Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
The Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (OINP) allows foreign workers, international students and others with the right skills, experience and education to apply for a nomination for permanent residence in Ontario.
The program is:
- operated by the Ontario government in partnership with the federal government through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
- designed to help Ontario meet its labour market and economic development needs
The OINP is made up of three categories and each category is divided into several streams:
- Employer Job Offer Category
- Foreign Worker Stream
- International Student Stream
- In-Demand Skills Stream
- Human Capital Category
- International Graduates Stream
- Ontario's Express Entry Stream
- Business Category
- Corporate Stream
- Entrepreneur Stream
Application process
There are three main steps to follow when applying for permanent residence:
1. Make sure you qualify
Once you’ve selected the stream you would like to apply under, make sure you meet all the mandatory requirements for that stream.
2. Apply to be nominated by the Ontario government
Once you’ve chosen your stream, you must apply online, through the OINP e-Filing Portal. It takes between two to three hours to complete the application.
The application cost for:
- the employer job offer and human capital streams is either $1,500 or $2,000
- the business streams is $3,500 per business partner or key staff applicant
Application processing times vary, read Application Processing Times and Nominations Issued for more information.
3. Apply to the Government of Canada for permanent residence
If your application is successful and you are nominated by the Ontario government, the next step is to apply for permanent residence through IRCC.
The Government of Canada makes the final decision on who becomes a permanent resident.