Immigrating to Ontario with Skilled Trades Stream (OINP)

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

The Skilled Trades stream is an immigration program that provides a permanent residency pathway to foreign nationals who have worked in Ontario with eligible skilled trades.

Requirements for the Skilled Trades Stream Application:

Job Offer:	A Job offer is not required to apply for the Skilled Trades immigration pathway to Ontario.
Work Experience:	Applicants must have at least one year of cumulative paid full-time work experience (or the equivalent in paid part-time work) in Ontario  in a skilled trade that is listed in Minor Group 633 or Major Groups 72, 73, or 82 of the National Occupational Classification  (NOC)
Education:	Applicants applying to “compulsory trades” must have a valid certificate or license in Ontario at the time you apply and you must have held a valid certificate or license that covers the period of work experience that is being used to meet the minimum one year of work experience in an eligible skilled trades occupation.
Language	Applicants must be able to understand, read, write and speak either English or French at a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 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. The cost to apply to OINP is $1,500.00 CAD.
Residency	Applicants must be living in Ontario and have a valid work permit before the applicants can apply for this program.

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 Skilled Trades OINP program application include: age, education, work experience, if there is a job offer, language skills, and cultural adaptability. The competitive evaluation favors 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 OINP Skilled Trades Program:

Step 1 – Determine Eligibility: The first thing the applicant should do before applying is making sure that they are qualified. The applicant should evaluate the technical and legal requirements for the Skilled Trades. 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 have 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.