Less than three weeks after introducing the In-Demand Skills stream to the new Expression of Interest (EOI) system, Ontario has invited immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) also invited candidates registered for the Regional Immigration Pilot. Invited candidates under this stream had work experience in one of the following occupations, listed by sector in order of their National Occupational Classification (NOC) code.
Health and agricultural occupations:
- NOC 3413 – nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
- NOC 4412 – home support workers and related occupations, excluding housekeepers
- NOC 8431 – general farm workers
- NOC 8432 – nursery and greenhouse workers
- NOC 8611 – harvesting labourers
- NOC 9462 – industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
Manufacturing (outside Greater Toronto Area only):
- NOC 9411 – machine operators, mineral and metal processing
- NOC 9416 – metalworking and forging machine operators
- NOC 9417 – machining tool operators
- NOC 9418 – other metal products machine operators
- NOC 9421 – chemical plant machine operators
- NOC 9422 – plastics processing machine operators
- NOC 9437 – woodworking machine operators
- NOC 9446 – industrial sewing machine operators
- NOC 9461 – process control and machine operators, food, beverage and associated products processing
- NOC 9523 – electronics assemblers, fabricators, inspectors and testers
- NOC 9526 – mechanical assemblers and inspectors
- NOC 9536 – industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing process operators
- NOC 9537 – other products assemblers, finishers and inspectors
Invited candidates now have 14 calendar days to apply for a nomination from Ontario’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
About the In-Demand Skills Stream
This immigration program focuses more on provincial demand than occupation skill level. Foreign workers with eligible job offers in Ontario can apply for a nomination with nine months of cumulative work experience in the province within the past three years. Seasonal work experience is not eligible to meet the work requirement. Part-time work may be eligible if the candidate completed the required number of work hours. The number of work hours has to equal either 1,200 hours of paid employment in one job over the course of 18 months. Or, for those who had more than one job, it would mean working for at least 30 hours per week for nine months totalling 1,200 hours.
Regional Immigration Pilot
The Regional Immigration Pilot was launched to help address labour shortages in some of these communities. It allows the province to allocate 150 nominations in 2021 to three rural locations: Chatham-Kent, Cornwall, and Quinte West/Belleville. These municipalities demonstrated to the province that they have labour shortages in skilled occupations, and the ability to help newcomers get settled.
If you are eligible for any of the OINP Employer Job Offer streams and your full-time job offer is in one of the participating communities, you may be able to get a provincial nomination through the pilot.
There are three Employer Job Offer streams:
- Foreign Worker Stream, for workers with a skilled job offer in Ontario;
- International Student Stream, for international students with skilled job offers; and
- In-Demand Skills Stream, for workers in occupations that have labour shortages in Ontario.
Any nomination through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is a major asset when applying for Canadian immigration. PNPs demonstrate to the federal government that this applicant supports regional labour market needs. The federal government has the final say in all Canadian immigration applications but the overwhelming majority of provincial nominees get approved for permanent residence.