Opportunities Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

This program is for applicants who are planning to settle in Toronto, Ottawa or any other city in Ontario, under the Ontario Pilot Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

Successful applicants will receive an Ontario Provincial Nomination Certificate, which will speed-up the Canada Immigration (Permanent Resident) Visa application process.

• Ontario PNP General Category
• International Student Category

The Ontario PNP is an employer-driven program in that candidates cannot apply unless they have a permanent full-time job offer from an Ontario employer. 

There is a two-step process to nomination.

Step1:	Ontario employers must complete the pre-screen application process and they must obtain approval for the positions they wish to fill.
Step2:	If the positions are approved, the Ontario employer must recruit foreign skilled workers to fill the positions.

All selected candidates must then apply to the Opportunities Ontario PNP for a nomination.

Employer Eligibility

To be eligible, companies in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) must:

• Have been in existence and operation for at least three years preceding the application;
• Have at least CND$ 1,000,000 gross revenue in the previous fiscal year;
• Have at least five permanent full-time employees;
• Have a place of business located in Ontario;
• Companies outside the GTA have less stringent eligibility criteria.  They must:
• Have been in existence and operation for at least three years preceding the application;
• Have at least CND$ 500,000 in gross revenues in the previous fiscal year;
• Have at least three permanent full-time employees;
• Have a place of business located in Ontario.
• There are two categories under which you may qualify for the Ontario PNP:

Ontario PNP General Category

The General Category allows the below approved business professionals to recruit foreign workers.

• Ontario employers
• Investors

For Ontario Employers

To be eligible to apply for Ontario nomination as a foreign worker, candidates must have:

• A full-time job offer, for which they are qualified, from an approved Ontario employer in a skilled occupation (listed as NOC A, B, or 0);
• At least two (2) years of work experience or have appropriate registration in Ontario (if the occupation is regulated in Ontario);
• Received an Employer Pre-Screen Approved Position Form, along with the nominee application package from the Ontario employer;
• An offered wage that meets the prevailing wage level in Ontario for the occupation;
• Legal status, if the prospective nominee is in Canada.

For Ontario investors

This sub-section of the General Category is to facilitate the entry of key personnel into companies that are making major investments in Ontario.  Nominees must meet the same qualifying criteria as above.  Before nominating applicants, Ontario employers must first complete the pre-screen application process and they must obtain approval for the positions they wish to fill.  To be eligible, Ontario employers must:

• Make a qualifying investment of CND$ 3 million or more in Ontario;
• Create at least five (5) net full-time permanent positions.

International Student Category

The International Student Category allows approved Ontario employers to hire international students.  Potential nominees must submit their applications for nomination

To be eligible to apply for Ontario nomination as an international student, candidates must have:

• Graduated (or soon be graduating) from an approved publicly funded Canadian college or university in the past two years; 
• A full-time job offer, for which they are qualified, from an approved Ontario employer in a skilled occupation (listed as NOC A, B, or 0).
• Received an Employer Pre-Screen Approved Position Form, along with the nominee application package from the Ontario employer;
• An offered wage that meets the prevailing entry-level wage in Ontario for the occupation;
• Legal status, if the prospective nominee is in Canada.

To inquire about how to apply for a Canada Immigration Visa under one of the Opportunities Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Categories, kindly forward your details to GICS.

If you prefer, you can send us an inquiry about your particular situation for our feedback.