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Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program Announcements

The Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) recently announced the launch of a new Provincial Nomination Stream for skilled tradespeople currently in Canada. The Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream targets skilled trades in the construction and agriculture sectors. In order to qualify, applicants must have a valid profile in the federal Express Entry system, and indicate an interest in immigrating to Ontario. Applicants must have completed a minimum of 12 months of full-time work in Ontario in one of the skilled trade occupations listed in Minor Group 633 or Major Group 72, 73 or 82 of the National Occupation Classification System (NOC). These occupations include tradespeople in the construction and the agricultural industry. Applicants also must be currently residing in Ontario on a valid work permit, must demonstrate intermediate English language proficiency, and must demonstrate funds or income available to settle in Canada and an intention to reside in Ontario. Applicants who are working in a trade which requires licensing or certification must be certified by the Ontario College of Trades.

The OINP is currently issuing Notifications of Interest, inviting qualified applicants to apply to this program. Potential applicants should create an Express Entry profile outlining their skills and work experience, and indicate an interest in Ontario in order to be selected by the province.

Updates to the Provincial Entrepreneur Stream

The OINP has also introduced changes to the Entrepreneur Provincial Nomination Stream.

The Entrepreneur Stream targets skilled businesspeople who are looking to establish a business or purchase an existing business in Ontario. Ontario has recently announced the following changes to the program:

  • Lowering of the language requirement – the language requirement for applicants has been lowered from Canadian Benchmark Level (CLB) 5 to CLB 4;
  • Additional points are now awarded to applicants who intend to establish a business, or purchase an existing business outside of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

Applicants must demonstrate experience as a business owner or senior manager, must meet minimum net worth and investment requirements, and must create at least two permanent, full-time jobs for Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents. Potential applicants submit an expression of interest (“EOI”) to the province, and the applicants with the highest EOI scores are periodically invited to apply to the program.

 

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