Ontario to adopt EOI system, expects big advantages

In the Canada immigration process, EOI is the first step that a candidate takes to enter the immigration draws conducted on a federal and provincial level. A candidate expresses his/her willingness to become a PR with an EOI. This could again be on a federal or provincial level.

On a provincial level, take the case of Manitoba. The Manitoba PNP has criteria to meet for candidates’ profiles to be eligible for selection to invitation rounds. A candidate could try to immigrate to Canada either via the Skilled Worker Overseas or Skilled Worker Manitoba streams. The selected candidates are placed in a pool from which they are taken for an invitation.

Now, the province of Ontario is also going to adopt the system of EOI to manage the application process. The EOI system will be adopted for the most popular streams that bring in skilled candidates to Ontario.

Under the new proposal, the OINP will launch the EOI system for the streams of:

• D. Graduate
• Employer Job Offer category
• Foreign Worker stream
• In-Demand Skills stream
• International Student stream
• Masters Graduate

The working of the EOI system will be the same as it does in the federal Express Entry system. Here, candidates would register with the OINP and be placed in a selection pool. Under the regulatory amendments in the latest proposal, OINP will have the right to:

• Assign a score to prospective applicants present in the EOI pool
• Hold both targeted and general draws
• Send ITAs to the candidates who score at the top
• Do point allocation to various factors viz. language skills and education
• Determine and publish point allocations for EOI

The new move by Ontario is to enable it to respond better to the specific needs of its labor market. It will also help to manage the high demand for Ontario PNP and assign priority for the best candidates.

Among other provinces that already function on their own EOI system comes Quebec. It launched the Arrima platform for this in 2018 and made the first invitations in 2019.

Ontario is awaiting the stakeholder feedback on the new plan to implement the EOI system. Until October 23, 2020, the matter will be under consultation.

Now, let’s look at the specifics for qualifying under various streams of OINP.

Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream

Applicants must meet the following criteria to qualify under this stream:

• The applicant must have a full-time permanent job offered under NOC 0, A, or B. Its remuneration must meet Ontario’s median wage levels. Also, the position offered must be necessary for the business.
• If the applicant is already working in the position offered, the proposed wage must be the same or more than the current wage earned.
• Relevant work experience of 2 cumulative years in the previous 5 years prior to the date of application is a must.
• If the position offered demands, a relevant mandatory licensing in Ontario will be needed.
• The applicant could be living abroad, or be studying, working, or visiting Canada on a permit that’s valid, as a Canada work visa.
• The applicant must have the intention to settle in Ontario.

Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream

Applicants must meet the following criteria to qualify under this stream:

• The applicant must have a full-time permanent job offered under NOC 0, A, or B. The remuneration must meet low wage levels for Ontario. Also, the position offered must be necessary for the business.
• If the applicant is already working in the position offered, the proposed wage must be the same or more than the current wage earned.
• The applicant must be either
• A graduate or have met the requirements of a full-time minimum 2-year degree from a Canadian university or college that's publicly-funded, or
• A graduate or have met requirements of a full-time minimum 1-year PG diploma program from a publicly-funded Canadian university or college.
• The applicant must have completed at least 50% of the studies in Canada.
• The applicant must apply within 2 years from the completion date of the above course.
• The applicant must have legal status in Ontario.
• The applicant must have the intention to settle in Ontario.

Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills Stream

Candidates under this stream are those with specific skills that are in demand in Ontario. Applicants must meet the following criteria to qualify under this stream:

• The applicant must have a full-time job offered of a specific type in the construction or agricultural sector. The remuneration must meet the median wage in Ontario for the job. Also, the position offered must be necessary for the business.
• If the applicant is already working in the position offered, the proposed wage must be the same or more than the current wage earned.
• The applicant must have a cumulative work experience of 9 months in the last 3 years in any of the eligible jobs. The experience will be counted only for paid full-time jobs. Or else, a part-time job must be paid an equivalent amount in Ontario.
• The seasonal work that the applicant has done will not count.
• The applicant must have an education that’s equivalent to high school education or higher in Canada.
• The applicant must produce a valid license or certificate at the time of application for any work experience claimed that requires such proof.
• The applicant must have a minimum CLB/NCLC score of 4 in French or English in all competencies attached to the language.
• The applicant could live abroad, or be studying, working, or visiting Canada on a permit that’s valid.
• The applicant must have the intention to settle in Ontario.

Masters Graduates Stream

Candidates under this stream are international students looking for an opportunity to apply for PR. These students will have obtained a Master’s degree in Ontario without the need for a job offer.

Applicants must meet the following criteria to qualify under this stream:

• The applicant must have graduated with a full-time Master’s degree program from an eligible institution in Ontario. The duration of the program must have been at least a year.
• The applicant must have obtained a minimum language CLB/NCLC level 7 or above in French or English.
• The applicant must have legally resided in Ontario for at least a year in the last 2 years.
• The applicant must have enough settlement funds.
• The applicant must have the intention to work and live in Ontario.
• The applicant must have legal status in Ontario or abroad.
• Applications from any other region in Canada will not be accepted.
• The application must be submitted within 2 years of completing the requirements to complete the master’s degree and graduate.

Ph.D. Graduates Stream

Candidates under this stream are international students looking for an opportunity to apply for PR.  These students will have obtained a Ph.D. degree from Ontario without the need for a job offer.

Applicants must meet the following criteria to qualify under this stream:

• The applicant must have graduated from a Ph.D. degree program in any of Ontario’s eligible institutions. The applicant must also have completed at least a 2-year full-time study.
• The applicant must have resided in Ontario legally for at least a year in the last 2 years.
• The applicant must have enough settlement funds.
• The applicant must have the intention to live and work in Ontario.
• The application must be submitted within 2 years of completing graduation from the Ph.D. degree.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Canada, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

If you found this blog engaging, you may also like…

How to get Canadian PR via Express Entry – a walk through

Note:

EOI – Expression of Interest

PR – Permanent Residence / Permanent Resident

MPNP - Manitoba Provincial Nomination Program

OINP – Ontario Immigration Nominee Program

PG – Post Graduation