Immigration Lawyers for The Ontario Provincial Nominee Program
Ontario consists of over 15 million people, or roughly 40% of the total Canadian population (which is at about 38 million people). Given more Canadians live in Ontario than anywhere else in Canada, immigrants are naturally attracted to Ontario as well. The nation’s capital, Ottawa, is in Ontario as well as the biggest city and most diverse city in the country: Toronto. While Canada aims to bring over 400,000 immigrants each year (over 1% of the population), Ontario only has about 8,000 spots for nominations. The Program is divided into streams. One stream aligns with Express Entry and a nomination effectively guarantees an Express Entry invitation given 600 points are awarded and the cut-offs are typically in the low 500s or high 400s. Base streams are not aligned with Express Entry.
Ontario Provincial Nominee Program Streams
Human Capital
These sub-streams are aligned with Express Entry and include those who qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Skilled Trades Trades (FST). There is also a category for French-speaking skilled workers. No job offer is required but an Express Entry profile must be created and one year of full-time work is required as well.
Masters / PhD
This program is not aligned with Express Entry and an Expression of Interest must be created and it is for those who have received a Masters or PhD from an Ontario university.
Employer Job Offer
This program is not aligned with Express Entry and the sub-categories are the Foreign Worker Stream, International Students and In-Demand Skills Stream.
Regional Immigration Program
There is also a Regional Immigration Pilot program for the communities of Chatham-Kent, the cities of Belleville and Quinte West and the city of Cornwall.
Ontario PNP Frequently Asked Questions
You must first create a profile with Express Entry and then we can assist with registering for a ONe-key account and uploading documents. Once a nomination is received via Express Entry, 600 points will be awarded and you will be invited to apply for PR.
For Human Capital: 30 days
For Employer Job Offer: 60-90 days (International Student Stream is 90-120 days)
Business Category Expression of Interest: 30 days then the government says it will depend on complexity of the file.
A job offer is not required for these streams: Human Capital Priorities, French-Speaking Skilled Worker, Skilled Trades, Masters/PhD.
Ontario consists of over 15 million people, or roughly 40% of the total Canadian population (which is at about 38 million people). Given more Canadians live in Ontario than anywhere else in Canada, immigrants are naturally attracted to Ontario as well. The nation’s capital, Ottawa, is in Ontario as well as the biggest city and most diverse city in the country: Toronto. There are many world class educational institutions in Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area hosts many top multi-national companies.
Note that being “designated” doesn’t mean that the learning institution will qualify for a post graduate open work permit. In fact, some programs within a designated institution qualify whereas others do not! Please contact us at [email protected] to learn more about your proposed program.
- For a list of universities, see here: https://www.ontariouniversitiesinfo.ca/universities
- For a list of community colleges, see here: https://www.ontariocolleges.ca/en/colleges (but remember not all programs qualify for the post graduate open work permit)
Immigration Legal Services
We are a full-service immigration law firm with decades of experience and are able to navigate complex legal issues and avoid legal and practical problems before they arise.
