In-Demand Skills

Ontario In-Demand Skills is one of the Employer Job Offer streams of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) operated by the province of Ontario. In-Demand Skills targets foreign nationals who have work experience in one of the province’s in-demand occupations, obtained within Ontario, and who possess a valid job offer from an Ontario employer.

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Candidates who are successfully nominated through the Ontario In-Demand Skills stream will be invited to submit an official application for Canadian permanent residence.

Program Requirements

Requirement
Express Entry ProfileNo
Connection to ProvinceWork Experience
Job OfferYes
Language ProficiencyCLB 4
Level of EducationHigh school
Work ExperienceIn-Demand Occupation List
1 year
Investment RequirementNone
  The Ontario In-Demand Skills stream has certain requirements which must be met by both the foreign national applicant and the Ontario employer.

Applicant Requirements

Job Offer

In order to qualify for the Ontario In-Demand Skills stream, a foreign national must have a valid job offer from an Ontario employer. The job offer must be for a full-time position, paid at or above the median wage level for that occupation in Ontario. The position must be in one of the OINP In-Demand Occupations.

 

Language Proficiency

The In-Demand Skills stream requires a minimum language proficiency score, in either English or French, consistent with the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4.

 

Level of Education

All applicants to this stream must have completed an educational credential equivalent to a Canadian high school diploma or higher.

 

Work Experience

Any person applying to OINP In-Demand Skills must have a cumulative amount of at least 1 year of full-time work experience obtained within the previous 3 years. This work experience must have been obtained in Ontario and be in the same in-demand NOC code as the occupation listed on their Ontario job offer.

 

Licence

If a position requires a licence to practice in Ontario, then the applicant must hold the valid licence, certificate, or authorization to practice the profession as indicated on their Ontario job offer. The licence must have been issued by an eligible regulatory body in Ontario.

 

Settlement Funds

All candidates for the Ontario In-Demand Skills stream must meet the settlement funds requirement as determined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This can be demonstrated through the candidate’s own finances, through maintaining a valid offer of employment with annual compensation that meets the minimum settlement funds requirement, or through some combination of the two.

 

Intention to Reside

All applicants to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) must prove their intention to reside in the province. This can be shown through connections to the province (relatives, past education, etc.), investment in the province (purchase of property), or efforts to participate in Ontario society (volunteering, work experience, etc.).

 

Employer Requirements

In order for an applicant to apply to the Ontario In-Demand Skills stream, they must have a valid job offer from an eligible Ontario employer.

 

Job Offer Requirements

The employer must offer a full-time, indeterminate position with a wage that meets industry standards.

 

Business Requirements

The business must be established and in good standing in Ontario with a history of good workplace and business practices. The business must also meet minimum gross annual revenue and employee requirements:

  • Inside of the Greater Toronto Area: A minimum of $1 million CAD in gross annual revenue, and; At least five full-time employees.
  • Outside of the Greater Toronto Area: A minimum of $500,000 CAD in gross annual revenue, and; At least three full-time employees.

 

Recruitment Requirements

The employer must demonstrate that reasonable efforts were made to recruit a Canadian to fill the position prior to offering the position to a foreign national unless the foreign national already has authorization to work in Ontario.

Did you know?

Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA): If an LMIA is necessary for the work permit of the foreign national then a copy of the positive LMIA must be included with the application.

Eligible Occupations - OINP In-Demand List

The following occupations, sorted by National Occupation Classification Code (NOC code), are eligible for the Ontario In-Demand Skills stream:

NOC CodeJob Title
NOC 3413Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
NOC 4412Home support workers and related occupations, excluding housekeepers
NOC 7441Residential and commercial installers and servicers
NOC 7511Transport truck drivers
NOC 7521Heavy equipment operators (except crane)
NOC 7611Construction trades helpers and labourers
NOC 8431General farm workers
NOC 8432Nursery and greenhouse workers
NOC 8611Harvesting labourers
NOC 9462Industrial butchers, meat cutters, poultry preparers, related workers

Application Procedure

Eligible applicants can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through OINP’s e-Filing Portal for the chance to be invited to apply for nomination. Profiles are ranked on an OINP points-based system. The highest-ranking candidates will be issued an invitation to apply in one of the OINP draws.

Once an invitation is received, the applicant has 14 calendar days to apply for nomination.

If the province approves the application, Ontario will notify the applicant they have been selected for provincial nomination. This notification will be sent to the applicant’s ONe-Key account within the e-Filing Portal.

After receiving a provincial nomination, an applicant must submit a federal application for Canadian permanent residence. Applicants in this program must complete and submit a paper-based application for permanent residence and submit it by mail to the appropriate application centre. Paper-based PNP applications for permanent residence are generally processed within 18 months.

Ontario Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Stream Ranking System

FactorMaximum Points
Job offerNOC skill level10
NOC type10
Wage10
Canadian Work Experience Length4
NOC skill level3
Earnings history3
Regional Immigration Location of job offer10
Strategic ProritiesOntario may award additional points to address labour market needs as required10
Total Available Points60

Ontario Employer Job Offer In-Demand Skills Stream - Recent Draws & Invitation History

Below is the information regarding recent Ontario Employer Job Offer draws under the In-Demand Skills  category.

Date of drawNumber of invitations issuedDate profile createdMinimum score Description
August 15, 2023256November 22, 2022 – August 15, 202323 and aboveGeneral Draw
June 20, 2023256November 22, 2022 – June 20, 202326 and aboveGeneral draw
April 11, 2023295November 22, 2022 – April 11, 202330 and aboveGeneral draw
29 June 2022293June 29, 2021 – June 29, 2022 24General draw
4 May 202257May 4, 2021 – May 4, 2022 27General draw
30 March 202265April 28, 2021 – March 30, 2022 21Select health, manufacturing, select trades, and agricultural occupations targeted
9 February 2022107April 28, 2021 – February 9, 202215Select health, manufacturing, select trades, and agricultural occupations targeted
11 January 202258April 28, 2021 – January 11, 202211Select health, manufacturing and agricultural occupations targeted
7 December 202153April 28, 2021 – December 7, 2021 20Select health, manufacturing and agricultural occupations targeted
7 December 202110April 28, 2021 – December 7, 2021 N/ARegional Immigration Pilot candidates targeted
22 September 202165April 28, 2021 – September 22, 2021 N/ASelect health, manufacturing and agricultural occupations targeted
22 September 20217 April 28, 2021 – September 22, 2021 N/ARegional Immigration Pilot candidates targeted
11 August 202148April 28, 2021 – August 11, 2021N/ASelect health, manufacturing and agricultural occupations targeted
15 July 202154April 28, 2021 – July 15, 2021N/ASelect health, manufacturing and agricultural occupations targeted
15 July 20211April 28, 2021 – July 15, 2021 N/ARegional Immigration Pilot candidates targeted

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