Ontario opens applications for Regional Immigration Pilot

A new pathway to permanent residence is now available for prospective Ontario immigrants.

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is now accepting applications for the Regional Immigration Pilot.

In order to be eligible, candidates must meet the criteria for any of the OINP Employer Job Offer streams.

Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs

Candidates also need to have full-time and permanent job offers from employers located in one of three Ontario communities:

Chatham-Kent
Cornwall
Quinte West/Belleville

The two-year pilot includes about 150 nominations allocated for applicants destined for these communities. The OINP is also doing marketing and outreach to raise awareness among local employers and providing business service support. They are also partnering with stakeholders to leverage the entrepreneur stream local business succession.

The goal of the pilot is to connect highly skilled immigrants with jobs in small and rural Ontario communities. These specific locations were chosen because of their specific labour challenges, and their ability to help newcomers get settled, among other factors.

Eligibility criteria for the Employer Job Offer category

As the name suggests, applicants need a job offer in Ontario to be eligible for one of the streams in this category. They do not need to be physically present in Canada in order to be eligible for this Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

The Employer Job Offer category has three streams:

Foreign Worker stream, for skilled workers;
International Student stream, for recent graduates of an Ontario post-secondary institution;
In-Demand Skills stream, for workers in specific sectors such as agriculture, construction, trucking and personal support workers.

To apply for the pilot, applicants must complete an intake form and email the OINP.

Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs