The International Student Stream of the Employer Job Offer category in Ontario provides a pathway to permanent residence for international students who have an offer of employment in an eligible skilled occupation in the province.
This stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is open to international students that have a job offer in a “skilled occupation” defined as Type/Level 0, A, or B under Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC).
What are the Minimum Requirements for an Applicant?
Applicants must meet the following requirements to be considered for the Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream:
- Have completed a full-time degree or diploma program at an eligible Canadian college or university that requires at least two years to complete (on a full-time basis) OR a degree, diploma, or certificate that takes at least one year to complete (on a full-time basis) and involves a complete degree as an admission requirement;
○ Full-time study comprises at least 15 hours of instruction each week during the academic year, including any required workplace training. Part-time studies that are equal to a full academic year may also be eligible. - Apply within 2 years of finishing their degree in an eligible Canadian college or university. An official letter from the academic institution detailing when the degree, diploma, or certificate will be given is required for international students applying under this stream. However, at the time of submission, candidates must have completed all degree, diploma, or certificate prerequisites;
- Have finished more than half of their courses while residing and studying in Canada legally;
- Have a full-time, indefinite-term work offer in a skilled occupation (NOC 0, A, or B) in Ontario;
- Have an approved full-time, indefinite-term work offer in an Ontario skilled profession (NOC 0, A, or B) that fulfills the entry-level salary standards for that occupation;
- At the time of application, must have the relevant licensing or authorization for the position;
- Prove their desire to live in Ontario by showing their ties to the province;
- If the applicant is resident in Canada, they must have and maintain legal status (a visiting record, study permit, or work permit) in Ontario throughout the application period. It’s worth noting that the OINP welcomes applications from those who are in implied status at the time of application.
What are the Minimum Requirements for the Employer?
Employers must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the International Student Stream:
- Must have been actively operating in Ontario for at least three years before the application is submitted;
- Must reach the minimum revenue requirement for the most recent fiscal year (the year used for tax or accounting purposes);
- Must hire a certain amount of full-time permanent residents or Canadian citizens.
- Must have no pending orders under the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 or the Occupational Health and Safety Act against employers.
As for the employer’s revenue requirements, they must show the following if the candidate will work or report to work in the Greater Toronto Area:
- a total yearly gross income of at least $1,000,000; and
- at least five full-time workers who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents and who worked or reported to work at the site where the applicant would work or report to work during the most recently concluded fiscal year.
However, if the candidate will be working or reporting to work outside of the Greater Toronto Area, the employer must show:
- a total yearly gross income of at least $500,000; and
- a minimum of three full-time workers who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents who worked at the site where the applicant will work or report to work for the previous fiscal year
What makes a Job Offer Eligible?
An eligible job offer must be:
- for a full-time, indeterminate employment in a NOC 0, A, or B occupation, where full-time implies the job must be for at least 1,560 hours per year and at least 30 hours of paid labor per week;
- meet or exceed the minimum salary for the occupation in the Ontario region where the applicant will work. If the applicant is already employed, the wage offered must match the low wage threshold and be equal to or greater than the current wage; however, wage requirements do not apply if the applicant is covered by a collective bargaining agreement (a contract between the employer and a union) that sets employee wages; and
- relate to the employer’s current business activity.
How do I Apply?
For a chance to be invited to apply for nomination, eligible applicants can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) using the OINP’s e-Filing Portal.
The OINP points system is used to rate profiles, and the top-scoring applicants will be invited to participate in one of the OINP draws. The candidate has two weeks after receiving an invitation to apply for nomination.
Should the application be approved, the applicant will be notified that they have been chosen for provincial nomination through the OINP’s online portal.
The applicant must the file a application for permanent residency after receiving a provincial nomination.
Applicants for this program must fill out and mail a paper-based application for permanent residence to the relevant application center. Permanent residency petitions submitted on paper are typically processed in 18 months.
Here Are Related Topics You Can Read Now
Ontario Employer Job Offer: Human Capital Priorities Stream
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)
Canadian Immigration Pathways