Ontario has opened up an Expression of Interest system for two PNPs under the Employer Job Offer Category.
Ontario has opened a new Expression of Interest (EOI) system for two of its provincial immigration programs.
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) EOI system is now open for the following streams in the Employer Job Offer Category:
Foreign Worker; and
International Student.
According to the OINP webpage, the province expects to open the EOI systems for the In-Demand Skills, Masters Graduate, and PhD Graduate streams in the near future.
What does this mean for future Ontario immigrants?
If you want to eventually apply for immigration through one of Ontario’s base Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), you can now register an EOI profile at any time. Before, you could only register when the OINP opened its online portal.
After you register, your profile will be entered into a selection pool, and given a score based on your answers. Ontario will then invite candidates to apply for a provincial nomination.
An EOI registration does not guarantee that you will receive an invitation to apply. The OINP will notify you or your representative if you have been invited.
Your EOI registration is valid for up to 12 months or until you receive an invitation. You may also choose to withdraw your registration. After 12 months, your EOI will be deleted automatically. It is free to register, but if you are invited to apply you will have to submit fees along with your application. Receiving an invitation does not mean you get the provincial nomination. You will have to meet all the eligibility requirements of the stream you are applying for at that time.
How do I register an Expression of Interest?
The first step is to create a profile in the OINP e-Filing Portal. Then read the applicant requirements for your stream to ensure that you are eligible. After that you can register an expression of interest for one or more streams. You can only register one EOI profile at any given time.
The information you provide must be accurate at the time you register. You can update your profile at any time to keep the information current.
Why is Ontario introducing an EOI system?
Ontario needed a new immigrant selection system for its PNPs that operate outside the Express Entry system. Before, Ontario used a first-come-first-served model. In order to apply for a base PNP, candidates would wait for a registration to open, then rush to register. They were competing with every other non-Express Entry candidate who wanted to immigrate to Ontario.
Since Ontario is the most popular destination for new Canadian immigrants, that was a lot of people. Candidates would only have a tiny window of time to register. They would have multiple browsers open to try and get their profile in. Technical difficulties occurred. Some people said the system was unfair to those with slow internet connections.
In the fall of 2020, Ontario started public consultations on how to develop a new EOI system. By then, most other provinces had implemented this selection process.
Ontario approved the EOI selection system in the spring of 2021. Candidates can now start to apply for Ontario PNPs through the new selection process.
Get in touch with us to discuss your immigration case and to assess your eligibility for Canadian immigration.
Job offer: NOC skill level
(Not applied to Masters Graduate or PhD Graduate streams.)
- NOC Skill Level A – 10 points
- NOC Skill Level B – 8 points
- NOC Skill Level C – 0 points
- NOC Skill Level D – 0 points
Job offer: NOC type
- NOC Type 0,1,2,3,9 – 10 points
- NOC Type 4,5,6,7,8 – 5 points
Job offer: wage
- (Not applied to Masters Graduate or PhD Graduate streams.)
- $40 per hour or higher – 10 points
- $20 to $39.99 per hour – 5 points
- Less than $20 per hour – 0 points
Canadian work experience: length
- (Cumulative)
- 12 Months or more – 4 points
- Less than 12 months – 0 points
Canadian work experience: NOC Skill Level
- NOC Skill Level A – 3 points
- NOC Skill Level B – 0 points
- NOC Skill Level C – 0 points
- NOC Skill Level D – 0 points
Canadian work experience: earnings history
- $40k or more earnings in a year – 3 points
- Less than $40k earnings in a year – 0 points
Highest level of education
- $40k or more earnings in a year – 3 points
- Less than $40k earnings in a year – 0 points
Field of study
- (Not applied to Foreign Worker or In-Demand Skills streams)
- Engineering – 10 points
- Health care – 10 points
- Math and Computer Science – 9 points
- Business and Administration – 7 points
- Trades – 7 points
- Social, Legal, and Education – 6 points
- Arts and Humanities – 5 points
