Each Canadian province is entitled to issue a certain number of provincial nominations to support permanent residency applications each year. Ontario's allocation for 2021 was recently released.

The federal government has granted Ontario the authority to issue 8,350 nominations, plus an additional 250 for temporary foreign workers working in occupations with a National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level C. These jobs typically necessitate a high school diploma or specific job training.

In comparison, despite closed borders and other COVID-related service disruptions, Ontario nominated 8,054 principal applicants in 2020. In 2019, Ontario received 7,391 nominations. That year, Ontario's Immigration Minister, Vic Fedeli, lobbied the federal government for a total of 13,300 nominations by 2022.

Already, 2021 is shaping up to be a watershed moment for the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). The OINP launched an Expression of Interest (EOI) system for programs in its Employer Job Offer Category this year. This means that immigration candidates can apply at any time for a provincial nomination through its Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), which do not accept candidates from the Express Entry system.

Immigrate to Ontario through the PNP

The province of Ontario is the most popular destination for new immigrants. As a result, there are a variety of immigration programs available to people who want to make Ontario their permanent residence.

PNPs were created to allow provinces to support the specific needs of their region's economy. As a result, many PNP immigrants succeed in Ontario's labor market, often landing jobs within their first year of arrival. According to a Statistics Canada study, PNP candidates perform well in part because many of them have prior Canadian experience.

The best immigration program for you will be determined by your circumstances. Some Ontario PNPs, such as the Human Capital Priorities Stream, allow you to apply without ever having set foot in Canada. Others, such as the Masters Graduate stream, require you to have a job offer or at least domestic education.

PNPs are classified into two types. Base PNPs, such as the Employer Job Offer Category, function autonomously within the province. Candidates who have submitted profiles to the Express Entry system are invited to participate in Enhanced PNPs, such as the Ontario Express Entry Streams.

A provincial nomination does not imply permanent residence. It may, however, be able to assist your application. Final decisions on immigration applications can only be made by the federal government.

Express Entry and Ontario

To immigrate to Ontario, you do not need to apply for a PNP. You can apply directly to the federal government using the Express Entry system. It was created to expedite immigration applications and assist Canada in selecting the best candidates to become permanent residents and thrive in the labor market.

You must be eligible for one of the three Federal High Skilled programs to apply through Express Entry: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, or the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

After registering your profile in the pool and uploading all of your documents, you will be assigned a score based on your age, skilled work experience, education, language ability, and other factors.

Through regular Express Entry draws, the top-scoring candidates are invited to apply for permanent residence.