UPDATE: Ontario opens and closes applications to international students

Ontario open and closed applications in 25 minutes to international students with job offers seeking provincial nominations for permanent residence.

Sources say the Employer Job Offer: International Student stream was opened and closed between 10:00 a.m. and 10:25 a.m. EST.

Ontario says that registration for the stream is now closed until further notice.

Original story published August 18, 2020 at 19:22 GMT:

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will accept applications to the Employer Job Offer: International Student stream on August 19. They are not accepting applications for the Foreign Worker or Masters Graduate streams. The OINP warns that the Foreign worker stream registration link will be active but for technical and testing purposes only. Any application submitted through this link will be removed from the system.

Applications for international student graduates will open “at some point” during business hours between 9 a.m. EST and 5 p.m. EST, the OINP says. The system will automatically shut down once registration spots are filled. Typically these opening periods are a mad race to the finish line and the OINP expects no change to tomorrow’s application window.

“Due to the significant number of users expected to access the system, you may encounter a high-volume message or be placed in a priority queue,” the OINP says in a media release. “If this occurs, it is not a technical error and you do not need to contact the program.”

How to register for the Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream

The OINP says interested applicants should access the OINP e-Filing Portal directly from the Employer Job Offer: International Student stream page on the OINP website. Click the button that says “Submit an application.” The OINP recommends against using mobile devices such as cell phones to access the e-Filing system.

New Employer Form required

The new Employer Form introduced during the previous application intake is also required for international students registering tomorrow. The most recent version of the Employer Form must be completed and dated on or after August 19, 2020, otherwise the application will be returned as “incomplete.”

The Employer Form indicates that it must be submitted within six months from the date of signing, but the form must contain the most current information, the OINP says. Those who successfully register tomorrow will have 14 days to submit their completed application, and they can use this time to upload their up-to-date Employer Form.

The ‘Regulatory Compliance Information’ section B of the Employer Form has been revised to indicate whether the employer’s business is currently compliant with provincial employment standards and occupational health and safety standards.

“Carefully have your employer review the information listed in the Employer Form to respond accurately in order to avoid unnecessary delays in processing your application,” the OINP says in the release.

The OINP says anyone who experiences technical difficulties while registering, should contact them directly at ontarionominee@ontario.ca and include:

• a screenshot showing the time and date stamp; and
• details about how the error occurred.

Anyone whose application deadline is affected by the scheduled maintenance is asked to contact the OINP through the same email address. Maintenance is scheduled from tonight, August 18, at 5 p.m. EST until tomorrow. The province gives no end time to the scheduled maintenance.

Who is eligible for Ontario’s Employer Job Offer: International Student stream?

As the name suggests, eligible candidates need a job offer from an eligible employer in Ontario. Though the candidate does not necessarily need to be in Ontario, they need to have legal status if they are applying in Canada. The OINP will accept applications from people who are on implied status.

The job offer must be in a skilled occupation classified as type 0, A or B according to Canada's National Occupational Classification.

Among other requirements, applicants must have graduated from a full-time eligible degree or diploma program in Canada within the past two years. Over half of their studies must have been completed while they were lawfully residing in Canada.

They will also have to demonstrate the intention to reside in Ontario, and show their ties to the province which could include previous experience or social ties among others.