The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), Ontario’s official provincial nominee program, has made changes to align their streams with federal Express Entry targeted draws. The OINP now targets candidates in the express entry pool under the Skilled Trades stream and Human Capital Priorities (HCP) stream if they have at least 6 months of experience (previously 1 year) in the primary occupation. However, overall, 1 year of cumulative experience will still be required in different occupations to be eligible.
Main Changes to OINP Express Entry Streams
Here are the updated eligibility criteria for the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) under the Skilled Trades stream and the Human Capital Priorities (HCP) stream:
- Primary Occupation Experience Requirement:
- Candidates must have at least six months of experience in their primary occupation. This requirement has been reduced from one year.
- Overall Eligibility:
- Candidates must still have a cumulative one year of experience, which can be in different occupations.
- Alignment with Federal Express Entry:
- The modifications aim to better align the OINP with federal Express Entry draws.
These changes allow candidates with varied work experience to qualify, provided they meet the overall one-year requirement across different occupations.
How OINP Express Entry Stream Draws Operate
To be eligible for one of OINP’s Express Entry streams, candidates don’t need to create a separate profile specifically for OINP. Instead, they should select Ontario as their preferred province for immigration. The OINP searches the IRCC’s Express Entry pool to find profiles that match their criteria. Following each Express Entry draw, OINP announces the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cutoff score and sends invitations to qualified candidates. Those who accept the invitation and meet the OINP’s requirements receive a provincial nomination, which adds 600 points to their CRS score. This significant boost greatly enhances their chances of receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residency in upcoming IRCC draws.
Revised Work Experience Requirements for OINP Streams
Skilled Trades Stream: Eligible candidates must have at least one year of cumulative full-time paid work experience, or the equivalent in part-time work, in specific Ontario NOC groups. If invited for a provincial nomination in a targeted OINP draw, candidates must demonstrate that at least six months of their one year of work experience is in the primary NOC code being targeted.
Human Capital Priorities (HCP) Stream: For Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates, a minimum of one year of cumulative full-time paid work experience, or the equivalent in part-time work, in Canada within TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupations is required. Invited candidates must show at least six months of experience in the primary NOC code to be eligible for a targeted OINP draw.
OINP Express Entry Streams
OINP has three Express Entry streams for candidates in the federal Express Entry pool who intend to reside in Ontario:
- Human Capital Priorities stream
- French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream
- Skilled Trades stream
