Ontario to Ease PR Eligibility for Students with 1-Year Study
The Ontario government is proposing changes to the OINP (Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program) or Ontario PNP that would increase the number of international students eligible to apply for the provincial nominee program (PNP).
A new piece of legislation is being introduced to reform OINP by revising the eligibility requirements for hundreds of international students with one-year college graduate certificate programs throughout the province.
Over 900 programs in colleges grant an Ontario College Graduate Certificate, with the majority being one-year programs.
This is good news for international students, who would often find it impossible to get permanent residency and would often explore moving to other provinces.
Additionally, legislation would also prohibit the use of Canadian work experience as a prerequisite in job advertising or application forms, allowing more qualified candidates to advance through the interview process.
The provincial government may approve these proposed changes as early as next week, with an implementation date of early next year.
A similar ban on employers in job advertisements and application forms is intended to remove another important employment barrier for newcomers.
The government also wants to make sure that assessments are done quickly, openly, and fairly.
To do this, the government wants to improve oversight and accountability of how regulated professions like accountants, architects, and geoscientists use third-party organizations to evaluate international qualifications.
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More immigrants arrive in Ontario each year than in any other province, and studies have indicated that supporting newly arrived immigrants with foreign training to find employment in the fields they studied for could boost the province’s GDP by as much as $100 billion over the course of five years.
This year, Ontario will nominate 16,500 immigrants for permanent residence through the OINP in various critical sectors, such as healthcare and skilled trades.
David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development, said, “For far too long, too many people arriving in Canada have been funnelled toward dead-end jobs they’re overqualified for. We need to ensure these people can land well-paying and rewarding careers that help tackle the labour shortage. When newcomers to Ontario get a meaningful chance to contribute, everyone wins.”
OINP transitioning to My Ontario account
The OINP will change the manner in which representatives and applicants access the e-filing platform as of November 12, 2023.
Beginning on November 12, 2023, current applications and expressions of interest with the OINP must be migrated from an ONe Key account to a My Ontario account.
OINP will post instructions later on how to move the already existing OINP e-filing accounts.
