The Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (OINP) recently opened a new pathway to permanent residency for aspiring Ontario immigrants. Ontario is currently accepting applications for their newly launched Regional Immigration Pilot. 

Candidates who wish to apply must be able to meet the criteria for any of Ontario’s Employer Job Offer streams, and are also required to have full-time, permanent job offers from employers in at least one of these three Ontario communities: 

• Chatham-Kent
• Cornwall
• Quinte West/Belleville

The pilot is slated for two years, with over 150 nominations alloted for applicants who might best fit these communities. The OINP is currently raising awareness of the pilot among employers located in these communities.

The pilot’s goal is to place skilled immigrants within these Ontario communities, which were chosen due to their specific labor challenges, as well as their capacity to help new immigrants settle in, among other factors. 

While a job offer in Ontario is necessary to be eligible for at least one stream in the Employer Job Offer category, applicants need not be physically in Canada to be eligible for this Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

The Employer Job Offer category consists of three streams: 

• Foreign Worker, for skilled workers; 
• International Student, for graduates of any post-secondary institution in Ontario; 
• In-Demands Skills, for workers within specific sectors, such as those in construction, trucking, personal support, and agriculture. 

In order to apply for the pilot, candidates must submit a completed intake form and send an email to the OINP. 

If you are interested and would like to find out if you are eligible for Canadian immigration, click here.