Immigrating to Ontario with Human Capital Stream (OINP)

Ontario’s OINP immigration program has three express entry options. This article discusses the specific Express Entry option known as the Human Capital Priorities stream.

The Human Capital Priorities stream is an immigration program that gives educated and skilled workers the opportunity to work permanently in Ontario, Canada.

Requirements for the Human Capital Priorities Application:

Job Offer:	A Job offer is not required to apply for the Human Capital Priorities pathway to Ontario.
Work Experience:	Applicants must have worked for one year full time in Canada in Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the NOC. Also, applicants must decide which one of the following two federal program to be assessed against: Federal Skilled Workers Programs; or Canadian Experience Class
Education:	Applicant’s must have a Canadian bachelor’s, master’s or PhD degree or its equivalent in another country. If the education was from another country, then applicants must obtain an  Educational Credential Assessment report that proves your education is equivalent to a Canadian degree.
Language	Applicants must be able to understand, read, write and speak either English or French at a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 or higher. Proof of English competency may be requested.
Financial Assets	Applicants must have enough money to support themselves and any dependent family members when the applicant settles in Canada. Proof may be requested with bank statements, annual earnings from employment, etc.

Competitive Factors in the OINP Express Entry Programs:

Even if an applicant is fully qualified and satisfies all the requirements, the applicant might not be accepted or might otherwise be rejected at any stage of the application process since only the top candidates are selected from everyone competing.

The competitive factors in evaluating a Human Capital Priorities program application include: age, education, work experience, if there is a job offer, language skills, and cultural adaptability. The competitive evaluation favours higher education, more work experience, economic or family ties to Canada, strong language skills, a valid job offer, and a suitable age for starting a life here.

Process for Applying to the Human Capital Priorities Program:

Step 1 – Determine Eligibility: The first thing the applicant should do before applying is make sure that they are qualified. The applicant should evaluate the technical and legal requirements for the Human Capital Priorities program and consider which federal program they will apply to with the OINP application. It is recommended to speak with an immigration consultant on this matter. Once the applicant has decided that they meet the requirements, then they should proceed to the next step.

Step 2 – Create Express Entry Profile: The next step is for the applicant to create an Express Entry profile online with Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The applicant must then wait to be issued a Notification of Interest (NOI) from the province of Ontario.

Step 3 – Apply for Provincial Nomination: Once an applicant has the NOI, they may apply to the OINP for provincial nomination which will be competitively processed. If successful, the applicant will then get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in the next Express Entry draw.

Step 4: Apply for Permanent Residence: Once the applicant has received the ITA, the applicant must submit an official application for permanent residence with the IRCC. Once this has been completed, the applicant will his or her profile evaluated by the IRCC for a final determination of whether the applicant will be issued a permanent residency visa for Ontario.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. The information and facts referred to herein may be amended, removed or otherwise changed by the applicable government authority. As such, the information contained herein is provided with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness.