The Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (OPNP) is an immigration program through which Ontario nominates individuals and their families for permanent resident status based on a pre-approved job offer in the province.
The program also allows investors to have key employees obtain permanent resident status.

Ontario PNP Foreign Worker Category

To be eligible as a foreign worker under the prospective nominees of the Ontario PNP General Category must demonstrate that they qualify for the approved position by providing evidence that they have:

• At least two years (24 months) of work experience (within the previous five years) in the intended occupation, or have appropriate registration in Ontario, if applying for a position in a regulated occupation in Ontario.
  • For work experience obtained abroad and in Canada, Opportunities Ontario will only accept full-time work experience that is verifiable, relevant, and paid. Unpaid or volunteer experience will not be accepted. In addition, for work experience obtained in Canada, Opportunities Ontario will only accept Canadian work experience that is obtained with proper work authorization from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (e.g., work permit) within the most recent five years.
• A permanent full-time job offer in a skilled occupation, Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC) 0, A or B, that the OPNP has approved and that is still valid.
  • Foreign workers already working in the position that the OPNP approved need to be paid a wage that is equal to or greater than the wage approved for that position. So if the wage for the position was approved at $25/hour, the temporary worker in that position will need to be paid $25/hour or more before the program nominates them.
• Have legal status, if the prospective nominee is in Canada (e.g., a work permit, temporary resident visa). Refugee claimants and asylum seekers are not eligible for the program.
• The employer’s approval letter, Joint Verification form signed by their prospective employer, and Pre-screen Position form.

Ontario PNP International Student Stream

International Students with a Job Offer

In order to apply to the Ontario PNP as an international student, students must:

• Have completed at least half of their studies in Canada, and have graduated or will soon be graduating from an eligible publicly funded Canadian college or university (students 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 they received their degree or diploma, or in the alternative, during the last semester of completing their degree or diploma (in which case they will have to provide transcripts which indicate that they will be graduating at the end of the semester).
• Have legal status, if the prospective international student nominee is in Canada.
• Have received their employer’s approval letter, Joint Verification form signed by their prospective employer, and Pre-screen Position form.

International students do not need to have any previous work experience. Eligible international students may apply for an approved position from within Canada or from overseas.

International PhD Graduate Stream

In order to apply to the Ontario PNP as an international PhD graduate in Ontario, students must:

• 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 their thesis and are awaiting the granting of their degree).
• AND
• Have completed at least two years of their PhD studies at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario.
• Apply within two years of the date on which their PhD degree was granted.
• Have legal status, if the international PhD graduate applicant is in Canada.

Ontario international PhD students may apply for the program from within Canada or from overseas

Pilot Masters Graduate Stream

In order to apply to the Ontario PNP as an international Masters graduate in Ontario, students 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 their Masters degree was granted, or in the alternative, during the last semester of completing their degree.
• Currently be residing in Ontario.
• Have legal status in Canada (i.e. study permit, work permit, temporary resident visa). Refugee claimants and asylum seekers are not eligible for the program.
• Demonstrate high official language proficiency (For English language proficiency – IELTS – General test with a minimum score of 7 or higher) (For French language proficiency – TEF – with a minimum score of 5 or higher).
• Demonstrate a minimum level of savings/income to support themselves and their dependants.
• Demonstrate at least one year of residence in Ontario in the past two years.
• Not have further studies as their main activity in the province (e.g., pursuing a PhD or another degree/diploma). Graduates are allowed to pursue further studies, if those are necessary to meet registration requirements in a regulation occupation in Ontario.

Ontario PNP Investors

The Ontario PNP allows Ontario to select economic immigrants whose skills match those needed by businesses in the province. The investment component of the program helps companies making an investment in Ontario to recruit or relocate key employees to ensure the long-term success of the investment.

To qualify, investments must be of significant importance to Ontario and must create jobs for Ontarians. New investments and expansions to current operations are eligible. Investments need to meet the following eligibility guidelines:

• The investment must receive an official endorsement from another Ontario ministry at the Deputy Minister level for the investment and the number of key positions requested.
• The amount of the investment is at least CAD $3,000,000.
• The investment must create at least five net permanent full-time jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents in Ontario.
• The investment has to also comply with Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR). This federal law excludes individuals from provincial nomination who:
  • are nominated because of capital provision, or
  • engage in an “immigration-linked investment scheme”.

To qualify for a provincial nomination, individual investors must meet all of the following four additional eligibility criteria as required by federal law:

• Be actively involved, on an ongoing basis, in the management of the business
• Control, or will control, at least 33.334% of the equity in the business, or make a minimum CAD $1,000,000 investment in the business
• Not have the option of redeeming the investment after a specified period
• Invest the capital in the business not for the primary purpose of deriving interest, dividends or capital gains

Please Contact Us for more information on these programs.