OINP - Ontario's Express Entry Skilled Trades stream

Overview

This is an immigration program under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). The program allows foreign nationals with work experience in Ontario in qualified skilled occupations to apply for permanent residency and employment in Ontario.

You must have a valid profile in the Express Entry system of the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and receive a Notice of Interest from Ontario before you can apply online to be nominated by the Ontario government for permanent residency.

If you are nominated, your next step will be to apply to the federal government through IRCC . They make the final decision on who will become a permanent resident.

Program requirements

Please see section 12 of See Ontario Regulation 422/17 for more detailed requirements.

1. Work experience

You must have:

• At least one year of accumulated full-time paid (or equivalent part-time) work experience in Ontario Major Groups 72 (excluding transportation officers), 73, 82, 83, 93 (excluding...) aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors) or subgroup 6320 (excluding cooks) in the National Occupational Classification ( NOC )

Your work experience must include:

• obtained within the last two years from the date of application to OINP
  
• in one or more of the occupations you have identified in your Express Entry profile.
• in Ontario while maintaining legal status in Canada

Accumulated experience means:

• The work you've done should add up to a year, but it doesn't necessarily have to be a year of continuous work.

Full-time work experience means:

• to perform work that involves at least 30 hours of paid work per week, equivalent to at least 1,560 hours of paid work per year.
  

Part-time work experience means :

• to work a job for at least 15 hours per week for two years, equivalent to at least 1,560 hours over that two-year period, or
  
• Working more than one job for at least 30 hours per week for a year is equivalent to at least 1,560 hours of paid work over that one-year period.

Please note:

• Your work experience must have been acquired for at least one year.
  
• Work experience totaling 1,560 hours over a period of less than one year is not eligible.
• If you work in an occupation that requires professional certification, only work experience gained after qualifying to practice that occupation in Ontario will be eligible.
• Paid work experience gained while studying full-time at a post-secondary institution (e.g., during a cooperative work term) and self-employment are not eligible.
• Volunteer work and unpaid internships are not counted as work experience.

2. Certificate of professional practice or valid license (if any)

If you declare work experience in a licensed occupation, even if you are no longer working in that occupation, you must have a valid certificate or license in Ontario at the time you apply, and that certificate or license must cover the period of work experience being used to meet the minimum requirement of one year of work experience in a qualifying skilled occupation.

Find out if your job falls under an industry that requires a license .

3. Current residence in Ontario and legal status in Canada

You must be residing in Ontario and possess a valid work permit at the time of your application.

If your work permit has expired, you can still apply for an OINP if you applied to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for an extension/renewal of your work permit before the expiration date. In these cases, you are considered to be in a pending status. You can remain in Canada and continue working under the same conditions as your current work permit until a decision is made on your pending application.

You are not required to have a job at the time you apply.

4. Foreign Languages

You must be able to understand, read, write, and speak English or French at at least the Canadian Language Standard (CLB) level 5.

To demonstrate that you possess the required language skills, you must take an approved English or French language test before submitting your application for this program.

The test must not have been taken more than two years after you submitted your application.

For English language tests, the following certificates are accepted:

• International English Language Testing ( IELTS ) – only the General Training test is accepted.
• Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program ( CELPIP ) – General test only.

For French language tests, certificates are accepted.

• Test d'évaluation de français pour le Canada ( TEF )
• Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada ( TCF) Canada

Learn more at English and French language tests .

5. Minimum proof of financial resources

You must have sufficient funds to support yourself and any dependent family members when you settle in Canada.

Please note that family members include your spouse, common-law partner, and children under 22 years of age, including their children.

You can fulfill this requirement through one or a combination of any of the following:

• Money as evidenced by balances listed in bank statements or account statements showing other investments such as unblocked accounts, fixed-term deposits, mutual funds, etc.
  
• Annual income from continuous employment in Ontario
• a job offer in Ontario

Learn more about how much money you need to have available to register (see ' How much money do you need? ').

For example: You've checked how much money you need and, based on your family size, you need $29,000 (CAD). You have a job offer in Ontario with an annual salary of $25,000 and you have a $5,000 balance in your savings account, for a total of $30,000. By using a combination of the job offer and bank statements, you will meet the financial proof requirement.

Note: If you provide a bank statement that includes a large one-time deposit, you may be asked to provide additional documentation to prove that your funds are not subject to debt or legal liability.

6. Intention to live in Ontario

You must intend to live in Ontario after being granted permanent residency. This is confirmed by examining your relationship to Ontario, which may include things like:

• currently working or have worked in Ontario
  
• accept a job offer or apply for/interview for a job.
• study
• volunteer
• rent or own property
• sightseeing
• They have professional networks and branches, family relationships, and personal connections.