OINP - (Worker) Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream

In-Demand Skills is the Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (OINP) for foreign workers with job offers in TEER 4-5 occupations experiencing labor shortages (commonly: agriculture, construction, caregiving, etc.); applicable to applicants both within and outside Canada.

Note: The list of occupations/requirements may change from time to time.

1) Who is suitable?

• You have a full-time, long-term job offer in Ontario for a position listed as "in-demand".
• You have completed/are currently working under the correct NOC in Ontario and can demonstrate the experience.
• You need an EOI (scoring) roadmap → invitation to apply → nomination → federal PR application.

2) Main requirements

A. Job offer (required)

• Full-time & Permanent: Minimum 1,560 hours/year and ≥ 30 hours/week, with no end date (not seasonal/contract).
• The correct occupation group is TEER 4–5 according to the OINP list (some occupations have the condition "must be outside the GTA").
• Eligible salary: minimum median wage by region (use Job Bank for comparison).
• Location is absolutely essential for a business's operations.
• The work is primarily carried out in Ontario.
• You and your relatives are not allowed to hold ≥ 10% of the company's shares (directly/indirectly); if you do, the total must be less than 10% and is usually only accepted as a "benefit/compensation".

B. Candidate Requirements

• I received an Expression of Interest (EOI) and was invited to apply by the deadline.
• Work experience: a minimum of 9 months (cumulative) of paid full-time work in Ontario, matching the NOC (Nominal Occupation Code) of the job offer, within the last 3 years; a total of at least 1,200 hours.
• Foreign language: minimum CLB 4 (English/French), test results within the last 2 years (IELTS GT/CELPIP General/PTE Core or TEF/TCF).
• Education: Minimum Canadian high school diploma or equivalent; studies outside Canada require ECA (not exceeding 5 years).
• If you are in Canada: you need to have legal status (work/study/visitor) and should maintain it until you are nominated.
• Demonstrate your intention to live in Ontario (ties/relationships/work/study, etc.).
• If the occupation requires a license in Ontario: a valid license/authorization is required.

C. Conditions for recruitment by the company

• Operating for ≥ 3 years, based in Ontario, with no outstanding labor/safety violations.
• Minimum revenue for the most recent year:
  • ≥ $1,000,000 if the location is in GTA
  • ≥ $500,000 if outside of GTA
• Minimum number of full-time employees:
  • ≥ 5 PR/Citizen if in GTA
  • ≥ 3 PR/Citizen if outside of GTA
• If the applicant is outside Canada/outside Ontario: they usually have to demonstrate prior efforts to recruit Canadian citizens/permanent residents.
• Businesses must submit their applications on the Employer Portal (employer section) by the deadline.

3) List of occupations (highlighted examples - TEER 4-5)

The group "is located in all areas of Ontario" (including GTA & outside GTA) – for example:

• Home support workers/caregivers (NOC 44101)
• Construction helpers & laborers (NOC 75110), Other trades helpers (NOC 75119)
• Some agricultural/meat processing/harvesting occupations (NOCs as you provided)

The "outside GTA" group includes more logistics/manufacturing/processing/factory jobs… (according to the NOC list you sent).

KeyApply usually recommends that clients finalize the correct NOC (Job Description + Duties + Workplace + Salary) right from the start, because getting the wrong NOC is a very common "loss of points/failure to qualify" error.

4) Application process

1. Employer creates Job Offer on Employer Portal → you receive Job Offer ID
2. You create an EOI in the OINP system (usually within 30 days of the employer creating the job offer).
3. If invited:
• The employer submits the business share (usually within 14 days).
• You submit the application and fee (usually 17 days, and only after the employer has submitted their part).
4. Nominated → Submit PR application to IRCC (federal decision is final)

5) What criteria does OINP use to score EOI?

This typically includes: occupation group, salary level, work permit status, seniority with the employer, Canadian Income (NOA), and work area (areas outside the GTA/Northern Ontario usually receive higher marks).

What can KeyApply do to assist you?

• Review the eligibility based on the actual documents (NOC/TEER, workplace, wage, experience, professional licenses, ECA, English/French language test).
• Standardize Job Offer & Job Description to match NOC + OINP (reduce the risk of being questioned/rejected).
• Prepare a set of evidence for 9 months/1,200 hours of experience (paystubs, NOA/T4, reference letters, timesheet, etc.)
• Employer Portal guide + checklist of documents for businesses (revenue, personnel, locations, compliance, etc.)
• Submit EOI – optimize your eligibility score & track invitations to submit
• Draft a cover letter/letter of introduction explaining the sensitive issues (status, leave, job change, wage, work location, etc.).

If you would like your profile reviewed, please submit your KeyApply:

1. Expected NOC + job title
2. Work location (GTA or outside GTA)
3. How long have you worked in Ontario, and do you have paytubs/NOA?
4. Current Club (or IELTS/CELPIP/TEF/TCF)

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