The Province of Ontario, which has had in place a provincial nominee immigration system for a number of years, announced recently, that it will be adding a further element to its immigration programs.
In addition to the ‘ordinary’ provincial nominees (where typically, an employer ‘sponsors’ a qualified applicant), Ontario will now implement a program that dovetails with the new federal ‘Express Entry’ permanent residence system.
The Federal Express Entry system generally allows applicants to file a profile, based on qualification on an underlying federal permanent residence program. The underlying federal programs are the Canadian Experience Class (CEC – based primarily on a minimum of one year work experience in Canada, Federal Skilled Worker class (FSW – based on a point system where various factors are taken into account including age, occupation, education, etc.), and the Federal Skilled Trade Worker program (FSTW – based on qualification in a specified trade). The Ontario program will nominate only from the CEC and FSW categories, not the FSTW program.) Thereafter, Citizenship and Immigration Canada selects applicants to apply for permanent residence from the pool of profiles, based on a further set of criteria. The system also requires applicants who do not already have a Labour Market Impact Assessment to add their name to the Job Bank, and employers may then select candidates they may desire.
Now, the Ontario provincial nominee program will select up to 2700 applicants from the Express Entry pool each year. In effect, Ontario is now able to select immigrants in the same way that employers generally might otherwise, based on its needs. (Note that the overall Ontario quota is 5200 per year. The balance of nominees would come from the already existing nominee program.)
There are two ways to qualify for Ontario Express Entry.
- Ontario Express Entry: Human Capital Priorities Stream
To qualify applicants must have:
- Pending application under the Federal Express Entry system;
- Minimum of 1-year of full time, or full time equivalent work experience under NOC occupation level 0, A or B;
- Canadian equivalent Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree or PhD;
- Minimum CLB level 7 in IELTS general exam;
- Intention to reside in the Province of Ontario;
- Minimum of 400 points under the Federal Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System.
- Ontario Express Entry: French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream
To qualify applicants must have:
- Pending application under the Federal Express Entry system;
- Minimum of 1-year of full time, or full time equivalent work experience under NOC occupation level 0, A or B;
- Canadian equivalent Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree or PhD;
- Minimum CLB level 7 in TEF exam;
- Intention to reside in the Province on Ontario;
- Minimum of 400 points under the Federal Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System.
After the Province of Ontario selects eligible applicants from the Federal Express Entry Pool, candidates who are selected will receive a ‘Notification of Interest’. This will allow them to submit an application for nomination under the Ontario Provincial Nomination Program.
The information in this article is for general purposes only, and not intended as legal advice for any particular situation.