Ontario’s Human Capital Priorities and Graduate Streams to Reopen

One of the most popular Canadian immigration streams aligned with the Express Entry selection system will reopen next week, with Ontario set to begin inviting candidates through the Human Capital Priorities Stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).

In addition, the OINP streams for eligible Master’s and PhD graduates will also reopen.

These three streams, among the most popular under the OINP, had been placed under a temporary pause since May, 2016.

Speaking at the announcement of this reopening, Ontario's Minister of Immigration, Laura Albanese, stated that “Immigration is key to stimulating innovation, growing our workforce and keeping us competitive in today’s global economy. By helping attract the people who have the skills and abilities we need to fill labour market gaps, Ontario is helping ensure businesses are better able to prosper and make our province even stronger.”

News of the Human Capital Priorities Stream reopening is likely to be greeted with enthusiasm by many Express Entry candidates, as this stream proved to be an attainable pathway to Canada for many candidates when it was previously issuing Notifications of Interest (NOIs, effectively an invitation to apply to the program). This being an enhanced stream, successful applicants obtain 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points and an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence at a subsequent draw from the pool.

When this stream reopens, the OINP will begin searching the federal Express Entry pool for qualified candidates and issue Notifications of Interest.

To be eligible under the Ontario Human Capital Priorities Stream under the most recent intake cycle, candidates must:

Score a minimum of 400 points under the CRS. The score must remain at or above 400 during both the Ontario nomination processing stage and at the federal application for permanent residence processing stage;
Have a minimum level of work experience;
- Candidates who choose to be assessed against the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC) criteria must have at least one year of continuous and full-time employment experience, or part-time equivalent, in a National Occupation Classification (NOC) level 0, A, or B occupation in the five years prior to the date of the Notification of Interest from the OINP.
- Candidates who choose to be assessed against the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) criteria must have at least one year of cumulative and full-time employment experience, or part-time equivalent, in a NOC 0, A, or B occupation in Canada in the three years prior to the date of the NOI from the OINP.
Have a Canadian Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree OR an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report produced by a designated organization indicating that their foreign education credential is equivalent to a Canadian Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD;
Demonstrate a language proficiency level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 or above in all four competencies (speaking, reading, writing, and listening);
- Language proficiency must be proved by test results from one of the following designated testing agencies:
  - IELTS (General Training Test only) for English;
  - CELPIP (General test only) for English; or
  - TEF for French;
Intend to reside in Ontario, as demonstrated by a statement of intent and indication of ties to Ontario;
Possess sufficient funds to cover settlement costs in Ontario. This must be supported by bank statements; and
Meet the additional criteria under either the FSWP or CEC.

These criteria are subject to change, and the OINP has stated that further details may be revealed next week.

International PhD Graduate Stream

Individuals who have graduated from a PhD program at one of Ontario’s publicly funded universities may be eligible to apply to the OINP International PhD Graduate Stream. This stream operates outside the Express Entry system, and a job offer is not required.

International Masters Graduate Stream

The International Masters Graduate Stream, which operates outside the Express Entry system, targets individuals who have graduated with a Master’s degree from one of Ontario’s publicly funded universities. A job offer is not required.

When this stream reopens, eligible candidates will now be able to apply if they are residing outside Ontario. Applicants will also now have the option of using an alternate service provider to obtain their language test, though exactly what this entails is not clear at this time.

Further details are expected on Tuesday, February 21.