Canadian immigration, move to Ontario under the Provincial Nominee Program

In February 2009, the Ontario Pilot Provincial Nominee Program (Pilot PNP) changed its name to Opportunities Ontario: Provincial Nominee Program.

Some recent changes have been made (April 2010) see Students section below:

With this program, skilled workers wanting to settle in Ontario can see their permanent residency visa approved faster by being nominated by the province.

You will need to submit your application to the province first and then apply for a permanent resident visa through Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) as a Provincial Nominee, once Ontario approves your application.

Applicants to the Opportunities Ontario program can apply for one of two categories: a general category for skilled workers or a category for international students.

General category

Skilled workers may be able to apply to Opportunities Ontario under the general category if:

• Their prospective employer has first applied for a pre-screening of a position
• The position has been approved
• Their prospective employer has provided the applicant with the Nominee Application package from Opportunities Ontario

However, the three points above are not a guarantee of approval. To be eligible, you need to:

• Have at least two years of work experience within the previous five years in the intended occupation, or have appropriate registration in Ontario
• Have an approved, permanent full-time job offer in a skilled occupation (NOC 0, A or B)
• Have been offered a wage that meets the prevailing wage level for the intended occupation

When applying for the Opportunities Ontario program, you will need to submit the following documents:

• Employer pre-screen approved position form
• Job offer
• Copy of your birth certificate
• Copy of all the pages of your passport
• Copy of your work permit (if applicable), temporary resident visa (if applicable), and/or any other Canadian immigration document or entry stamp that you have received
• Copy of your résumé
• Proof of membership and/or registration in regulated occupations if you intend to work in an occupation that requires registration or certification in Ontario
• Reference letters showing at least two years out of the last five years of work experience in your intended occupation

Please note that after the issue of your employer pre-screen approved position form, you have 60 days to submit your application to Opportunities Ontario.

International students

Changes made to the program in April 2010 included the introduction of two different streams into the international students category: For more information about these changes visit the international students section found here.

• With Job Offer stream – Ontario employers can extend permanent, full-time job offers to international students who have completed their post-secondary education at a publicly-funded Canadian institution. These students can then be eligible to apply for an Ontario Provincial Nomination Certificate.
• PhD Graduate stream – Candidates under this stream must have obtained their PhDs from an Ontario publicly-funded university and do not need a job offer to be eligible for the Opportunities Ontario Program.

To apply, you must submit copies of the documents listed below:

• Employer pre-screen approved position form (if applicable)
• Job offer (if applicable)
• Copy of your birth certificate
• Copy of all the pages of your passport
• Copy of your work permit (if applicable), temporary resident visa (if applicable), and/or any other Canadian immigration document or entry stamp that you have received
• Copy of relevant university degree(s), college diploma(s), transcripts and/or occupational certificates
• Copy of your résumé
• Proof of membership and/or registration in regulated occupations if you intend to work in an occupation that requires registration or certification in Ontario
• Reference letters showing at least two years out of the last five years of work experience in your intended occupation