The following is a summary of the basic requirements of each of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Programs (OINP). The OINP has programs that are linked to Express Entry and programs that do not require applicants to have a valid Express Entry profile.

Please note that as the following are only summaries of the basic essential requirements for each program. If you believe you meet the criteria of the program, you will need to review the full OINP program guidelines to make sure that you meet all of the OINP’s specific requirements. If you need assistance with this, you can book a consultation with one of our Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants. 

The OINP Employer Job Offer: International Student stream requires applicants to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) on the OINP website. This EOI will be used to assign applicants a score, which will be used to select applicants. Try our free OINP Points Calculator to view your score as well as which documents you would require to support your EOI.

If the applicant is then selected based on their EOI, they will be given a set date to submit their full application to OINP. If that application is then approved, they will receive a Provincial Nomination. The Employer Job Offer: International Student stream does not require an Express Entry profile. This means that applicants who receive a provincial nomination under this stream will not submit their application for permanent residence through the Express Entry system.

For the Employer Job Offer: International Student stream, the applicant needs to have a full-time (minimum of 30 hours per week), paid, permanent position with an indeterminate duration from an employer in Ontario.

For the Employer Job Offer: International Student stream, the following criteria apply:

The job offer needs to meet the following criteria:

• Full-time (minimum of 30 hours per week), paid, permanent position with an indeterminate duration from an employer in Ontario;
• In TEER Category 0, 1, 2 or 3 of the National Occupation Classification;
• The wage being offered must meet or be above the low wage level for that occupation, in the specific region of Ontario where the applicant will be working;
• The position offered must be necessary to the proposed employer’s business;
• The work must take place primarily in Ontario;

The applicant needs to meet the following criteria:

• The applicant or their family members cannot hold equity in the employer’s company which exceeds 10%;
• The applicant completed an undergraduate degree or diploma at an eligible Canadian institution that took at least two years to complete if they studied on a full-time basis, or a graduate degree, diploma or certificate at an eligible Canadian institution that took at least one year to complete if they studied on a full-time basis (More than half of your studies must have been completed at an eligible Canadian institution while living and studying in Canada);
• The applicant must have a licence or other authorization for the job that the applicant has been offered if the job is in an occupation that requires a license or other authorization in Ontario;
• The applicant must have the intention to live in Ontario;
• The applicant must submit their application to the OINP within two years of the date on their degree, diploma or certificate.

The employer needs to meet the following criteria:

• Have been in active business for at least three years prior to submission of the application;
• Have business premises in Ontario where the applicant will work;
• Has earned a minimum of $500,000 in total gross annual revenue in the most recently completed  fiscal year if the applicant will work or report to work at a location outside the Greater Toronto Area or a minimum of $1,000,000 in total gross annual revenue in the most recently completed  fiscal year if the applicant will work or report to work at a location in the Greater Toronto Area (City of Toronto, Durham, Halton, York and Peel regions);
• Employ a minimum of five full-time employees who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents who work at the same location where the applicant will work, or will report to work, if they will work or report to work at a location in the Greater Toronto Area (City of Toronto, Durham, Halton, York and Peel regions) or a minimum of three full-time employees who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents who work at the same location where the applicant will work, or will report to work, if the applicant will work or report to work at a location outside the Greater Toronto Area.

Please note that if you are invited to submit an application to the OINP, you will need to review the full program guidelines to make sure that you meet all of the OINP’s specific requirements. If you need assistance with this, you can book a consultation witne of our Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants. 

The OINP Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills Stream requires applicants to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) on the OINP website.  This EOI will be used to assign applicants a score, which will be used to select applicants. Try our free OINP Points Calculator to view your score as well as which documents you would require to support your EOI.

If the applicant is then selected based on their EOI, they will be given a set date to submit their full application to OINP. If that application is then approved, they will receive a Provincial Nomination. The Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills Stream does not require an Express Entry profile. This means that applicants who receive a provincial nomination under this stream will not submit their application for permanent residence through the Express Entry system.

For the Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills Stream, the applicant needs to have a full-time (minimum of 30 hours per week), paid, permanent position with an indeterminate duration from an employer in Ontario.

For the Job Offer: In-Demand Skills Stream, the following criteria apply:

The job offer needs to meet the following criteria:

• Full-time (minimum of 30 hours per week), paid, permanent position with an indeterminate duration from an employer in Ontario;
• Must be in one of the following occupations if the job offer is in any location in Ontario (inside and outside the Greater Toronto Area) :
  • NOC 44101 – Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations
  • NOC 65202 – Meat cutters and fishmongers – retail and wholesale
  • NOC 75110 – Construction trades helpers and labourers
  • NOC 84120 – Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators
  • NOC 85100 – Livestock labourers
  • NOC 85101 – Harvesting labourers
  • NOC 85103 – Nursery and greenhouse labourers
  • NOC 94141 – Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
• Must be in one of the following occupations if the job offer is outside the Greater Toronto Area (City of Toronto, Durham, Halton, York and Peel regions):
  • NOC 94100 – Machine operators, mineral and metal processing
  • NOC 94105 – Metalworking and forging machine operators
  • NOC 94106 – Machining tool operators
  • NOC 94107 – Machine operators of other metal products
  • NOC 94110 – Chemical plant machine operators
  • NOC 94111 – Plastics processing machine operators
  • NOC 94124 – Woodworking machine operators
  • NOC 94132 – Industrial sewing machine operators
  • NOC 94140 – Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing
  • NOC 94201 – Electronics assemblers, fabricators, inspectors and testers
  • NOC 94204 – Mechanical assemblers and inspectors
  • NOC 94213 – Industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing process operators
  • NOC 94219 – Other products assemblers, finishers and inspectors
  • NOC 95102 – Labourers in chemical products processing and utilities
• The wage being offered must be at the median wage level for that occupation, in the specific region of Ontario where the applicant will be working;
• The position offered must be necessary to the proposed employer’s business;

The applicant needs to meet the following criteria:

• The applicant must have at least 9 months of full-time (or the equivalent in part-time) paid work experience in Ontario, in the same in-demand occupation (same NOC code) as the job they are being offered which was obtained on a valid work permit;
• The applicant must have gained the above work experience within the three years prior to submitting their application to the OINP;
• The applicant must have a licence or other authorization for the job that the applicant has been offered, if the job is in an occupation that requires a license or other authorization in Ontario;
• The applicant needs to have achieved a minimum score of a CLB 4 in all sections of an approved language test in English or French;
• The aplicant needs to have a minimum of a high school diploma which has been assessed by an approved organization;
• The applicant must have the intention to live in Ontario;
• The applicant must have the settlement funds required for their family size;

The employer needs to meet the following criteria:

• Have been in active business for at least three years prior to submission of the application;
• Have business premises in Ontario where the applicant will work;
• Has earned a minimum of $500,000 in total gross annual revenue in the most recently completed  fiscal year if the applicant will work or report to work at a location outside the Greater Toronto Area or a minimum of $1,000,000 in total gross annual revenue in the most recently completed  fiscal year if the applicant will work or report to work at a location in the Greater Toronto Area (City of Toronto, Durham, Halton, York and Peel regions);
• Employ a minimum of five full-time employees who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents who work at the same location where the applicant will work, or will report to work, if they will work or report to work at a location in the Greater Toronto Area (City of Toronto, Durham, Halton, York and Peel regions) or a minimum of three full-time employees who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents who work at the same location where the applicant will work, or will report to work, if the applicant will work or report to work at a location outside the Greater Toronto Area.

Please note that if you are invited to submit an application to the OINP, you will need to review the full program guidelines to make sure that you meet all of the OINP’s specific requirements. If you need assistance with this, you can book a consultation with one of our Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants. 

The OINP Entrepreneur Stream is a points-based system and those with the higher scores will be selected. To be eligible to enter an Expression of interest to the OINP Entrepreneur Stream, applicants need to meet the following basic requirements:

• Intention to reside in Ontario
• Ability to listen, read, write and speak English or French at a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 4;
• Commitment to be actively involved, on an ongoing basis, in the management of the business;
• Minimum investment of $600,000 Canadian Dollars if operating a business in the Greater Toronto Area OR $200,000 Canadian Dollars if operating a business outside of the Greater Toronto Area OR in any part of Ontario but the business is in the information and communications technology/digital communications sector;
• Minimum net worth of $800,000 Canadian Dollars if operating a business in the Greater Toronto Area (City of Toronto and Durham, Halton, York and Peel regions) OR $ 400,000 Canadian Dollars if operating a business outside of the Greater Toronto Area;
• May identify a business partner for nomination to assist in the establishment of the business in Ontario;
• Must control at least ⅓ of the equity in the business;
• Create at least two full-time, permanent jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents if operating a business in the Greater Toronto Area OR one full-time permanent job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident if operating a business outside of the Greater Toronto Area OR in any part of Ontario but the business is in the information and communications technology/digital communications sector;
• Have at least 24 months’ worth of full-time business experience in the past 60 months as a business owner or senior manager;
• If purchasing an existing business in Ontario:
  • you will need to make an exploratory visit to Ontario within the 12 months preceding the submission of your application
  • you must make at least one business-related visit to Ontario within 12 months from the date of registering an expression of interest
  • the business being purchased must have been in continuous operation by the same owner(s) for the previous 60 months (proof of ownership and either a letter of intent to purchase the business or sale agreement is required)
  • ownership of the business must be completely transferred to the applicant or any business partner
  • the previous owner(s) cannot retain any shares of the business
  • you must use at least 10% of your personal investment towards improving or expanding the business in Ontario
  • you must keep all permanent, full-time jobs in the business prior to the transfer of ownership
  • the proposed business must not have been previously owned/operated by current or former OINP business stream nominees, including anyone who has received a certificate of nomination under the Entrepreneur Stream or the Opportunities Ontario Investor Component
• For this program, you would enter into a Pool of applicants and would be assigned a score. You would be allowed to proceed if your score is selected.

The following businesses are not eligible under the OINP Entrepreneur Stream

• Project-based and seasonal businesses
• automated car wash business
• holding companies
• laundromats
• pawnbrokers
• payday loan and related businesses
• scrap metal recycling
• tire recycling
• a business involved in producing, distributing or selling pornography or sexually explicit products or services, or providing sexually oriented services
• businesses which have been previously owned or operated by a current or former OINP Entrepreneur Stream nominee or a nominee under the former investor component of the Opportunities Ontario program

If your proposed business will be located in the Greater Toronto Area, the following businesses are also ineligible under the OINP Entrepreneur Stream:

• existing franchises in Ontario (new foreign franchises expanding into Ontario are permitted)
• gas stations
• bed and breakfasts

Please note that if you are invited to submit an application to the OINP, you will need to review the full program guidelines to make sure that you meet all of the OINP’s specific requirements. If you need assistance with this, you can book a consultation with one of our Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants.