Under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), two provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws were held on February 8. A total of 828 Notification of Interest (NOI) were issued in this draw from the Express Entry pool.
There were 622 invitations issued to candidates eligible for the Human Capital Priorities Stream (HCPS). The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score range of selected candidates was between 463-467. In the previous draw, held in January, the CRS score range was between 464-467. 502 invitations were issued then.
The remaining 206 were issued to applicants from the French-Speaking Skilled Worker (FSSW) stream of the OINP. It was this year’s first draw for this stream.
Both the categories selected applicants from the Express Entry profiles under the Federal Skilled Workers (FSW) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Thus, their eligibility criteria remained the same, except the Language proficiency requirements.
The OINP tech draw targeted people with technology skills from the Express Entry pool who meet the criteria of the Human Capital Priorities Stream (HCPS). Applicants having a CRS score ranging from 463 to 467 in their Express Entry profile were selected in this draw. They are required to have at least one-year of work experience in one of the following targeted National Occupational Classification (NOC) jobs:
- Software engineers and designers (NOC 2173)
- Computer programmers and interactive media developers (NOC 2174)
- Computer engineers (NOC 2147)
- Web designers and developers (NOC 2175)
- Database analysts and data administrators (NOC 2172)
- Computer and information systems managers (NOC 0213)
206 NOI’s were issued to candidates who fulfill the eligibility of FSSW stream. These selected applicants also had a CRS score between 463 and 467 in their Express Entry profile. The candidates are required to have a minimum 7 Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score in French and 6 CLB in English (in all four skills).
These selected candidates now have to submit their application for Ontario’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) within 45 calendar days.
Ontario’s Express Entry Stream
The Ontario PNP, officially called the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), regularly invites candidates from Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) Express Entry pool. It issues a NOI to candidates who fulfil the criteria of one of Ontario’s Express Entry immigration streams.
OINP has three categories for immigrant applications : Human Capital Category; Employer Job Offer Category; and Business Category.
The Human Capital Category of OINP includes a sub-stream called Ontario Express Entry. Programs in this steam are aligned with the Express Entry system. These programs are:
- Human Capital Priorities: This category includes qualified Express Entry candidates under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC). These candidates need to fulfill the required education, skilled work experience, language ability, and other characteristics to successfully integrate into Ontario’s labour market and communities. Occasional tech draws are also held for Express Entry candidates with at least one year work experience in six targeted NOC tech jobs.
- Skilled Trades: This stream targets tradespersons with relevant Ontario work experience in an eligible trade occupation.
- French-Speaking Skilled Worker: This program also operates through FSWP and CEC. The eligible candidates are required to have strong language skills in both French and English. Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 or higher in French in TEF or TCF Canada test and a CLB 6 or higher in English (in all four skills) in IELTS or CELPIP test.
After receiving the NOI, candidates get 45 days to submit their application to OINP. Successful candidates receive a Provincial Nomination from the province. This nomination further helps in the Permanent Residency application.
Provincial Nomination through PNP
Under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), Canadian provinces nominate immigration candidates who meet their labour market requirements. A provincial nomination is issued to such candidates who are then invited to work and settle in the province.
Candidates who receive a provincial nomination through their Express Entry profiles get an additional 600 points in their CRS score. The high score enhances their chance to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in the next Express Entry draw.
