OINP - (Worker) Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream

Program Overview

The Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream is a pathway that allows foreign workers with job offers in skilled occupations or medical fields to apply for the Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (OINP) to obtain permanent residency (PR).

• The job offer must fall under NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3.
• Open to applicants from within and outside Canada.
• General procedure:
  1. Employer registers businesses in the Employer Portal and creates job offers.
  2. Candidates register their Expression of Interest (EOI) within the OINP system.
  3. If invited to apply, you submit an online nomination application → then submit your PR application to IRCC (IRCC makes the final decision).

Steps to apply

Step 1: The employer submits a job offer through the Employer Portal.

• The employer registers the business and creates a job offer for your position.
• After your employer submits your job offer, you will receive a Job Offer ID to register for an Expression of Interest (EOI).

Note for doctors: If you are a doctor and are eligible to apply without a job offer, you need to contact them to begin the EOI application process.

Step 2: Candidates register for an Expression of Interest (EOI).

• Deadline: within 30 calendar days from the date the employer submits the job offer in the Employer Portal.

Step 3: If invited to apply, you and the employer submit your respective applications.

• Employer deadline: Submit your “application for the approval of an employment position” within 14 calendar days of receiving the job offer.
• Applicant deadline: Submit application and pay fee within 17 calendar days from the date of invitation letter.
  • You have 17 days to prepare your application, but you can only submit it after your employer has submitted their part.

Important: Applications submitted by “self-appointed representatives” are invalid and will be withdrawn; returned applications are incomplete and fees will be refunded.

Job Offer Requirements

1) Full-time and permanent

• Full-time: minimum 1,560 hours/year and minimum 30 hours/week (paid)
• Permanent: no end date (not seasonal/not a contract)
• A job offer is invalid if it affects the employment of the person involved in the labor dispute.

2) Eligible occupation

• Located within NOC TEER 0–3

3) Minimum wage according to "median wage" level

• Your salary must be equal to or higher than the median wage for the specific occupation and region of Ontario where you work (according to Job Bank).
• If the wage area has no data → use Ontario wage
• If you are applying for that position: the job offer must be ≥ your current salary and ≥ your median wage.
• The median wage rule does not apply if there is a collective agreement.
• If salary is paid annually: how to convert hourly wage:
  • Optional bonuses/benefits are deducted from the annual salary.
  • divide by 52 weeks
  • Divide by the number of hours/week
• Excluding items such as piecework, bonuses, commissions, vacation pay, and non-financial compensation from the hourly base wage for experience calculation.

4) An “urgently needed” location for the business.

• The job must be relevant to the existing business operations and urgently needed to maintain/grow those operations.

5) Primarily based in Ontario

• The work in the job offer must take place primarily in Ontario.
• You/your family are only allowed to hold (or have held) less than 10% equity (directly/indirectly) and only if received as part of a remuneration package.
  • Your total equity plus family members' combined is less than 10%.
  • Family members include: spouse, common-law partner, and children under 22 years of age (including children of children).

Notes on self-employment

• Self-employed professionals (excluding eligible physicians) are not eligible for this stream.

Requirements for Candidates

1) Have an EOI and have been invited to apply.

• You must have an Invitation to Apply and submit it on time.
• You must prove that the information/points declared in the EOI are accurate.

2) Required work experience or professional license (depending on the profession)

• If your occupation requires licensing/authorization under Ontario law: you must have a valid license/authorization from an Ontario regulatory authority at the time of application.
• If the occupation does not require licensing/authorization: you must have relevant experience matching the NOC code of the job offer.
  • At least two years of salaried experience (full-time or equivalent part-time) within the five years prior to the application date (not the date of receiving the offer).
  • Experience in Canada must be legal work experience.
  • "Cumulative": refers to the total of two years, not necessarily consecutively.
  • Full-time: ≥30 hours/week, total ≥ 3,120 hours over 2 years
  • Part-time conversion rate:
    • One job of ≥15 hours/week and a total of 3,120 hours over 4 years, or
    • Multiple jobs totaling ≥30 hours/week for 2 years and reaching 3,120 hours.
  • Standard paid leave (vacation/sick leave/paid leave) is not considered an interruption; extended leave is considered an interruption.
• If using self-employment to calculate experience: independent third-party verification is required (customer letters detailing duties and hours + proof of payment such as invoices...), working hours must be quantifiable; letters from yourself/partners/family members are not accepted.

3) Planning to live in Ontario

OINP assesses based on “ties to Ontario,” for example: work/past employment, job offer/job interview, education, volunteering, renting/buying a home, visiting Ontario, professional networking, family/personal relationships, etc.

4) Legal status in Canada (if applying from Canada)

• You must have legal status (visitor record/study permit/work permit) when applying and should maintain it until you are nominated.
• You can apply if you are in maintained status (have already applied for renewal before your old permit expired and are awaiting IRCC's decision).

Requirements for Employers

1) General requirements

Right-hand employer:

• Business must have been operating for at least 3 years prior to filing.
• has a facility in Ontario where you work
• There are no outstanding orders under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 or the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• Provide proof that efforts were made to recruit Canadian/PR citizens before making the offer to you (this only applies if you are outside of Canada or working outside of Ontario).

Note: Employer that is an Ontario Public Service (OPS) or OPS entity is not accepted.

2) Minimum Revenue

Most recent fiscal year:

• Earn ≥ $1,000,000 if you work/report to work in GTA (Toronto, Durham, Halton, York, Peel), or
• ≥ $500,000 if you do/report to work outside of GTA.

"Report to work" = the place where the direct manager works or where the administrative office assigns the task.

3) Number of full-time employees (Canadian/PR) by work location

• In GTA: a minimum of 5 full-time Canadian/PR personnel at that location.
• Outside of GTA: a minimum of 3 full-time Canadian/PR employees at that location.
  Full-time employee = works a minimum of 30 hours per week.

4) Reasonable recruitment efforts

Employer must demonstrate previous domestic recruitment prior to making an offer, unless:

• Applicants who already have a valid work permit to work in Ontario, or
• The employer has a positive LMIA.
  Recruitment efforts made by immigration representatives are not considered legitimate (conflict of interest) → may be rejected.

5) Submit an application for “approval of an employment position”

• Employers create job offers in the Employer Portal → candidates submit EOI (Employee Offer of Interest).
• If invited, the employer has 14 days to submit the "approval of an employment position".
• OINP may request additional documents to verify information.

Doctors: can apply without a job offer.

You qualify if you meet both criteria:

• Having an OHIP billing number (eligible for public health insurance reimbursement under the Health Insurance Act, 1990)
• Register and “stand in good standing” with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario in one of the certification groups that allow patient care:
  • independent practice
  • academic practice
  • underground education

If you meet this requirement, you do not need to fulfill other job offer and applicant requirements on the page; you need to contact them to begin submitting your EOI.

EOI Scoring System

Note: Scoring factors are different from program requirements. You still need to meet the streaming criteria.
Scoring factors do not apply to doctors applying without a job offer.

Employment/Labor Market Group + Key Points

• NOC TEER category:
  • TEER 0–1: 10 | TEER 2–3:8 | TEER 4–5: 0
• NOC broad occupational category:
  • Cat 0,2,3: 10 | Cat 7:7 | Cat 1.9:5 | Cat 4,8: ​​4 | Cat 5,6:3
• Wage:
  • ≥$40/h: 10 | $35–39.99: 8 | $30–34.99: 7 | $25–29.99: 6 | $20–24.99: 5 | <$20: 0
• Work permit status:

  • Having a valid work permit: 10 | Not having one: 0

• Job tenure with employer (in Ontario):
  • ≥6 months in job offer position: 3 | <6 months/no work experience: 0
• Canadian earnings history (NOA for 5 years):
  • ≥$40k/year: 3 | < $40k: 0
• Language - official language ability:
  • Club 9+: 10 | Club 8: 6 | Club 7: 4 | CLB ≤6: 0
• Knowledge of official languages:
  • 2 languages: 10 | 1 language: 5
• Regionalization - workplace:
  • Northern Ontario: 10 | Outside the GTA (excluding Northern Ontario): 8 | Within the GTA (excluding Toronto): 3 | Toronto: 0

After being nominated by OINP

You will receive an email containing:

• appointment approval letter
• Work permit support letter (if applicable)
• Aluminum certificate

Then you apply to IRCC for a work permit (if needed) and PR. During the nomination period:

• must continue to demonstrate their intention to reside in Ontario.
• Must be currently holding the approved position at the time of nomination (if already held).
• If you haven't already: apply for a work permit within 6 months and start working within 10 months of the nomination date.
• If you have not started working within 10 months, you must notify OINP in writing immediately.
• Employment must be maintained throughout the PR waiting period: employer / job title & duties / salary / working hours / work location must be consistent.
• If there are any changes, OINP must be notified immediately in writing.

How can KeyApply assist with OINP applications under the Job Offer stream?

• Review the NOC TEER, the validity of the job offer (full-time, permanent, wage median, Ontario-based, equity <10%, etc.).
• Instructions for employers on preparing the Employer Portal and the "approval of an employment position" document.
• Optimize and check EOI scoring, prepare evidence according to the stated points.
• Create a checklist of documents and monitor deadlines (30 days / 14 days / 17 days).
• We assist in handling sensitive issues such as: accumulated experience of 3,120 hours; third-party proof of self-employment; maintained status; and job changes during the nomination period.

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