Ontario has reached its 2022 federal government Canada immigration nomination allocation.
Canada’s most populous province nominated 9,750 candidates through all of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) streams during the course of the year.
The number is 750 more than the 9,000 nominations issued in 2021.
The nomination allocation for the OINP is relatively small given the population of the province. However, Ontario is the biggest recipient of immigrants through Canada’s federal programs.
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Despite this, Ontario provincial politicians regularly call for the OINP allocation to be increased.
Ontario’s provincial immigration streams were active during the year, issuing nearly 20,000 Notifications of Interest and Invitations to Apply.
The province issues NOIs through its Express Entry-linked streams, and ITAs for those that operate under its provincial Expression of Interest system.
Ontario immigration 2022 NOIs/ITAs
| Stream | NOIs/ITAs |
| Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream | 1,534 |
| Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream | 1,812 |
| Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills | 523 |
| Masters Graduate Stream Draws 2021 | 3,890 |
| PhD Graduate Stream Draws 2021 | 445 |
| Human Capital Priorities Stream (HCP) | 3,076 |
| French Speaking Skilled Worker Stream (FSSW) | 1,539 |
| Skilled Trades Stream (ST) | 7,056 |
| Entrepreneur Stream | 96 |
About The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) supports employers by facilitating the immigration of managerial, professional and skilled foreign workers and international students required to meet their human resources needs.
The province of Ontario operates the OINP in partnership with the federal immigration department, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Interested candidates must follow a two-stage process: apply for nomination to the provincial government, and then, if nominated, apply for permanent residence to the federal government.
OINP Streams
The OINP manages three immigration categories: Human Capital, Employer Job Offer and Business Immigration. Each category is further divided into several streams.
Human Capital Category
This category enables OINP to nominate candidates who have the skills, education and work experience to contribute to Ontario’s economy and labour market. It is comprised of three Express Entry streams and two international student streams:
- Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream
- Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream
- Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream
- Masters Graduate Stream
- PhD Graduate Stream
Employer Job Offer Category
Interested individuals may apply under this category only if they have the support of an Ontario employer who has extended to them a full-time indeterminate job offer.
- Foreign Worker Stream
- International Student Stream
- In-Demand Skills Stream
- Regional Immigration Pilot
Business Category
The Ontario Business Immigration program has one immigration stream directed to applicants with a successful business background.
Ontario Entrepreneur Pilot
Meanwhile, candidates can start or buy businesses outside the Greater Toronto Area and qualify for immigration via a new pilot.
The two-year pilot was originally announced in December 2021.
Under the existing Entrepreneur Stream of the OINP, the province aims to help regions hit hard by the pandemic by attracting $20 million in investment.
The Ontario government hopes the pilot will create jobs in sectors including information technology, life sciences and tourism.
Applicants will be nominated for permanent residence once their business has been operating in Ontario for 18 to 20 months.