OINP accepts EOIs from skilled foreign workers to work in Canada

Ontario is currently accepting EOIs for a migration program meant to let foreign workers get high-demand jobs and work in Canada in the construction or agricultural industries via the In-Demand Skills stream of OINP.

The EOI system will be open all year and will accept the registration of EOIs at any time for those who are willing to live and work in Canada. On June 28, 2021, the In-demand Skills stream of the immigration category of Employer Job Offer started accepting EOIs. EOIs for the streams International Student and Foreign Worker is already in the processing stage.

Ontario’s EOI system was launched to help it to respond to specific labor market requirements in a better way. It also helped manage high OINP demand as well as prioritize the candidates who proved to be among the best.

Ontario did what many other provinces in Canada did by operating their own EOI systems. This included Quebec. The province of Quebec launched its online platform Arrima in 2018 and issued its first invitations in 2019.

The need for job offers for In-Demand Skills Stream eligibility

Registration in the EOI system of Ontario doesn’t guarantee that a foreign worker will get an ITA for Canada immigration. The EOIs, that have a 12-month validity, are subject to evaluation on the basis of a point system. The points are awarded on the basis of:

• The field and level of education as well as the place where the candidates completed their studies
• The candidate’s proficiency in the English/French language
• The candidate’s intention to settle outside the Greater Toronto Area
• The candidate’s skill level and work experience, history of earnings, and other factors that have relevance in the Ontario job market and the prospects it has to offer
• Ontario’s labor market needs

The applicants need the following to qualify for the In-Demand Skills Stream:

• They must have a job offer for a permanent and full-time job under selected occupations in the construction or agricultural sector that pays the median wage for that occupation in Ontario with the position essential for the business.
• For individuals already working in such a position, the proposed wage has to be equal to or higher than the current wage being paid.
• They must have 9 months of cumulative work experience in the last 3 years in one of the occupations deemed eligible. Experience must be in a full-time paid occupation or an equivalent amount in part-time work in Ontario (Seasonal work doesn’t count).
• They must have the equivalent of Canadian high school education or higher.
• They must possess a certificate deemed valid or a license at the time of filing the application for any work experience claimed.
• They must have a minimum level of English/French proficiency which is CLB/NCLC 4 in all areas of competencies.
• They must be living abroad, or be studying, visiting, or at work in Canada on a permit deemed valid.
• They must have the intention to settle in Ontario.

Creating a profile and EOI submission

Creating a profile in the e-Filing portal of OINP and submitting an EOI constitute the first step in submitting an application under the In-Demand Skills stream.

Selected candidates from the candidate pool will get an ITA. They could submit that application online via the OINP e-Filing Portal. An application must be submitted within 14 calendar days of getting an ITA. The application fee must be paid too. It will be either $1,500 or $2,000, depending on where the job offer is made.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Canada, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

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Note:

EOI – Expression of Interest

PNP – Provincial Nominee Program

ITA – Invitation to Apply

OINP – Ontario Immigration Nominee Program