Last Updated:September 30, 2026
Supervised by Yuki Shiraishi (Immigration Consultant)
【Important】Consolidation & Changes to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program Streams
Following program changes to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), eight previous streams—including this one—have been consolidated into the “Ontario Workforce Priority Stream.” For details on nomination applications based on job offers from Ontario employers and the latest eligibility requirements, please visit the new stream page below.
Click here for details and requirements of the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream.
What is the Master Graduate Stream
This stream gives international graduates with an Ontario master’s degree the opportunity to apply to permanently live and work in Ontario.
The eligible universities in Ontario
The list of eligible Ontario universities
01
Algoma University
02
Brock University
03
Carleton University
04
Lakehead University
05
Laurentian University
06
McMaster University
07
Nipissing University
08
Ontario College of Art and Design University
09
Queen’s University
10
Royal Military College of Canada
11
Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University)
12
Trent University
13
University of Guelph
14
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
15
University of Ottawa
16
University of Toronto
17
University of Waterloo
18
University of Windsor
19
Western University
20
Wilfrid Laurier University
21
York University
Shiraishi VisaJP Canada can assist with applications to some of these schools. If you are interested, please contact us through our inquiry page.
Eligibility requirements for the Master Graduate Stream
Educational background
- You must have completed a master’s degree program of at least one full-time academic year at an eligible university in Ontario and have been awarded a master’s degree.
- You do not qualify if you have received a bursary, grant or scholarship that requires you to return to your home country after you earn your master’s degree.
- You cannot apply if you are enrolled as a student at the time of application, unless one or both of the following apply:
- You are enrolled in order to meet the requirements to obtain a licence in Ontario
- You are working full-time in Ontario
- You must submit your application within two years of completing the requirements necessary to obtain your master’s degree.
Language proficiency
The applicant must have achieved a CLB 7 or higher on an approved English or French language test, taken within two years of their application.
| Test | Language | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB7 | IELTS | English | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| CELPIP | English | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | |
| TEF Tests taken on or after December 11, 2023 |
French | 434-461 | 428-471 | 434-461 | 456-493 | |
| TEF Tests taken between October 1, 2019, and December 10, 2023 |
French | 450-499 | 450-499 | 450-499 | 450-499 | |
| TCF | French | 453-498 | 10-11 | 458-502 | 10-11 |
Job offer
- Not required
Settlement funds
You must have enough money to support yourself and your dependent family members when you settle in Canada. However, this requirement is waived if you have a valid job offer and are legally authorized to work.
| Number of family members | Required funds (CAD) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $15,263 |
| 2 | $19,001 |
| 3 | $23,360 |
| 4 | $28,362 |
| 5 | $32,168 |
| 6 | $36,280 |
| 7 | $40,392 |
| For families of 7 or more | An additional $4,112 is required for each extra family member. |
Residency in Ontario
- You must have legally lived in Ontario for at least one year in the past two years before you apply.
- At the time you apply, you must be living in Ontario with legal status (study permit, work permit, visitor record) or living outside Canada.
Caution
- You don’t qualify if you’re living in a province or territory in Canada other than Ontario at the time you apply.
- The one-year residency requirement may be accumulated. In other words, as long as your periods of residence in Ontario during the two years before you apply add up to 12 months in total, gaps between those periods are acceptable.
Intention to live in Ontario
After obtaining permanent residence, you must intend to live, work, and establish yourself economically in Ontario.
Application process for the Master Graduate Stream
01Once you meet the minimum requirements of the OINP Master Graduate Stream, register on the OINP e-Filing Portal
Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements create an account on the OINP e-Filing Portal and register their profile.
02Register an Expression of Interest on the OINP e-Filing Portal
The applicant registers an Expression of Interest on the OINP e-Filing Portal. A score (out of 200 points) is calculated based on the registered profile, and the applicant enters the pool.
03Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA)
An Invitation to Apply (ITA) is an invitation to apply to the OINP; only after receiving it can you submit your application documents to the OINP. The OINP regularly holds selection rounds known as draws, and ITAs are issued to candidates in the pool in order of highest score. If you do not receive an ITA, you remain in the selection pool for up to one year.
04Apply online to the OINP
Once an Invitation to Apply is received, the applicant must complete their online application to the OINP processing office within 17 days.
05Receive a nomination from the province
Once the review at the OINP processing office is complete, the applicant will receive the results. Passing the review is referred to as being nominated.
06Apply for permanent residence to IRCC
Within six months of being nominated, the applicant submits an online application for permanent residence (Provincial Nominee Class) to IRCC.
07Review by IRCC
Once the permanent residence application has been submitted and the review by IRCC is complete, the applicant is issued a letter called the Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR), and the review of the permanent residence application is finished.
08Landing
Once the permanent residence application is approved, applicants inside Canada can download their CoPR (virtual landing). From the moment the CoPR is downloaded, their status becomes PR. Applicants outside Canada must complete the procedure to receive the CoPR by mail and must arrive in Canada before their visa expires.
09Receive your Permanent Resident (PR) card
A few months after landing, your PR card will be delivered to your designated address within Canada.
Free Consultations and Inquiries
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Immigration Consultant
Yuki Shiraishi
Born in Japan. After earning a Bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, she worked for six years in New York as a marketing consultant at a major travel agency, while also studying in an MBA program at the City University of New York. After returning to Japan, she managed the visa center of the same travel company, handling various international visa applications for foreign clients.
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