Program introduced points-based expression of interest system last March
Pursuant to changes to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program’s applications process for the express entry stream and for the planned expression of interest stream at intake, applications deemed incomplete will now be returned and refunded, effective Apr. 13.
With this change, the program expects to receive applications complying with criteria and to achieve shorter processing times for all streams. Those submitting applications deemed incomplete will have to wait for a new invitation to apply or for a notification of interest before they can submit a new application.
On Apr. 9, the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development announced proposed amendments to the program’s entrepreneur stream regulations. The amendments seek to launch a permanent virtual interview option to accelerate the arrival of entrepreneur stream applicants in Ontario to start operating their businesses and to change the application monitoring frequency to lighten the burden on applicants as they work on their businesses. Interested individuals are urged to share their insights on these proposed changes within the public consultation period, which ends on Apr. 23.
On Mar. 15, the program said that it would introduce an expression of interest system through the filing of amending regulations made under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015. Under the points-based registration system, one can only apply to the program via the expression of interest stream if one has been invited. The new system applies to the masters graduate stream, the Ph.D. graduate stream and the employer job offer category.
The expression of interest system aims to advance the selection of skilled economic immigrants who can fulfill Ontario’s labour market needs, to improve the program’s labour market responsiveness, to more effectively respond to regional labour market needs and to strategically manage intake. The new system’s development was informed by stakeholder consultations.
“This change bodes well for workers with impressive resumes, as they will become more likely to be selected under the program,” said a blog post on Garson LLP Immigration Law’s website.
A post on the website of Ackah Business Immigration Law said that the expression of interest system “is designed to be fairer and provide more opportunities for applicants to apply.”
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program, which is in partnership with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, recognizes and nominates for permanent residence individuals with the skills and experience that the provincial economy needs, with the federal government tasked with making the final decision to approve permanent residence applications.
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The program offers three ways to qualify for nomination. First, the employer job offer category includes the foreign worker stream, the international student stream and the in-demand skills stream. Second is the human capital category, which includes the international graduate streams sub-category and Ontario’s express entry streams sub-category, comprising the French-speaking skilled worker stream, the human capital priorities stream and the skilled trades stream. Third is the business category, which has the entrepreneur stream.
