WHAT IS OINP?
ONTARIO IMMIGRANT NOMINEE PROGRAM (OINP)
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is Ontario’s economic immigration program. It is operated by the Government of Ontario in collaboration with the Government of Canada. Through the OINP, Ontario may nominate qualified foreign nationals who have the skills, work experience, education, or job offer needed to support Ontario’s labour market and economic needs. A provincial nomination allows the applicant to apply to the federal government for permanent residence.
The OINP application process is generally divided into two stages. The first stage is the provincial stage, where the applicant applies to Ontario for a nomination. The second stage is the federal stage, where the nominated applicant applies to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence.
The OINP currently has nine (9) streams: These streams are divided into Expression of Interest streams and Express Entry streams.
For applicants with a job offer in Ontario, the Employer Job Offer category includes the Foreign Worker stream, International Student stream, and In-Demand Skills stream. For applicants with a master’s or PhD degree from an Ontario university, the OINP includes the Masters Graduate stream and PhD Graduate stream. The Express Entry streams include the Human Capital Priorities stream, Skilled Trades stream, and French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream.
For the Employer Job Offer streams, the process is now employer-led at the beginning. Effective July 2, 2025, employers must use the OINP Employer Portal to submit job offers and applications for approval of employment positions. After the employer submits the job offer, the employee-applicant must register an Expression of Interest within 30 calendar days. If the applicant receives an Invitation to Apply, the employer must submit the application for approval of the employment position within 14 calendar days, and the employee-applicant must submit the OINP application within 17 calendar days.
If a nominated applicant’s work permit will expire soon, the available work permit option depends on the applicant’s stage and the documents issued with the nomination. A provincial nomination by itself does not give the applicant authorization to work in Canada. The applicant must still apply for a work permit if they wish to work while their permanent residence application is being processed.
In some cases, a nominee may apply for an employer-specific work permit supported by the nomination and a work permit support letter. If the work permit is LMIA-exempt but employer-specific, the employer generally must submit an offer of employment through the IRCC Employer Portal and pay the $230 employer compliance fee, unless an exemption applies.
A Bridging Open Work Permit may also be available if the applicant has already submitted a complete permanent residence application and received the required acknowledgement of receipt. For Provincial Nominee Program applicants, the applicant must generally be the principal applicant, live in Canada, have valid status, maintained status, or be eligible for restoration, and must have no employment restrictions as a condition of the nomination. The applicant must pay the work permit processing fee and the open work permit holder fee.