Last Updated:
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.
Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream
This stream is for foreign workers who have obtained a job offer for a skilled occupation in Ontario. Foreign workers can apply whether they are inside or outside Canada, as long as they meet the requirements.
Eligibility requirements for the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream (Applicant Side)
Job Offer
- You must have a full-time, permanent job offer from an employer in the province. Permanent means an employment contract with no end date.
- The job offer must meet or exceed the median wage level for that occupation in the region.
- The position must be urgently needed for the employer’s business operations.
- You must possess sufficient experience and qualifications to perform the duties of the offered position (if the occupation requires a licence, you must hold the applicable licence).
- You must have at least two years of paid, full-time (or equivalent full-time) work experience in the same occupation as the job offer within the past five years. The two years do not have to be continuous. Self-employed experience cannot be counted. (Licence holders are exempt from the two-year work experience requirement.)
- The occupation of the job offer must match the skill level of your previous work experience as per Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC).
- The job offer must fall under NOC TEER Category 0, 1, 2, or 3.
For applicants licensed as physicians in Ontario
As of January 27, 2025, physicians in the following NOC occupations no longer require a job offer, provided that they meet the conditions set out below.
- 31100 (Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine)
- 31101 (Specialists in surgery)
- 31102 (General practitioners and family physicians)
To be exempt from the job offer requirement, you must meet both of the following conditions.
- You must be registered and in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario in one of the following certificate categories, and be able to provide patient care:
- Independent practice
- Academic practice
- Postgraduate education
- You must be eligible to receive payment for publicly funded health services in accordance with the Health Insurance Act, 1990.
Applicable Skill Levels (TEER)
Skill levels are categorized within Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) system as follows:
| Skill Level 0 | Executives, Corporate Officers, Management Positions |
|---|---|
| Skill Level 1 | Professional positions that typically require a university or graduate degree |
| Skill Level 2 | Technical positions that typically require a college degree or more than two years of apprenticeship training, as well as middle management positions |
| Skill Level 3 | Intermediate technical positions that typically require a college degree, less than two years of apprenticeship training, or more than six months of practical on-the-job training |
Work based in Ontario
The work location of the job offer must be in Ontario. The applicant and their family members must not hold 10% or more of the employer’s shares.
Legal status in Canada
If you are living in Canada at the time of application, you must hold legal status in Canada. This requirement does not apply if you are applying from outside Canada.
Intention to live in Ontario
Once you obtain permanent residence, you are required to demonstrate a genuine intention to live, work, and become economically established in Ontario.
In this category, receiving a nomination from the Ontario provincial government to IRCC nearly guarantees the acquisition of permanent residence.
Eligibility requirements for the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream (Employer Side)
- The applicant’s company must have at least three years of business operations.
- The facility where the applicant will work must be located in Ontario.
- The company must comply with the province’s employment, hygiene management, safety, and legal regulations.
- If the applicant works in the Greater Toronto Area (including Toronto, Durham, Halton, York, and Peel regions), the company’s annual revenue immediately prior to the application must be at least $1,000,000, and the workplace must have at least five full-time employees who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents (PR holders).
- If the applicant works outside the Greater Toronto Area, the company’s annual revenue immediately prior to the application must be at least $500,000, and the workplace must have at least three full-time employees who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents (PR holders).
- For applicants residing outside Canada or outside Ontario, the employer must have conducted recruitment activities for Canadian workers in advance.
- The employer must submit the job offer through the Employer Portal.
The application process for the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream
01Employer registers the job offer on the OINP Employer Portal
Before the applicant can register an Expression of Interest (EOI), the employer must register the job offer on the OINP Employer Portal. Once the job offer is registered, a Job Offer ID will be issued.
02Register an Expression of Interest on the OINP e-Filing Portal
Using the Job Offer ID issued in step 01, the applicant must register an Expression of Interest within 30 days. A score (out of 200 points) is calculated based on the registered profile, and the profile is placed in the candidate pool.
03Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA)
An Invitation to Apply (ITA) is an invitation to apply to the OINP; you can submit your application documents to the OINP only after receiving one. The OINP holds regular selection rounds called draws, and ITAs are issued to the highest-scoring candidates in the pool. If you do not receive an ITA, your profile remains in the pool for up to one year.
04Apply online for the OINP
After receiving an Invitation to Apply, the employer must complete their online application within 14 days and the applicant within 17 days, submitting to the OINP processing office. The applicant cannot submit their own application until the employer has completed theirs.
05Receive a Nomination Certificate
Once the OINP processing office completes its review, the applicant will be notified of the result. Being approved is referred to as receiving a nomination.
06Apply for permanent residence to IRCC
Within six months of being nominated, the applicant must submit an online application for permanent residence (Provincial Nominee Class) to IRCC.
07Assessment by IRCC
Once the permanent residence application has been submitted and IRCC has completed its review, a letter called the Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR) is issued to the applicant, and the review of the permanent residence application is complete.
08Landing
Once the permanent residence application is approved, applicants inside Canada will be able to download their CoPR (virtual landing), and their status becomes permanent resident the moment they download it. Applicants outside Canada must complete the procedure to receive their CoPR by mail and must arrive in Canada before their visa expires.
09Receive your Permanent Resident (PR) card
Your PR card will be delivered to your designated address in Canada a few months after landing.
Free Consultations and Inquiries
Feel free to get in touch!
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.
Related Columns
Date Posted:September 24, 2026
How to Check Processing Times and Status for Canadian Visa and PR Applications
Date Posted:September 24, 2026
Canada Immigration Policy Trends 2025 | What Fewer Newcomers Mean for PR
Related News
Looking to obtain permanent residence or a visa?
Consult with us now!
Applying for permanent residence or a visa to Canada on your own can be overwhelming due to the large number of required documents, and you may feel uncertain about whether everything is correct. However, if you're serious about immigrating to Canada, we strongly recommend seeking the support of an immigration consultant. There are many pathways to obtaining permanent residence, depending on factors such as your age, occupation, and family status. With the help of an expert, you can ensure that you plan the right approach tailored to your specific situation.
A professional immigration consultant will help solve your concerns
Get a free Counseling now
From immigration planning to application submission,
everything is completed with shiraishi Visa JP Canada
Consulting with an immigration consultant makes the process clearer and much smoother. You’ll feel more confident with document submissions and procedures, significantly reducing the risk of mistakes. Take the first step toward your Canadian dream with the guidance of an expert.
