Since February 2009, the Ontario Pilot Provincial Nominee Program (Pilot PNP) has been known as Opportunities Ontario: Provincial Nominee Program.
As with other Canadian PNPs, Opportunities Ontario is employer driven. You may only apply if your employer is pre-screened, the position is approved and your employer provides you with a nominee application package from Opportunities Ontario.
You will need to submit your application to the province first and then apply for a permanent resident visa through Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) as a Provincial Nominee, once Ontario approves your application.
Applicants to the Opportunities Ontario program can apply under one of five categories:
Applicants to the Opportunities Ontario program can apply under one of five categories:
- Foreign Workers (General Category)
- Investors
- Students with a Job Offer
- PhD Graduates
- Masters Graduates
Foreign Workers (General Category)
Skilled workers may be able to apply to Opportunities Ontario under the general category if:
- Their prospective employer has first applied for a pre-screening of a position
- The position has been approved
- Their prospective employer has sent an approval letter, a signed Joint Verification form and a Pre-screen Position form
- However, the three points above are not a guarantee of approval. To be eligible, you also need to:
- Have at least two years of work experience within the previous five years in the intended occupation, or have appropriate registration in Ontario (NB: Unpaid, unathorised or volunteer experience will not be accepted)
- Have an approved, permanent full-time job offer in a skilled occupation (NOC 0, A or B)
- Have been offered a wage that meets the prevailing wage level for the intended occupation
- Have legal status if you are already residing in Canada
Please note that after the issue of your employer pre-screen approved position form, you have 60 days to submit your application to Opportunities Ontario.
For more information on how to apply under the Foreign Worker (General Category) stream, please review the Application Guide for Nominees.
Investors (General Category)
The Investors stream allows companies making an investment in Ontario to recruit or relocate key employees to ensure the long-term success of their investment.
Recruited or relocated employees under the Investors category must meet the same eligibility requirements as those under the Foreign Workers (General Category).
Review the brochure of information for investors for additional information on how to apply.
Students with a Job Offer (International Student Category)
Ontario employers can extend permanent, full-time job offers to international students who have completed their post-secondary education at a publicly-funded Canadian institution. These students can then be eligible to apply for an Ontario Provincial Nomination Certificate.
In order to apply under the International Student Category, you must:
- Have completed at least half of your studies in Canada, and have graduated or will soon be graduating from an eligible publicly funded Canadian college or university (NB: You must send proof of graduation with their application)
- Have completed a minimum of a two-year diploma or degree program, while studying on a full-time basis. One-year post-graduate degree programs and certificate programs, which require a previous degree or diploma (which may have been obtained abroad), are also eligible
- Have a job offer in a managerial, professional or skilled trades occupation (NOC 0, A or B). The job offer does not have to be related to the field of study.
- Have a job offer that is permanent and full-time and meets the entry level wage for the occupation, rather than the prevailing wage required for applicants in the General Category
- Apply within two years of the date on which you received your degree or diploma, or in the alternative, during the last semester of completing your degree or diploma
- Have legal status, if you are already residing in Canada
- Have received your employer’s approval letter, signed Joint Verification and Pre-screen Position form
International student applicants do not need to have any previous work experience. You may apply for an approved position from within Canada or from overseas.
PhD Graduates (International Student Category)
Candidates under this part of the International Student Category must have obtained their PhDs from an Ontario publicly-funded university and do not need a job offer to be eligible for the Opportunities Ontario Program.
To apply under the PhD Graduates stream, you will not require a job offer.However, you will need to:
- Have graduated from an existing PhD program at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario, or
- Have successfully completed all degree requirements for the program (i.e completion of course work and successfully defended your thesis and are awaiting the granting of your degree) and have completed at least two years of your PhD studies at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario
- Apply within two years of the date on which your PhD degree was granted
- Have legal status, if you already are residing in Canada
Masters Graduates (International Student Category)
As with applicants under the PhD Graduates Stream, Masters Graduates do not require a job offer from an Ontarian employer.
However, to apply for the Opportunities Ontario PNP as a Masters Graduate, you must:
- Intend to live and work in Ontario
- Have graduated from an existing Masters program at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario
- Have completed a minimum of one academic year degree program, while studying on a full-time basis
- Apply within two years of the date on which your Masters degree was granted, or in the alternative, during the last semester of completing your degree
- Currently be residing in Ontario
- Have legal status in Canada (i.e. study permit, work permit, temporary resident visa)
- Demonstrate high official language proficiency (For English language proficiency – IELTS – General test with a minimum score of seven or higher) (For French language proficiency – TEF – with a minimum score of five or higher)
- Demonstrate a minimum level of savings/income to support yourself and your dependants
- Demonstrate at least one year of residence in Ontario in the past two years
If you plan to apply under the International Student Category, via the PhD Graduates stream or Masters Graduates stream, you should review the Application Guide for International Graduates (PhD and Masters.
Source: Muchmore Magazine
