Ontario Immigration is adopting an Expression of Interest system

The Expression of Interest (EOI) system is being planned to be introduced by Ontario Immigration as per the proposal published on Sept 8, 2020, by The Ministry of Labor, Trading, and Skills Development.

The EOI system will work similarly to The Federal Express Entry System. Applicants who wish to apply under EOI have to register under the Ontario Immigration Program Nominee (OIPN) and will be placed in entry pools with other candidates. To be eligible to get an Invite to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence, candidates need to provide personal details as well as their study and work experience details.

OINP will be introducing the EOI system for the following most popular streams as per the proposal:

1. Employer Job Offer category

• Foreign Worker stream

1. This stream requires the applicants to have a permanent or full-time job offer in a position that is necessary to the business.
2. The proposed wage must be equal or more than the current wage if the applicant is already working in a job position required.
3. Should have a mandatory license if required, a valid permit, and must have two or more years of job experience in the last 5 years before applying.

• International Student stream

1. This stream requires the applicants to have a permanent or full-time job offer in a position that is necessary to the business.
2. The proposed wage must be equal or more than the current wage if the applicant is already working in a job position required.
3. The applicant must be graduated from a one-year, or two-year full-time program from a designated learning institute should apply within two years from the completion of the study program, and is required to have completed more than 50% studies in Canada.
4. The applicant should have legal status and intention to settle in Ontario.

• In-Demand Skills stream

1. This stream requires the applicants to have a permanent or full-time job offer in a position that is necessary for the business.
2. The proposed wage must be equal or more than the current wage if the applicant is already working in a job position required.
3. Minimum 9 months paid part-time/full-time experience is the last three years in any one of the eligible occupations.
4. Should be proficient in English or French and should have a minimum score of 4 in CLB/NCLC all language competencies.
5. The applicant should have legal status and intention to settle in Ontario.

• Masters Graduate.

This stream allows international students who have attained a Master’s degree in Ontario without requiring a job offer.

To be eligible, the applicants need to be graduated from a Master’s degree program from an eligible institution in Ontario. Should have a score of minimum language CLB/NCLC level 7 or above in English or French. Candidates need to be resided legally in Ontario for at least one year in the last two.

Candidates are required to have sufficient settlement funds and must have legal status, and have an intention to live and work in Ontario. Applications are required to be submitted within two years of graduating in the master’s degree.

• 3.   Ph.D. Graduate.

This stream offers international students who have attained a Ph.D. in Ontario without requiring a job offer.

To be eligible, the applicants need to be graduated from a Ph.D. degree program from an eligible institution in Ontario. Candidates need to be resided legally in Ontario for at least one year. Candidates are required to have sufficient settlement funds and must have legal status, and should have an intention to live and work in Ontario. Applications are required to be submitted within two years of graduating in the Ph.D. degree.

Regulatory protocols will be followed in the EOI system as per the proposal that will allow the system to:

1. Conduct both general and targeted draws.
2. Score, determine, and publish EOI point allocations of the prospective applicants in the EOI pool.
3. Allocate points to various factors, including education and language skills.
4. Issue ITAs to the top-scoring candidates.

EOI system will be beneficial for Ontario as it would help in prioritizing the best candidates who suit the local labor market needs in the province and will result in faster responses to manage high OINP demand.