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ONTARIO PNP (OINP) INTERNATIONAL STUDENT STREAM
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), Employer Job Offer Category – International Student Stream is a pathway for international students in Canada who have graduated from eligible Ontario institutions and wish to obtain permanent residency in the province. This stream is designed to attract and retain talented individuals who have completed their education in Ontario and have the skills and qualifications needed to contribute to the province’s economic growth.
Through the OINP International Student Stream, eligible candidates may receive a nomination from the province, enhancing their chances of obtaining permanent residency in Canada. This program reflects Ontario’s commitment to welcoming and integrating international students, recognizing their potential to positively impact the local economy and enrich the province’s diverse cultural landscape. It also aligns with Ontario’s goal of attracting and retaining skilled individuals who have already demonstrated their commitment to the province through their education. It not only benefits international students by providing a pathway to permanent residency but also contributes to Ontario’s economic growth by filling gaps in the labour market with qualified and skilled professionals.
You can also get to know other immigration pathways more suited to each particular situation. All of our fees and packages are also available! Overall, the OINP International Student Stream plays a crucial role in enhancing Ontario’s competitiveness in the global talent market and fostering a diverse and inclusive society. You can also get acquainted with other OINP programs.
Book a consultation today to discuss your eligibility with an expert immigration advisor and take your first step toward living and working in Ontario. Let our immigration firm guide you through the International Student stream and make your Canadian dream a reality.
Recent draws
DRAW DATE
Feb 8, 2024
PROGRAM(S)
International Student Steram
INVITATIONS ISSUED
1182
LOWEST SCORE
78
Latest Updates
- As of February 8, 2024 the OINP has issued invitations to apply for eligible candidates in the fields of health and tech. General occupation invitations have been sent to those candidates whose score was 78 and above. Read more
- On January 2, 2024, OINP has modified the Employer Job Offer: International Student stream, making it possible for international students who have completed a one-year-long graduate certificate or degree to be eligible under this program. Read more
- On August 15, 2023 invitations were issued to professionals in the fields of health, tech, and skilled trades and candidates received an invitation if they had a score of 61 and above. Read more
- On May 9, 2023 invitations were issued to eligible candidates with a score of 62 and above, who worked in the fields of tech and health care. Read more
SKILLED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS (NOC TEERS)
WAGE REQUIREMENTS
IMPORTANT NOTES
SKILLED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS (NOC TEERS)
For the International Student Stream, the job offer must be permanent, full-time, and skilled. The National Occupation Classification (NOC) will decide if your specific occupation is skilled or not is. It must further match one of the TEERs established under the NOC. These TEERs are the first 0, 1, 2, and 3. The salary for the offered position must either match or exceed the low-wage threshold set for that occupation in the particular region of Ontario where you are planning to work. If the salary information for the employment region where the applicant will work or report to work is not present in the wage report, the wage specific to Ontario should be utilised.
WAGE REQUIREMENTS
One of the factors differing from the other streams offered by the OINP program, is the wage cut-off necessary to apply. The International Student Stream allows applicants to submit their applications with a low wage job offer. If you are presently employed in the same position, the offered wage must match or surpass your current salary in addition to meeting or exceeding the minimum wage level.
If you are paid an annual salary, there is a way to convert it into the format of hourly wages. The calculation for your hourly wage involves deducting any bonuses or discretionary benefits from the annual salary. After deducting these, divide the remaining amount by the total number of weeks worked in a year (typically 52 weeks). Then, further divide this result by the number of hours worked per week. The resulting value represents your hourly wage. An employee is considered a full-time hire when they work for at least 30 hours per week.
IMPORTANT NOTES
For the job offer to be eligible, the offered position must be of immediate and critical importance to your employer’s business. This entails a direct alignment with your employer’s current business operations, and the role must be urgently required to sustain or enhance ongoing business activities.
It is important to note that the program excludes piece work, bonuses, commissions, vacation pay, or non-financial compensation from being considered as components of your hourly base wage.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
REVENUE REQUIREMENTS
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
There are certain criteria that an employer must meet to be eligible to provide a job offer to the International Student Stream applicant. The general requirements include
- Before the submission of the application, the employer has stayed in active business for at least 3 years
- Since the applicant will work in Ontario, the employer too must have an office in Ontario
- They have no orders made against them in the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000, or the Occupational Health and Safety Act
REVENUE REQUIREMENTS
The employer must also meet certain revenue requirements for the most recent tax year. The minimum threshold depends on the location in Ontario
- If the employer is inside the Greater Toronto Area, a gross minimum of $1,000,000 annual revenue will be required
- If the employer is outside the Greater Toronto Area, a gross minimum of $500,000 annual revenue will be required
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
The Employer Form is one of the crucial forms that the employer signs as proof of the applicant’s lawful employment and position within the company. Once the form is completed and signed by the employer, the applicant must scan and upload it with their application.
What does “Report to Work” mean? There are cases when an applicant will have to work in more than one location. In such scenarios, the applicant must report their place of work as either:
- the primary location of their manager or supervisor
- the primary location of the office from which the applicant will receive assignments
EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
APPLICANT TIES TO ONTARIO
APPLICATION PERIOD
EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
Education eligibility can be assessed in four primary ways. Your educational background is eligible if you have obtained:
- an undergraduate degree or diploma that takes at least two years if pursued on a full-time basis from an eligible Canadian institution
- a graduate degree or diploma that takes at least one year if pursued on a full-time basis from an eligible Canadian institution
- a college graduate certificate that takes at least one year to complete if pursued on a full-time basis from an eligible Canadian institution
- a university graduate certificate that takes at least one year to complete if pursued on a full-time basis from an eligible Canadian institution
It is also necessary to make sure that these credentials were obtained while living and studying in Canada for more than half of the duration of the study program.
If an occupation requires a license to keep practicing in the field, it is necessary to possess a legitimate license or authorization issued by the relevant regulatory body in Ontario at the time of application.
APPLICANT TIES TO ONTARIO
An applicant’s ties to Ontario will determine how intent they are on continuing their career advancement in the province. Some of the factors that determine an applicant’s connection to the province and their future plans include:
- Having a valid job in Ontario or going for job interviews.
- Studying/volunteering
- Leasing/owning property
- Visits/professional affiliations/personal relationships
If the applicant resides in Canada at the time of the application, it is necessary to maintain a valid status in Canada at the time of the application and until the time of nomination.
APPLICATION PERIOD
The Application Period is a necessary factor to keep in mind. The applicant must submit their application within two years of obtaining their educational background. This implies that your degree must have been obtained within two years submitting the OINP application. This timeline includes registering for an EOI, receiving the Invitation to Apply, and submitting the final application.
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
PROCESSING TIME
PROCESSING FEES
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
When the applicant receives the NOI, there’s 14 calendar days in which the application must be submitted. For this stage, there is a specific checklist and certain documents that must be gathered for the submission. These documents include:
- attestation
- identity documents
- status documents in Canada
- employer documents
- job offer documents
- education documents
- resumé
- expression of interest selection factors
- other optional documents (if applicable)
PROCESSING TIME
The average processing time for the OINP International Student Stream is around 90-120 days. An applicant can check the status of the application on the OINP e-Filing portal.
PROCESSING FEES
While there are no government fees when submitting the application to Express Entry pool or creating an e-Filing portal, once the applicant receives the notification of interest, a sum of $1500 will need to be paid for the processing of the application. (Refunds are possible in case of incomplete applications or withdrawal before the start of the processing). If you decide to retain us as your representative, some professional fees will be applicable.
Program Timeline
Once your application has been approved, you will receive the following via email:
- A nomination approval letter
- A nomination certificate
- A work permit support letter (if applicable)
Once the applicant has the appropriate documents, the following stage is applying for Permanent Residency through the OINP International Student Stream. To do so, there are certain conditions that an applicant has to meet and maintain throughout the whole process. Those include:
- The applicant must either be already employed at the approved company and employer, or pursue a work permit within six months and start working within 10 months if the applicant has not started the job yet. If this condition is not met, the OINP program must be notified immediately.
- The nature of the employment, alongside the employer, position, wage, location must remain consistent throughout the whole process. Upon any changes in the employment, the OINP program must be notified of those changes.
Create a profile
Creating a profile on the OINP e-Filing Portal.
Register an expression of interest
Registering an expression of interest for the international student stream.
Fill in forms and upload documents
Filling in forms and uploading required documentations within 14 days of receiving invitation to apply.
Applying for permanent residency (PR)
Applying for permanent residency (PR) to the IRCC within 6 months of receiving the nomination.
Our Professional Fees
Does the OINP International Student Stream operate inside of Express Entry?
No, this stream, like other OINP Job Offer Streams, operate outside of Express Entry. An applicant can not apply for this stream directly. Rather, they have two ways to be considered for this stream:
- Create an Express Entry profile and receive their Notification of Interest (NOI)
- Create a profile on OINP e-filing portal and register Expression of Interest
Then, the applicant has to wait until they receive their invitation from Ontario and submit their application to the province within 14 days
The third and final step is to receive the nomination approval letter and apply for Permanent Residency within 6 months.
The key idea behind the OINP program is to search the Express Entry pool for eligible applicants who are equipped with the skills and knowledge to advance the economic state of Ontario by bringing proficient specialists to the province.
Can I continue working while I await for my OINP Student Stream application results?
The key factor to consider is the importance of maintaining a valid status in Canada. If an applicant’s work permit is valid, they may work as long as that permit allows. Later, upon meeting eligibility, an applicant may have the possibility of working under “Maintained Status” while awaiting for a decision on their application. So, the important thing to keep in mind is the validity of the applicant’s status, and keeping the status up-to-date.
How does my highest level of education affect my scores?
The higher the candidate’s level of education, the more points the applicant will be granted. For example, some of the eligible education markers and the points possible to receive from them are:
- A Ph.D. – 10 points
- A Master’s degree – 8 points
- Bachelor’s degree or a Graduate diploma/certificate – 6 points
- Undergraduate diploma/apprenticeship/college diploma – 5 points
- Less than a college diploma – 0 points.
Hence, the higher the level of education, the higher the chances of getting a NOI.
Can I receive extra points for my language ability?
Yes, It is important to remember than knowledge of the official Canadian languages also affects an applicant’s scores, so upon learning both, and applicant can increase the chances of getting an NOI. For example, if the applicant speaks both official languages: French and English, they will receive 10 points. However, 5 points are granted for each official language ability. The level at which the applicant commands the language is also a scoring factor. For example:
- CLB level 9 – 10 points
- CLB level 8 – 6 points
- CLB level 7 – 4 points
(any level lower does not receive any points)
Are there any higher education institutions where I can receive a graduate certificate that lasts for at least one year?
Yes, there are several institutions that offer various degrees with the duration of at least a year. Some of these institutions are:
- Algoma University
- Trent University
- University of Windsor
- York University
Am I eligible for this program if I am self-employed?
No, self-employed professionals (physicians also) are not eligible for the OINP International Student Stream. The key requirement to apply for any of the OINP Job Offer Stream, is to hold a valid job offer from an eligible employer. Without this relationship, applicants can not receive an invitation from the province under this program. Self-employed skilled professionals can be eligible for the Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream, which will grant them the opportunity to apply while self-employed, upon meeting certain eligibility criteria.
May I be eligible for this program if I pursued my degree on a part-time basis while simultaneously working a part-time job.
One of the main eligibility requirements for this stream is to pursue the eligible certificate on a full-time basis, whether it should have lasted a year or two depends on the academic credential. The applicant’s educational institution determines how many hours per week is considered a full-time study program. Typically, 15 hours per week is required for a student to be actively instructed in the institution to consider the acquired degree or certificate full-time.
Will my current status win me any extra points?
Some points are granted to an applicant on the basis of their status opon two scenarios:
- The applicant holds a valid study permit
- The applicant holds a valid work permit
In either case, 10 points will be granted to the applicant. There are no points available for any other status.
Can I receive points depending on my field of study?
Yes, the OINP program prioritizes certain fields in education, and grants more points depending on the applicant’s degree and in which field of study that degree has been acquired in. The highest points that can be received for the field of study factor is 12. To be able to receive these 12 points, the degree or certificate must be in the field of STEM/Health and Trades. This includes professions like engineering, data science, health, architecture, construction and other eligible professions. 6 points are granted if the applicant’s degree was in business and administration, economics, social sciences, legal, and educational sciences. Degrees that specialize in art and humanities, BHASE, and un-classifies programs are not eligible to earn any points.
