JOBS DEMAND IN CANADA

Minimum Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to apply to the Ontario In Demand Skills Pilot Stream, an applicant must have a job offer signed by him or herself and an Ontario employer that meets the following criteria:

• Is a permanent and full-time job offer in an eligible occupation.
• Meets the prevailing wage in Ontario for that occupation. If the applicant is already working in the position, the employer is required to meet prevailing requirements and pay a wage that is equal to or greater than the current wage.

The Occupation must be in one of the following eligible occupations in National Occupation Classification Skill Level C or D:

Foreign worker requirements

• Work Experience: Have 12 months of cumulative work experience in Ontario obtained within the 36 months before the date of the application to the OINP. The work experience must be paid, full-time (at least 1,560 hours per year) or the equivalent amount in part-time in Ontario, and must be in an eligible occupation (see above). Note: seasonal work experience is not eligible to meet the work experience requirement.

• Education: Have completed the equivalent of a Canadian secondary school (high school) education or above, as demonstrated by a valid Educational Credential Assessment.
• Valid certificate or licence: Have a valid certificate or license at the time of application for any work experience claimed in an occupation that requires certification or licensing.
• Language: Have an English or a French-language level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 or above in all language competencies (reading, writing, listening, and speaking).
• Settlement Funds: Have sufficient funds and/or income in Ontario to cover the settlement costs.

Employer Requirements

• Have been in active business for at least three years.
• Have business premises in Ontario where the applicant will work.
• Be in compliance with all provincial labour laws, including but not limited to employment standards, health and safety, and labour relations legislation.
• If the applicant will be working inside the Greater Toronto Area, the employer must have:

• A minimum of $1,000,000 in gross annual revenue for the most recent fiscal year, and
• Five permanent full-time employees who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents (per position to be filled each calendar year) at the location where the applicant will work.
• A minimum of $500,000 in gross annual revenue for the most recent fiscal year, and
• Three permanent, full-time employees who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents (per position to be filled each calendar year) at the location where the applicant will work.

• If the applicant will be working outside of the Greater Toronto Area, the employer must have:

Definition of a "Permanent Full-Time Job Offer”

A permanent full-time job offer is an offer of employment with no end date and consisting of a minimum of 1,560 hours paid employment in a 12-month period with a minimum of 30 hours per week.

Note that the following are not considered permanent full-time positions even if they consist of 1,560 hours in a 12-month period:

• Seasonal or part-time positions regardless of working hours,
• Subcontractors, independent contractors, or agency workers,
• Employees who have ownership in the business and
• Positions that do not require the employee to work on the company’s premises, such as employees who work from home, or employees  who work in a “virtual” location and serve the employer by telecommuting.