Ontario is Canada’s most popular province and is one of the favorite destinations among newcomers and people looking for immigration opportunities in Canada.
There are many immigration opportunities in Canada, but almost 45 percent of total immigrants coming to Canada settle in Ontario because of Diversity, a plethora of opportunities, and high income.
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Ontario has a diversified industrial sector and almost all the tech companies have their offices in Toronto because of its closeness to the US and Sea Ports, which makes it an important international trading center.
Immigration Opportunities In Canada: Recent Immigration to Ontario Canada
In 2022, 227,235 immigrants settled in Ontario, which is 42.3% of the total immigration, and in 2023, 194,982 made Ontario their home. Canada is planning to target even more immigrants in the coming years.
The province of Ontario has already set its target for 2024 and is committed to inviting more immigrants to rebuild its economy post-COVID-19. Every year Ontario receives around 52% of the permits for study and has the largest share in the Federal draws.
Ontario is always one of the friendly provinces for newcomers, but at the same time, it is even more difficult to get provincial nominations in Ontario.
The government launched Ontario PNP to fill the labor and skill shortage in targeted areas. Some of the Ontario PNP streams are general streams, and others are enhanced streams.
Enhanced streams are those that align with Federal express entry in which the province picks certain profiles based on their eligibility from the federal pool and sends them the invitation to apply. In this system, they give candidates a certain CRS score and the highest-ranking individual is invited to apply for permanent residency.
Ontario uses two ways to manage applications: One is through Expression of Interest and the other is through the Express Entry system.
There are 9 ways through which someone can apply for immigration opportunities in Canada and get an Ontario nomination.
Ontario Expression of Interest
- Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream
- Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream
- Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills Stream
- Masters Graduate stream
- PhD Graduate stream
- Entrepreneur stream
Ontario’s Express Entry Streams
Human Capital Priorities stream
- Skilled Trades stream
- French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream
To qualify for the Ontario Expression of Interest, you must register an expression of interest and receive an invitation to apply.
Foreign Worker stream
The Foreign skilled worker stream allows foreign workers to apply for permanent residency if they have a job offer in a skilled occupation.
The job offer must be in TEER category 0,1,2 or 3 of the national occupation in a skilled category. This stream is open to all foreign workers outside Canada.
To be considered under this stream, you must first apply under the OINP Expression of Interest and receive an invitation to apply for the permanent residence.
International Student Stream
Under this stream, international students who have recently graduated from Ontario and have a valid job offer from an Ontario Employer in a skilled occupation can apply for permanent living in Ontario.
The job must be in TEER 0,1,2 or 3 of the national occupation classification. To be eligible for this, you need to register under the expression of interest and after you receive the invitation, you can apply for permanent residence.
In-Demand Skills Stream
The Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream allows foreign workers with job offers in specified in-demand occupations such as agriculture, construction, and other designated occupations to apply to live and work in Ontario permanently. This stream is open to both domestic and international workers.
Masters and Ph.D. Graduate Stream
International graduates who did their master’s or Ph.D. from Ontario can apply for permanent residency in Ontario.
To qualify for this, you must have at least 1 year of full-time study and a degree from an eligible university in Ontario.
You must have CLB 7 or higher in English or French and legally lived in Ontario for at least one year in the past 2 years before you apply.
Entrepreneur Stream
To be eligible under the Entrepreneur stream, you need to invest in Ontario by starting a new business or buying an existing business.
This allows entrepreneurs to be nominated for permanent residence once their business starts operating.
To be considered under the entrepreneur stream, you must register an expression of interest and submit an online application. You and your business partner must attend a mandatory interview and sign a performance agreement.
If you invested in the GTA, you must have a minimum personal investment of $600000 and outside the GTA, it’s $200,000 and control at least 1/3 of the equity in the business.
Ontario’s Express Entry System
The OINP uses a federal Express entry system to manage the applications for French Speaking, Human Capital, and Skill trade streams.
There are three opportunities under the Ontario Express entry.
Human Capital Priority stream:
Under this, certain occupations are on the priority list. If you have experience in any of them, then you can apply under the foreign skilled worker with relevant experience, language requirements, and education.
To apply for this, you don’t need a job offer. You must have at least 1 year of continuous full-time work experience in TEER 1,1,2 or 3 and you should obtain your work experience within the last 5 years from the date of submitting your application.
Skilled Trades Stream
The Express Entry Skill trade stream is an immigration stream in which individuals who have relevant experience in certain skills can apply for permanent residence.
To be eligible for this, you must have a valid profile in the express entry and receive a notice of interest from Ontario.
You have at least 1 year of full-time experience in Ontario’s major groups like 72, 73, 82, 83, 93, or minor group 6320 of the national occupation classification.
You must obtain work experience in the last two years from the date of submitting your application. For certain trade occupations, a license is also required.
French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream
Ontario is trying to welcome additional francophone immigrants to supplement its existing Franco-Ontarian population of roughly 500,000 people.
Successful applicants will earn 600 more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, as well as an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence.
One distinct feature of this OINP track is that no employment offer is required. Ontario evaluates applicants based on their human capital credentials, with a focus on language proficiency.
You don’t need a job offer to apply under this stream. Also, you just need at least one year of work experience in TEER 0,1,2 or 3 of the National Occupation Classification.
You must have a Canadian Bachelor’s, master’s, or PGD degree or an equivalent in another category.
Finally, On Immigration Opportunities in Ontario Canada
Ontario gives ample opportunities to become a permanent resident. Province has the largest share of immigration and is one of the best places for immigrants to settle because of its diversity.
In the recent draws, the province shifted from the general draws to the category-based draws to meet the labor demand and fill the priority sectors.
You can always take advice from an immigration consultant in Canada for the immigration programs in Ontario.
Author Profile:
Harinder P Singh
I contribute to Immigrationnews.blueeye.ca, sharing the excitement of immigration’s promise—a chance for individuals, regardless of background, to create a better life abroad. Beyond writing, I find joy in drawing, cooking, baking, and savoring music. Immigration, to me, symbolizes hope for a brighter future for families and loved ones.