulties with the OINP e-Filing Portal.

We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.

January 28, 2019

Important Notice

Please be advised that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will be undergoing scheduled system maintenance on Wednesday, January 30, 2019 from 7:00 a.m. (EST) to 11:59 p.m. (EST). You may be unable to submit an online application during this time.

Any client whose application deadline is affected by the system maintenance is asked to contact the program directly at ontarionominee@ontario.ca.

January 17, 2019

Entrepreneur Stream – Invitations to Apply Issued

Please be advised that the OINP has issued 13 Invitations to Apply under the Entrepreneur Stream. The minimum score was 115.

January 10, 2019

Important Notice

Please be advised that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will be undergoing scheduled system maintenance on Friday, January 11, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. (EST) to Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. (EST). You may be unable to submit an online application during this time.

Any client whose application deadline is affected by the system maintenance is asked to contact the program directly at ontarionominee@ontario.ca.