Provincial Nominee Program – Ontario
The Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (Opportunities Ontario) is an employer-driven immigration program that allows Ontario to nominate qualified skilled workers for permanent residence as Provincial Nominees. It helps Ontario employers hire the skilled workers they need, but are having difficulty finding. Successful applicants who have met all the Opportunities Ontario requirements will receive an Ontario Provincial Nomination Certificate, which will expedite the process of their application for Canada Immigration when they apply to CIC.
There are two categories in the Opportunities Ontario Nominee program and each category has specific criteria as follow:
There are two categories in the Opportunities Ontario Nominee program and each category has specific criteria as follow:
Opportunities Ontario - General Category
The General Category allows approved Ontario employers to recruit foreign workers. To be considered under this category, the applicant must have a permanent, full time job offer from an approved Ontario employer in a skilled occupation (NOC 0, A, or B). The offered position need to be approved in a Pre-screen process. The applicant must also have:
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At least two years of work experience, obtained during the five years preceding the application date, in the offered position;
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Have appropriate licence and registration in Ontario (if the occupation is regulated in Ontario);
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An Employer Pre-Screen Approved Position Form, along with the nominee application package from the Ontario employer;
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An offered wage that is in the wage range of the occupation in Ontario; and
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Legal status, if the applicant applies inside Canada.
The International Student Category allows approved Ontario employers to hire foreign students who have graduated or will soon be graduating from an eligible publicly funded Canadian college or university. To be eligible to apply under this category, the student must have:
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A permanent, full-time job offer from an approved Ontario employer in a skilled occupation (NOC A, B, or 0). The job offer does not have to be related to the applicant’s field of study.
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Received an Employer Pre-Screen Approved Position Form, along with the nominee application package from the Ontario employer; and
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Legal status, if the applicant applies inside Canada.
Approved Ontario employer
Applicants who wish to apply under Opportunities Ontario program are required to have a permanent, full-time job offer from an approved Ontario employer. An approved employer here means a company in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) or outside the GTA which:
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Has been in business and operation for at least three years;
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Has at least $1,000,000 gross revenue for the most recent fiscal year (for companies inside the GTA), or has a minimum of $500,000 in gross revenue (for companies outside the GTA); and
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Has at least five permanent full-time employees (for companies inside the Greater Toronto Area), or has a minimum of 3 permanent full-time employees (companies outside the GTA);
To ask about how to apply for Canadian Permanent Residency under the Opportunities Ontario Provincial Nominee Program, you may contact our immigration bureau.
Ontario at a glance
Ontario is covering a total area of 1,076,395 sq. km, bordering Quebec on its east and Manitoba on its west. It is the Canada’s second largest province by total area (Québec is the largest province), and with a population of over 13 million is the most populated region. Canada’s largest city, Toronto, is the capital of Ontario, and Ottawa, the capital of Canada, is located in the south-eastern Ontario.
The large population, rich resources and strategic location of Ontario, have all contributed to build Canada’s biggest provincial economy, generating around 40% of the country’s GDP. There are around 250,000 lakes and over 100,000 km of rivers in Ontario and this abundance of water make it rich in hydroelectric energy. Manufacturing is the province’s principal industry and produce over 50% of Canada’s manufactured goods. Important products include motor vehicles, iron, steel, electrical appliances, machinery, chemicals, food, and paper. Province’s automobile industry accounts for more than one third of Canada’s total export. Ontario is also a significant player in mining (especially nickel, gold, silver, platinum, iron, steel, uranium, zinc, and copper), forest products industry (notably pulp and paper), Tourism, and IT.
Agriculture is also important to the province’s economy. Ontario is Canada's leading producer of poultry, eggs, dairy products, beef cattle, vegetables, lamb, fruit, corn, tobacco, soybeans, and flowers.
The capital, Toronto, is the most populated city in Canada with a population of over 4.7 million. Toronto is a business and financial district and its stock exchange is North America's second-largest by volume and third-largest by value traded. Toronto is one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities, where over 40 per cent of residents were born outside Canada, and one of the safest cities in North America.
Ontario's climate ranges from subarctic in the northernmost parts to moderate humid continental in the south. Winters are long, cold and snowy in all parts of the province, but southern Ontario has shorter and less severe winters comparing to the northern part. The south of Ontario has hot, humid summers.
| Capital city |
Toronto |
|
Area (sq. km) |
1,076,395 |
| Population | Around 13,500,000 (2009 estimate) |
| Official language | English |
| Largest city | Toronto |
| Flag and map |    |
| Entered Confederation | July 1, 1867 |
| Party in power | Liberal party |
| Sales Tax | 8%, |
| Natural resources | Forest, nickel, gold, silver, platinum, iron, steel, uranium, zinc, and copper |
| Industry |
Manufacturing (especially automotive parts), hydroelectric energy, tourism, forestry, lumber and wood products, food processing, IT, and service industries |
| Agriculture | Canada's leading producer of poultry, eggs, dairy products, beef cattle, vegetables, lamb, fruit, corn, tobacco, soybeans, and flowers |
| Climate | Humid continental climate in the south and subarctic in the far north |
| Website |
Learn more:
FAQs – PNP- Ontario
Links and resources
FAQs – PNP- Ontario
Links and resources
Photo Gallery - Ontario
