Provincial Nominee Program
Your Filipino Immigration lawyer at AJ Law LLP will help you find an immigration pathway to consider so as to move and permanently live in Canada. One of the immigration pathways to consider is through Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) wherein provinces across the country may invite immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence. In the province of Ontario, the Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (OINP) is intended to give certain foreign nationals wanting to immigrate to Ontario, Canada the opportunity to apply through an expedited procedure for permanent residence in Canada. Formerly referred to as the Provincial Candidate Program of Opportunities Ontario (OOPNP), the program is tailored for potential immigrants with the unique skills and experience needed in Ontario.
Under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), there are three major ways to immigrate to Canada:
- EMPLOYER JOB CATEGORY
This category offers employers the opportunity to hire and retain the province’s trained employees and foreign students. You must have a legitimate, full-time, permanent work offer from an employer in Ontario if you choose to apply for any of the streams under this category.
This Category has 3 subcategories:
- Foreign Worker Stream,
- International Student Stream, and
- In-Demand Skills Stream
- HUMAN CAPITAL CATEGORY
There are five streams under this category which include three options for express entry to Ontario. Employers are able to easily reach the human capital required to develop and sustain their company through this program.
There are subcategories including options for express entry in the Human Capital Category as follows:
- Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream
- Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream
- Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream
- Masters Graduates Stream
- Ph.D Graduates Stream
- BUSINESS CATEGORY
The Ontario Investor Program was formally closed in the Fall of 2015, and then there were two new OINP categories created, i.e., the Ontario Entrepreneur Program and the Ontario Corporate Business Program.
ENTREPRENEUR STREAM
ENTREPRENEUR STREAM is intended to benefit foreigners and let them purchase a company in the province or to help build a brand-new Ontario business or to buy an existing one. When the company has been set up and legally established under the OINP Entrepreneur Stream, these entrepreneurs may then be nominated by Immigration Ontario for Canadian permanent residency.
Ontario Candidate Program
The Ontario candidate program does not run under an Expression of Interest model (also called an EOI system), unlike many Canadian provinces, which ensures that applicants are approved directly by the program. The Ontario PNP is actually the quickest way to immigrate to Ontario, together with the CIC Express Entry online immigration system. In fact, the processing time for applications for the Express Entry Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (OPNP) are normally done in less than half a year.
Each province or territory has its own eligibility requirements which can be viewed on their respective websites. The suitability standards vary from time and time and changes are being introduced depending on the need of each province or territory. Immigration options through PNP can be overwhelming and may appear complicated as there are many streams to choose from and varying requirements to comply with. At AJ Law, we can assist you in weighing your options and help you become a permanent resident in Canada through the PNP pathway. We have a Filipino immigration lawyer ready to assess your qualifications, provide legal support and partner with you as you work your way towards achieving your immigration goals. Call us at (+1) 416 409-5991 or email us at info@ajlawpartners.ca.
