OINP Foreign Worker Stream: Eligibility & Application Steps

The OINP Foreign Worker stream under the Employer Job Offer program provides foreign workers holding a job offer in a skilled occupation the opportunity to seek permanent residency in Ontario. To qualify, your job offer must fall under categories 0, 1, 2, or 3 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC), with the required Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER). This stream is accessible to foreign workers both within and outside of Canada.

Before applying for permanent residency nomination, you need to register in the OINP’s Expression of Interest System and await an invitation to apply. Once nominated, your subsequent step involves applying to the federal government through Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The final decision regarding permanent residency rests with IRCC.

Table of Contents

• Documents Needed for OINP Foreign Worker Stream
• Requirements for OINP Foreign Worker Stream
  • Job Offer Criteria
  • Applicant Requirements for OINP Foreign Worker Stream
  • Employer Requirements
  • Scoring Criteria for OINP Foreign Worker Stream
• OINP Foreign Worker Stream FAQS

Documents Needed for OINP Foreign Worker Stream

Before applying online for nomination by the Ontario government for permanent residence, you need to register in the OINP’s Expression of Interest System and wait to receive an invitation to apply.

When submitting your application to the Foreign Worker Stream OINP, it’s essential to scan and upload copies of the following required documents digitally:

•  Applicant consent form
•  Identity documents
•  Status documents in Canada
•  Employer documents
•  Job offer documents
•  Supporting documents for your work history
•  Resume
•  Expression of interest selection factors
•  Any other optional documents (if applicable)

Requirements for OINP Foreign Worker Stream

The applicant must fulfill the following requirements to be qualified for the Foreign Worker Stream OINP.

Job Offer Criteria 

To be eligible for the Foreign Worker stream OINP, your job offer in Ontario must meet the following criteria:

1. Full-time and Permanent

Your job offer must be for a full-time and permanent position, meaning

• A minimum of 1,560 hours annually and at least 30 hours of paid work per week.
• A job with no specified end date (indeterminate duration). Seasonal or contract-based job offers are not eligible. 
• Please be aware that your job offer will be deemed ineligible if it impacts the employment status of an individual engaged in a labour dispute.

2. Eligible Occupation

The offered position must be in a skilled occupation categorized under TEER classifications 0, 1, 2, or 3 within the National Occupational Classification (NOC).

3. Median Wage Level

The salary for the offered position must meet or exceed the median wage level for that occupation in the specific Ontario region where you will work. You can find the median wage on the Job Bank website by searching for the occupation title and NOC code, and then filtering by location.

If the wage for the applicant’s employment region is unavailable, the Ontario wage should be used. If you are currently employed in the same position, the job offer wage must match or exceed your current wage, in addition to meeting or exceeding the median wage level.

4. Urgency to Employer’s Business

The offered position must be urgent for your employer’s business, aligning with their existing activities and essential for maintaining or expanding ongoing business operations.

5. Work Based in Ontario

The primary work under the job offer must take place in Ontario.

Note for Physicians and Self-Employed Professionals: Self-employed individuals, such as physicians, are not qualified for the OINP Employer Job Offer streams. They may be eligible under the OINP’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream.

Applicant Requirements for OINP Foreign Worker Stream

Upon receiving an invitation to apply, you may proceed with applying to the OINP Employer Job Offer Foreign Worker Stream. For the approval of your application, you must fulfill all requirements detailed below. 

1. Expression of Interest and Invitation to Apply

You must have received an invitation to apply and submitted your application within the specified deadline.

2. Valid License or Other Authorization

If your job offer requires a mandatory license or authorization in Ontario, you must have a valid license or authorization from the regulatory body responsible, in Ontario at the time of application.

3. Intention to Live in Ontario

You must demonstrate your intention to reside in Ontario evaluated through various ties to Ontario, including but not limited to:

• Employment history or job offers in Ontario.
• Educational pursuits or involvement in job applications or interviews.
• Volunteering, property ownership or leasing, regular visits, and professional or personal affiliations.

4. Legal Status in Canada

If applying from within Canada, you must have a legal status (a visitor record, study permit, or work permit) at the time of application and maintain this status until nomination.

5. Work Experience or License or Other Authorization

Depending on the position of the job offer, you must fulfill one of the following requirements:

• If your job offer pertains to an occupation mandating a valid license or authorization in Ontario, you must hold such a license or authorization from the appropriate regulatory body in Ontario at the time of application submission.
• If your job offer doesn’t necessitate a mandatory license or authorization in Ontario, you must showcase work experience in the same occupation as the NOC code of your job offer.

   The work experience must:

• Have a minimum of two years of paid full-time employment (or its equivalent in paid part-time work) within the identical occupation (matching the same National Occupational Classification code) as your job offer.
• This work experience must have been acquired within the five years preceding the date of your application submission, not the date of receiving the invitation to apply.
• For Canadian work experience, you must have legally resided and worked in Canada.
• Cumulative work experience entails adding up to two years, without the requirement for continuous employment.
• Full-time work experience involves working in a position entailing a minimum of 30 hours of paid work weekly, totalling at least 3,120 hours of paid work over two years.
• Part-time equivalent work experience includes:
  • Working in one job for at least 15 hours of paid work weekly, totalling at least 3,120 hours of paid work over four years.
  • Working in multiple jobs for at least 30 hours of paid work weekly, for two years, totalling at least 3,120 hours of paid work within those two years.

Employer Requirements

To be eligible for the OINP Employer Job Offer Foreign Worker Stream, your employer in Ontario must meet the following criteria:

1. General Requirements

 The employer must:

• Have operated in active business for at least three years before your application submission.
• Possess business premises in Ontario where you’ll work.
• Do not have any unresolved orders under the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000, or the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• Demonstrate efforts to recruit a Canadian citizen or permanent resident before offering you the position, if you’re residing outside Canada or working outside Ontario.

2. Revenue Requirements

The employer’s business must meet revenue criteria:

• Minimum CAD 1,000,000 in total gross annual revenue for locations in the Greater Toronto Area.
• Minimum CAD 500,000 in total gross annual revenue for locations outside the Greater Toronto Area.

3. Full-time Employee Requirements

The employer’s business must have:

• At least five full-time Canadian citizens or permanent resident employees at the location where you’ll work, if in the Greater Toronto Area.
• At least three full-time Canadian citizen or permanent resident employees at the location where you’ll work, if outside the Greater Toronto Area.

4. Employer Form

Your employer must complete and sign an Employer Form, which you’ll then upload with your application.

Scoring Criteria for OINP Foreign Worker Stream

Upon registering an expression of interest in the OINP Employer Job Offer Foreign Worker Stream, points will be allocated based on the following factors. If you receive an invitation to apply, you must provide specific documents for each scoring factor for which you received points. You are required to satisfy all criteria for this stream and include mandatory documents with your application.

Job offer: NOC TEER Category

This criterion evaluates the job offer based on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER category in the following way.

Job offer: NOC Broad Occupational Category

This criterion assesses the job offer according to the NOC’s broad occupational category in the following manner.

Wage Per Hour

This criterion evaluates the proposed wage rate for the job offer and gives out points in this manner:

Work Permit Status

• With a valid work permit: 10 points
• Without a valid work permit: 0 points

Job Tenure 

• Working in a job offer position for 6 months or more: 3 points
• Working in a job offer position or not currently working in a position for less than 6 months: 0 points

Earnings in Canada in a Year

Taken from a Notice of Assessment provided by the Canada Revenue Agency within the past five years.

• More than or equal to CAD 40,000: 3 points
• Less than CAD 40,000: 0 points

Language

This criterion assesses the applicant’s language proficiency, which is a crucial factor for successful integration into the Ontario workforce. You may get points under this factor in this manner:

Location of Job Offer

• Northern Ontario: 10 points
• Other areas outside GTA (excluding Northern Ontario): 8 points
• Inside GTA (except Toronto): 3 points
• Toronto: 0 points

In summary, the OINP Foreign Worker stream offers skilled foreign workers with job offers in Ontario the pathway to seek permanent residency. Applicants must meet specific criteria regarding job offer details, work experience, and ties to Ontario. The application process involves registration, nomination, and final decision by IRCC. Candidates must ensure compliance with all requirements for a successful application.

OINP Foreign Worker Stream FAQs

Q. What is the OINP Foreign Worker Stream?
A. The OINP Foreign Worker Stream aims to give permanent residence to a pool of highly skilled foreign workers, to address their labour shortage in the province. This program is designed to evaluate the qualifications and capabilities of foreign workers, ensuring their potential contribution to the Ontario economy.

Q. What is the OINP Foreign Worker Stream processing time?
A. The OINP Foreign Worker Stream processing time is 120 to 150 days.

Q. What is the cost to apply for the OINP Foreign Worker Stream?
A. There is no cost to apply for the OINP Foreign Worker Stream.

Q. What documents are required for the Foreign Worker Stream?
A. The documents needed for the Foreign Worker Stream include an applicant consent form, identity documents, status documents in Canada, employer documents, job offer documents, supporting documents for work history, resume, expression of interest selection factors, and any other optional documents if applicable.

Q. Do I need a full-time job offer in Ontario for the Foreign Worker Stream?
A. Yes, you need a full-time job offer in Ontario for the Foreign Worker Stream.

Also read-

• OINP International Student Stream: Eligibility & More
• Ontario PNP PhD Graduate Stream- Check Details Here
• OINP Masters Graduate Stream- Eligibility and More
• OINP In-Demand Skills Stream: Eligibility & More
• Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream