The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) Employer job In Demand Skills Stream gives foreign workers with a job offer in a target occupation the opportunity to live and work permanently in Ontario.
The Employer job In Demand Skills Pilot allows the OINP to nominate individuals who have the required work experience to help them successfully establish and integrate into Ontario’s labour market and communities.
Applicants can only apply if they have received a permanent and full-time job offer from an Ontario employer, meet all eligibility criteria, and have an Employer Form completed by the prospective employer.
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:
| NOC Code | Occupation |
|---|---|
| 7441 | Residential and commercial installers and servicers |
| 7521 | Heavy equipment operators (except crane) |
| 8431 | General farm workers |
| 8432 | Nursery and greenhouse workers |
| 8611 | Harvesting labourers |
| 7611 | Construction trades helpers and labourers |
| 9462 | Industrial butchers, meat cutters, poultry preparers, related workers |
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.
- If the applicant will be working outside of the Greater Toronto Area, the employer must have:
- 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.
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.