Provincial Nominee Programs

Categories of Provincial Nominee Programs：

There are generally four categories of Provincial Nominee Programs in Canada:

1. Canadian Work Experience Category: Applicants under this category must demonstrate that they have been working full-time in an eligible occupation in the province for a certain amount of time depending on the skill level of their occupation. This category is best suited to international graduates from Canadian post-secondary institutions in that province.
2. Business/Investor Category: This category exists for individuals starting or investing in a Canadian business venture. Most applicants under this category obtain their temporary resident status through those business programs before they are eligible to apply to become permanent residents of Canada.
3. Employer/Job Offer Category: This category targets foreign nationals who have valid job offers from qualifying employers in the province. The job offer must meet certain criteria to be valid. Also, the foreign worker and the employer must meet certain requirements to become eligible under this category.
4. No Job Offer Category: PNPs of this category normally open only for a limited time, and only a few times per year, issuing a specific number of nominations according to applicants’ occupation and CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) scores. Applicants under this category are awarded 600 points under the CRS for having a PNP nomination. This category of programs are best suited to skilled workers applying through the Express Entry system who occupation falls under the list of occupation-in-demand for the province.

Provincial Nominee Programs Overview

1. Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) allow provinces and territories in Canada to select permanent residency applicants who have the skills, education, and work experience to settle in those provinces. These programs intend to attract immigrants to settle there and meet their unique economic and demographic needs.
2. Each province and territory have their own immigration programs and requirements targeting certain groups. For example, many provinces and territories have programs that target international students, business people, skilled workers or semi-skilled workers.
3. Once you’ve met the eligibility requirements of a specific program, you can apply for provincial nomination. Once you are nominated by a province, you are ensured an opportunity to apply for permanent residency to the federal government.
4. When you are applying to the federal government, you must submit your Notification of Interest or Nomination Certificate issued by the province. The federal government will then start assessing the admissibility of you and your accompanying family members. Factors that are considered when determining your admissibility include security, health, criminality, etc.

Characteristics of Provincial Nominee Programs

1. Most provincial nominee programs require a valid job offer from a qualified employer in a particular province.
2. Both the employer and the applicant (foreign worker) must apply to the province according to its unique application procedures before the applicant can obtain nomination from the province. Both the employer and the applicant must meet the minimum eligibility requirements of one of PNP streams in order to be nominated under that stream.
3. Immigration through PNPs is a two-stage process. The applicant must get nominated (obtain a Notification of Interest or Nomination Certificate) by a provincial or territorial government before they can apply for permanent residence to the federal government (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)). The federal government makes the final decision on who gets permanent residence.
4. The applicant must submit their Notification of Interest or Nomination Certificate issued by a province when apply to the federal government. The federal government will then assess whether the applicant is admissible to Canada regarding factors like security, health, criminality, etc.

General Selection Criteria of Provincial Nominee Programs

Provinces and territories select those who will contribute to their economy and who intend to settle permanently in the specific province and territory through their respective PNPs. Their selection criteria generally include:

1. If the applicant has a valid job offer from an employer in the province;
2. The applicant’s educational background;
3. The applicant’s work experience;
4. The applicant’s language ability (English and/or French);
5. The applicant’s existing ties to the province;
6. The applicant’s adaptability (their ability to become economically established in the province)

Immigration is a legal issue. The immigration law and regulations are complex for non-legal professionals to navigate. Careful evaluation of your personal situation by a qualified immigration professional is essential. At Springwind Immigration, our regulated consultants will thoroughly assess your educational background, work experiences, language capabilities, immigration goals and histories, then we inform you about different options and recommend the most suitable program for you. We’re inviting you to book an initial consultation with us, if you’re interested in applying to one of Provincial Nominee Programs.

Let's have a review of each province's PNP programs.

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is the province’s economic immigration program. It works in partnership with the Government of Canada through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Each year, the federal government, through IRCC, allocates a certain number of nominations to the Ontario government. When an applicant is nominated for permanent residence by the OINP, they must then apply to IRCC. IRCC makes the final decision on who gets permanent residence.
Streams of OINP are listed in the following table:

OINP - Masters Graduate Stream

Ontario is the most popular destination for international students to study, particularly post-graduate students, who are attracted by the quality of education and research opportunities offered across the province.
The Masters Graduate Stream offers international students the opportunity to permanently work and live in Ontario and has been one of the most sought-after streams offered under the OINP.
Eligible graduates under this stream do not need a job offer to apply. This stream opens only a few times per year, and only for a limited time. Nominations are sent out on a first-come, first-served basis and intake limits are often reached quickly.
Over the past years, the Masters Graduate Stream usually closed around an hour after it opened.
Applications made under this stream are processed outside the federal Express Entry system. The average processing time for this stream is 30 - 60 days at the provincial level, and 18 months at the federal level.
Applicants must submit the application within two years of the date on which the master’s degree was granted. For example, if the degree is dated June 1, 2017, the eligible graduate must apply before June 1, 2019.
If the degree has not yet been granted, the OINP will accept the date indicated on an official letter from the university specifying when the degree will be granted.

Other eligibility requirements of this stream include:

1. Education:
   Graduated or have met all degree requirements from a master’s degree program at an eligible university in Ontario that requires at least one academic year of full-time study (that is at least 15 hours of instruction per week over the academic year).
   Applicants don’t qualify if they are enrolled as a student when you are applying, unless it is for the purpose of meeting the requirements to be licensed in a regulated occupation in Ontario, or they are also working full-time in Ontario.
   Notes: Applicants must submit the application within two years of the date on which the master’s degree was granted. For example, if the degree is dated June 1, 2017, the eligible graduate must apply before June 1, 2019. If the degree has not yet been granted, the OINP will accept the date indicated on an official letter from the university specifying when the degree will be granted.
2. Language:
   An adequate intermediate proficiency level in English or French of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 or above in all four competencies (speaking, reading, writing, and listening). Language test must be no more than two years old at time of submitting application.
3. Residency in Ontario:
   Must have legally lived in Ontario for at least one year in the past two years before the application submission date.
4. Settlement funds：
   Must have a minimum level of savings or income to support themselves and their dependent family members when settling in Canada.
5. Intention to live in Ontario：
   Must intend to live and work in Ontario after being granted permanent residence. Applicants must show their ties to Ontario including working or have worked in Ontario, getting job offers or applying/interviewing for jobs, studying, volunteering, leasing or owning property, visiting, having professional networks and affiliations, family ties or social or personal relationships, etc.
6. Residency at time of application：
   Must be either living in Ontario with legal status (study permit, work permit, visitor record), or living outside Canada at the time of the application. individuals living in Canada but outside Ontario are ineligible to apply.

OINP – Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream

The Skilled Trades Stream issues nominations to skilled tradespeople who are already living in Ontario and have Ontario work experience in a skilled trade. Applicants do not need a job offer to apply.
This stream is aligned with the federal Express Entry system, which means that a candidate needs an active Express Entry profile to be eligible to the stream. To qualify for Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream, candidates must also meet the requirements of the federal government’s Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
The OINP goes through all the candidates already in the Express Entry pool, and sends out Notifications of Interest to the ones whose profile corresponds best to their needs. The stream is by invitation only and applicants cannot apply to the program directly.
As of January 10, 2020, the processing time for a Skilled Trades Stream application at the provincial level is estimated to be between 30 to 60 days, and the processing time for an Express Entry application is 6 months.
This stream has minimum eligibility requirements; however, meeting all these minimum criteria does not guarantee a nomination. Ontario conducts periodic Skilled Trades draws, and each draw has its own criteria (such as minimum CRS scores) in addition to the minimum criteria.
If nominated, an applicant will receive an additional 600 CRS points in their Express Entry profile, and then will be invited to submit permanent residence application to the federal government.

Eligibility requirements of the Skilled Trades Stream are listed as follows:

1. Work experience:
   Must have at least one year of cumulative paid full-time work experience (or the equivalent in paid part-time work) in Ontario in a skilled trade that is listed in Minor Group 633 or Major Groups 72, 73 or 82 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC). Full-time work experience means working in a job with at least 30 hours of paid work in a week that amounts to at least 1,560 hours of paid work in one year. The applicant’s work experience must have been obtained within the last two years from the date of submitting your application to the OINP, in one or more of the occupations that you identified in their Express Entry profile, and obtained in Ontario while maintaining legal status in Canada.
2. Valid certificate or license (if applicable):
   Must have a valid certificate or license in Ontario at time of application If an applicant is claiming work experience in a compulsory trade, even if they are no longer working in the trade
3. Current residence in Ontario and legal status in Canada:
   Must be living in Ontario while holding a valid work permit at time of application
4. Language:
   An adequate proficiency level in English or French of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 or above in all four competencies (speaking, reading, writing, and listening). Language test must be no more than two years old at time of submitting application.
5. Settlement funds
   Must have a minimum level of savings or income to support themselves and their dependent family members when settling in Canada.
6. Intention to live in Ontario
   Must intend to live and work in Ontario after being granted permanent residence. Applicants must show their ties to Ontario including working or have worked in Ontario, getting job offers or applying/interviewing for jobs, studying, volunteering, leasing or owning property, visiting, having professional networks and affiliations, family ties or social or personal relationships, etc.

Do you need assistance in preparing an application for OINP? If so, book an initial consultation with our accredited immigration professionals who can assist you in your goals.

OINP Employer Job Offer Category

The OINP Employer Job Offer category allows workers who already have a full-time and permanent job offer from an Ontario employer to permanently live and work in Ontario. It has three streams:

• Foreign Worker Stream: for workers in skilled positions
• International Student Stream: for recent graduates in Ontario
• In-Demand Skills Stream: for intermediate skilled workers in specific sectors, such as agriculture, construction, trucking and personal support workers

Applications made under these streams are processed outside the federal Express Entry system. Therefore, individuals who may not necessarily be eligible under Express Entry may yet be eligible under this OINP category. Applicants must first apply online to be nominated by the Ontario government for permanent residence.
If nominated, they must apply to the federal government through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) who makes the final decision on permanent residence applications.
In order for applicants to be eligible for the Employer Job Offer Category, applicants must get a job offer for eligible employers. If you get a job offer from an employer who does not meet the program requirement, you won’t be eligible to apply under this category.

Eligibility Requirements for Employers

In order to be eligible, the employer must:

• Have been in active business for at least three years prior to the date of application submission;
• Have business premises in Ontario where the applicant will work;
• Be following all provincial labor laws;
• Demonstrate that enough effort was made to recruit a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident prior to offering the position to the applicant (this only applies if the applicant is currently living outside Canada or working outside of Ontario);
• Must make an application for approval of an employment position by filling out and signing an Employer Form.

For employers located inside the Greater Toronto Area (GTA):

• Have a minimum gross revenue for the most recent fiscal year of $1,000,000, and
• Have at least five full-time employees who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents at the location where the applicant is to work.

For employers located outside the Greater Toronto Area (GTA):

• Have a minimum gross revenue for the most recent fiscal year of $500,000, and
• Have at least three full-time employees who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents at the location where the applicant is to work

1. Foreign Worker with a Job Offer

The Foreign Worker Stream gives foreign workers with a job offer in a skilled occupation at Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC), the opportunity to apply to permanently live and work in Ontario.
This stream is open to foreign workers in and outside of Canada.

Job Offer Requirements

To be eligible to apply as a foreign worker, applicants must have a job offer signed by themselves and an Ontario employer that meets the following requirements:

• Is a permanent and full-time job offer (that is the job must be a minimum of 1,560 hours a year and a minimum of 30 hours of paid work per week and must have no end date) in a skilled occupation at Skill Type 0 or Skill Levels A or B of the National Occupation Classification (NOC);
• Meets or exceeds the prevailing wage in the specific region of Ontario for that occupation. If the applicant is already working in the position, the wage of the job offer must be equal to or greater than the wage level that the employer currently pays, in addition to meeting or exceeding the median wage level;
• The work applicants do while in the position of the job offer must occur primarily in Ontario.

Eligibility Requirements for Foreign Workers

Foreign workers must also:

• Have at least two years of paid full-time (or the equivalent in part-time) work experience in the same occupation (same NOC code) as the job offer in the last five years immediately preceding the date of application submission. The work experience can be cumulative and gained outside Canada;
  OR
• Have the mandatory license or other authorization for the job if it is a regulated occupation in Ontario;
  AND
• Hold a valid license or certification at the time of application submission if the job is in a compulsory trade that requires a license or certification in Ontario;
• Intend to live and work in Ontario after being granted permanent residence;
• Be either living in Canada (not limited to Ontario) with legal status (study permit, work permit, visitor record), or living outside Canada at the time of the application. individuals living in Canada but outside Ontario are also eligible to apply.

Note: there is no specific language requirements for applicants under this stream.

2. International Student with a Job Offer

The International Student Stream gives international students with a job offer in a skilled occupation at Skill Type 0 or Skill Levels A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC), the opportunity to apply to permanently live and work in Ontario. This stream is open to international students in and outside of Canada.

Job Offer Requirements

To be eligible to apply as an international student, applicants must have a job offer signed by themselves and an Ontario employer that meets the following requirements:

• Is a permanent and full-time job offer (that is the job must be a minimum of 1,560 hours a year and a minimum of 30 hours of paid work per week and must have no end date) in a skilled occupation at Skill Type 0 or Skill Levels A or B of the National Occupation Classification (NOC);
• Meets or exceeds the low wage level in the specific region of Ontario for that occupation. If the applicant is already working in the position, the wage of the job offer must be equal to or greater than the wage level that the employer currently pays, in addition to meeting or exceeding the low wage level;
• The work applicants do while in the position of the job offer must occur primarily in Ontario.

Eligibility Requirements for International Students

International students must also:

• Have completed an educational credential at an eligible Canadian institution (not limited to the province of Ontario) within the previous two years and which meets one of the two following conditions:
  • A degree or diploma that takes at least two years of full-time study to complete (full-time study generally means it means a minimum of 15 hours of instruction per week during the academic year, including any period of training in the workplace that is part of your studies),
    OR
  • A degree or diploma that takes at least one year to complete but which requires a previously completed degree as a prerequisite for admission
• Have completed more than half of their studies while living and studying in Canada;
• Hold a valid license or certification at the time of application submission if the job is in a compulsory trade that requires a license or certification in Ontario;
• Intend to live and work in Ontario after being granted permanent residence;
• Be either living in Canada (not limited to Ontario) with legal status (study permit, work permit, visitor record), or living outside Canada at the time of the application. individuals living in Canada but outside Ontario are also eligible to apply.

Note: there is no specific language or work experience requirements for applicants under this stream.

3. In-Demand Skills

This stream gives foreign workers with a job offer in specific in-demand occupations, such as in agriculture, construction, trucking or personal support work, the opportunity to apply to permanently live and work in Ontario.
This stream is open to foreign workers in and outside of Canada.

Job Offer Requirements

To be eligible to apply as a foreign worker, applicants must have a job offer signed by themselves and an Ontario employer that meets the following requirements:

• Is a permanent and full-time job offer (that is the job must be a minimum of 1,560 hours a year and a minimum of 30 hours of paid work per week and must have no end date) in a skilled occupation in Skill Level C or D of the National Occupation Classification (NOC);
  • NOC 3413 - nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
  • NOC 4412 - home support workers and related occupations, excluding housekeepers
  • NOC 7441 - residential and commercial installers and servicers
  • NOC 7511 - transport truck drivers
  • NOC 7521 - heavy equipment operators (except crane)
  • NOC 7611 - construction trades helpers and laborers
  • NOC 8431 - general farm workers
  • NOC 8432 - nursery and greenhouse workers
  • NOC 8611 - harvesting laborers
  • NOC 9462 - industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
• Meets or exceeds the median wage level in the specific region of Ontario for that occupation. If the applicant is already working in the position, the wage of the job offer must be equal to or greater than the wage level that the employer currently pays, in addition to meeting or exceeding the median wage level;
• The work applicants do while in the position of the job offer must occur primarily in Ontario.

Eligibility Requirements for Foreign Workers

Foreign workers must also:

• Have at least 9 months of paid full-time (or the equivalent in part-time) work experience in the same in-demand occupation (same NOC code) as the job offer in the last three years immediately preceding the date of application submission. The work experience can be cumulative and must be gained in Ontario;
• Hold a valid license or certification at the time of application submission if the job is in a compulsory trade that requires a license or certification in Ontario;
• An adequate proficiency level in English or French of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 or above in all four competencies (speaking, reading, writing, and listening). Language test must be no more than two years old at time of submitting application;
• Must have a Canadian secondary school (high school) diploma or credential, or its equivalent in another country;
• Must have a minimum level of savings or income to support themselves and their dependent family members when settling in Canada;
• Must intend to live and work in Ontario after being granted permanent residence;
• Must be either living in Ontario with legal status (study permit, work permit, visitor record) if applying from within Canada.

Preparing for a Job Offer application can be confusing and time-consuming. Employers themselves often don’t know how to fill out the forms properly or demonstrate the recruitment efforts properly. Our licensed immigration consultants and lawyers are ready to help. We guarantee that your application will be accurate and complete, and in accordance with Canadian immigration law. If you are unsure as to whether you will qualify under this program, or need assistance in preparing documentation for this program, you can book initial consultation with us to get started.
Besides OINP, there are eleven different Provincial Nominee Programs in Canada and over 50 streams available, each with unique eligibility criteria and application procedures.
Here are the Key Provincial Nominee Programs in Canada:

• Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP)
• Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP)
• Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
• Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP)
• New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP)
• British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP)
• Yukon Nominee Program (YNP)
• Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP)
• Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP)
• Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP)

With such vast information and varieties of programs, selecting the right program for you and your family can be confusing and time-consuming. Call us at 647-869-6678 to book an initial consultation immediately. Our dedicated team of licensed immigration consultants and lawyers are standing by and ready to help.