STUDY | WORK | IMMIGRATION  

ontario pnp

Ontario French-speanking stream

Ontario invited 360 French-Speaking candidates through Skilled Worker Stream

Ontario issued new invitations to immigration candidates with eligible French-speaking abilities to apply for an Ontario provincial nomination through the Skilled Worker Stream. A total of 360 invitations were issued in the May 22 draw.

The French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream is aligned with Federal Express Entry (EE) system. To qualify for the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream, candidates must meet the requirements of both the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream and one of the two federal immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) or Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

EE candidates with a provincial nomination receive an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, which effectively guarantees an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence from the Government of Canada. 

The French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream does not require a job offer in Ontario, nor does it require a minimum CRS score to be eligible. However, a minimum language level at CLB 7 in French and CLB 6 in English are required. Also, candidates must have been obtained at least one-year work experience in NOC Skill level 0, A or B. If you choose to be assessed against the FSW, you must score at least 67 points on the six selection factors, which include education, language skills, work experience, age, arranged employment in Canada and adaptability.

So far in 2019, a total of 549 invitations have been issued through the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream. 

If you speak both French and English and interested in immigrating to Ontario, you are welcome to contact our Professional Canada Immigration Consultants for more information.

ontario pnp

entrepreneur

Ontario to come up with new changes for Entrepreneur Immigration

Ontario released new details of proposed changes to Entrepreneur Stream on April 19, 2019. In its budget, the minimum threshold for the OINP’s Entrepreneur Stream will be reduced by half or even more than half of the current requirements. The Ontario government says doing so will “make Ontario more competitive with other provinces” and expand the province’s pool of entrepreneurial candidates.

There are three main changes including the requirements of minimum net worth, the minimum investment, and the minimum number of employees.

If the business is established within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), the minimum net worth will be reduced from 1,500,000 to 800,000; the minimum investment will be reduced from 1,000,000 to 600,000; and a minimum of two permanent, full-time jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada must be created. 

If the business is established outside the GTA or in the Information and Communications Technology / Digital Communications sector regardless of location, the minimum net worth will be reduced from 800,000 to 400,000; the minimum investment thresholds will be reduced from 500,000 to 200,000; and only one permanent, full-time jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada must be created. 

Immigration pilot for smaller communities

The budget also says the government would launch an immigration pilot program in smaller communities in the northern and rural area to bring highly skilled immigrants to these communities. It is like the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIPP), which allowed the four Atlantic provinces to nominate up 2,500 foreign workers and international students for permanent residence in 2018. The government says the pilot programme was aimed at “spread the benefits of immigration to smaller communities.” The smaller communities are those either a city with a population of 50,000 or less, located at least 75 kilometres away from the core of a metropolitan area of 100,000 or more or a city of up to 200,000 people that qualify as remote.

As one of the most popular provinces for immigrants, these big reforms will surely attract more entrepreneurs to Ontario. If you are interested in this program, you are welcome to contact our professional Canada Immigration Consultants for more information. 

ontario pnp

Masters Graduate Stream

Ontario reopened and paused Masters Graduate Stream on the same day

Ontario reopened its Masters Graduate Stream (MGS) to 667 new registrations on Tuesday, April 30 and quickly reached its allocation in just a few hours.

The total intake limit of the MGS is 1000 in 2019. It was last opened on Tuesday, March 5th at 10:00 a.m. with an intake limit of 1,000 registrations. Due to technical issues, the stream was closed at 11:42 a.m. Only a total of 333 candidates successfully submitted their applications within1 hour and 42 minutes.

The MGS is designed for international students with an eligible Ontario master’s degree to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence. It is one of the most popular immigration streams in Ontario because it does not require a job offer from an Ontario employer. Due to limited immigration allocation and a competitive employment environment, many graduates have to leave Ontario to seek immigration opportunities in other provinces. 

For more information on the Masters Graduate Stream or other immigration opportunities, you are welcome to contact our professional Canada immigration consultants

ontario pnp

Ontario immigration lowers scores to less than 400

Ontario says more Express Entry-linked draws with CRS under 400 ‘possible’

The Ontario provincial government has said that there is a possibility the province will consider applicants with CRS scores of less than 400 under the Human Capital Priorities Stream. The stream has always had a minimum threshold of at least 400 points. This stream allows the Ontario Immigrant Nominee programme to search for eligible candidates from the federal express entry pool.

 

Recently, OINP revised the stream’s application guide to allow the director to stipulate the minimum scores rather than sticking to 400. This led to three invitation rounds where the province selected candidates with a minimum as low as 350 points ever since the August 9 draw.

 

That draw targeted Express Entry candidates with a job offer in Ontario for which the CRS minimum was dropped to 351. A second Human Capital Priorities draw on March 28 also saw the CRS minimum reduced to 351 for Express Entry candidates with French language abilities of CLB 7 or higher.

 

But neither of these two (a job offeror French language proficiency) are mandatory under the Human Capital Priorities Stream’s criteria.

 

Ontario has used the Human Capital Priorities Stream to target Express Entry candidates with specified work experience, in the information and communication technology sector.

 

OINP says the possibility of minimum score continuing to drop below 400 will depend on a number of factors, including the number of eligible candidates in the Express Entry pool and Ontario’s labour market needs and priorities.

 

The Ontario Immigration Act grants the OINP’s director the discretion to set the minimum CRS score based on the following factors:

1. Ontario’s annual OINP nomination allocation, as determined by the federal government;

 

2. The federal government’s minimum CRS score, which establishes federal government Express Entry selection parameters;

 

3. Ontario’s current labour market needs; and

 

4. Other Ontario economic immigration related priorities.

 

In order to be visible to the OINP when it is searching the Express Entry pool, candidates must indicate their interest in immigrating to either Ontario or ‘All provinces and territories’ when creating their Express Entry profile.

 

Doing so will allow OINP staff to identify candidates in the federal Express Entry system who have an interest in immigrating to Ontario.