Ontario issues 190 invitations to Express Entry candidates

Ontario issued targeted invitations to hopeful immigrants who may be eligible for Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream on April 29.

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) issued the invitations to 190 candidates in 14 skilled trades occupations.

The province is contacting the selected candidates who received the Notifications of Interest (NOIs) today. The OINP selected candidates with work experience in the following National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes:

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Structural metal and plate work fabricators and fitters (NOC 7235)
Ironworkers (NOC 7236)
Electricians (NOC 7235)
Electrical power line and cable workers (NOC 7244)
Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers (NOC 7252)
Carpenters (NOC 7271)
Concrete finishers (NOC 7282)
Roofers (NOC 7291)
Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews (NOC 7302)
Heavy-duty equipment mechanics (NOC 7312)
Refrigeration and AC mechanics (NOC 7313)
Machine fitters (NOC 7316)
Elevator constructors and mechanics (NOC 7381)
Crane operators (NOC 7371)

“By choosing priority occupations that are in high demand in Ontario, we’re hoping to make it easier for businesses to recruit top talent in the Skilled Trades sector,” the OINP said in a media release.

In order to be selected in this draw, candidates needed to have valid profiles in Canada’s Express Entry system.

If invited candidates successfully receive a nomination from Ontario, they will be given an additional 600 points toward their overall Comprehensive Rankings System (CRS) score. This award would effectively ensure that they would receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in a subsequent federal Express Entry draw.

This was the fourth OINP draw this year. Last week the province had an Entrepreneur Stream draw inviting 26 immigrant entrepreneurs to start their business in Ontario. So far in 2020 Ontario has issued 1,440 invitations to candidates in the Human Capital Priorities Stream, and 242 invitations to candidates in the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream.

Ontario is currently awaiting its 2020 OINP allocation from the federal government. Last year, 6,650 principal applicant spots were allotted for Ontario, plus an additional 700 spots after it met its allocation target in November 2019. In all, the OINP nominated more principal applicants than any province in 2019 with 7,391 nominations, which is partially the result of Ontario having the largest population of any province in Canada.

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