Latest PNP Draws: Ontario invited foreign skilled workers and graduates

Brief information about Ontario’s latest draw targeting international graduates and foreign workers

On October 20, Ontario issued additional waves of invitations, encouraging 546 immigrant applicants to apply for a provincial nomination. These invitations encouraged international student graduates and foreign employees with EOI profiles in Ontario, to take the next step toward Canadian immigration.

Candidates with profiles in the Expression of Interest (EOI) pool were invited by the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). In addition, candidates should meet the requirements for the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream, the Master's Graduate Stream, or the PhD Stream.

Four targeted invitations were sent to individuals who may be qualified for the Economic Mobility Pathways Project's Foreign Worker Stream. In addition, the OINP encouraged 479 foreign student graduates to apply for the Master's Graduate stream and 63 who may be qualified for the PhD Graduate stream. Invited candidates were required to file a profile in Ontario's EOI system, wherein each stream has its own set of grading criteria:

A minimum score of 35 was necessary for master's graduates, while a minimum score of 25 was required for PhD candidates. This is the second-largest master's graduate stream draw in Ontario since the province introduced an EOI system for PNPs that do not use the Express Entry system. The history of these draws shows that Master's degree draws are larger and require a higher score.

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This might be due to the huge number of qualified applicants that submit their applications through the EOI system for each degree type. According to Statistics Canada, thousands of international students graduate with a master's degree in Ontario each year, while the number of PhD graduates is in the hundreds.

Foreign nationals with an eligible employment offer from a company in Ontario may apply for the Ontario Foreign Worker Stream under the Employer Job Offer category. Candidates are not required to apply from inside Canada if they fulfil the qualifying conditions.

Candidates must have the equivalent of two years of work experience in a skilled occupation, have an acceptable employment offer in Ontario, and plan to immigrate to the Ontario, among other requirements, to be eligible.

Those interested in applying for this PNP stream must first create an EOI profile on the Ontario website. After submitting a profile, it will be added to the EOI pool. Ontario will assign a score based on the information provided.

To be considered for the Master's Graduate or PhD Graduate stream, applicants must first register with Ontario's e-Filing Portal and then submit an expression of interest for their preferred graduate stream. The province of Ontario then invites qualified individuals to apply for a provincial nomination, which is a crucial step toward Canadian permanent residency. Nevertheless, it is not necessary to have a job offer to apply; applications must be submitted within two years of graduating.

Ontario rates EOI profiles based on a set of human capital criteria regarded as essential in identifying immigrants with the ability to succeed by the government. Candidates are awarded points based on the degree of expertise in their job offer as well as their Canadian work experience.

Each stream's OINP scoring methodology is unique. Aside from skill level and job experience, it considers pay, education, official language proficiency, and area of study or employment. In addition, the province may allocate up to ten points at its discretion to respond to labour market demands.