Ontario goes big in its first Human Capital Priorities draw of new year

Ontario's Human Capital Priorities Stream got the new year off to a big start this week, issuing 1,493 invitations to Express Entry candidates with ranking scores as low as 439.

The Human Capital Priorities Stream allows the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) to search the federal Express Entry pool for candidates who meet the stream's federal and provincial eligibility criteria.

Express Entry candidates who receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) from Ontario and apply for a provincial nomination receive an additional 600 points toward their Express Entry ranking score if their application is successful.

Find out if you are eligible for Express Entry

These additional 600 points effectively guarantee an invitation from the Government of Canada to apply for permanent residence.

The minimum Express Entry ranking score in this week's Human Capital Priorities draw, 439, was lower than the minimum score in the last Express Entry draw and all but one Express Entry draw held in 2018.

A nomination from Ontario, however, would raise a score of 439 to 1,039, resulting in an invitation to apply to permanent residence.

This week's invitation round also saw the Human Capital Priorities Stream resume "general" or non-targeted draws. This means candidates in today's draw did not necessarily require a job offer in Ontario or French language proficiency to be drawn.

The last four Human Capital Priorities draws of 2018 were used to target Express Entry candidates with specific credentials. Of the four, three targeted candidates with a job offer in Ontario while the fourth specified candidates with proficiency in French.

While neither job offer or French language proficiency were not required in order to be eligible for the Human Capital Priorities Stream, updates to the stream's application guide that were published in December say candidates with a job offer or work experience in specific occupations or sectors may be prioritized.

The Human Capital Priorities Stream issued 3,719 invitations to Express Entry candidates in 2018, making it by far the busiest of the OINP's three Express Entry-linked streams last year. Another 1,633 were issued through the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream and 1,626 went to Express Entry candidates through the Skilled Trades Stream.

The first step toward pursuing the Ontario Human Capital Priorities Stream is to enter a profile in the federal government’s Express Entry pool.

To find out if you are eligible to enter the Express Entry pool, fill out a free assessment form.