Being one of the most popular as well as populous provinces of Canada, Ontario is the most favored destination for immigrants. This province has not only the Canadian national capital city, Ottawa, but also the economic hub- Toronto. With its multicultural society and abundant natural resources, Ontario is the social, economic, and political axis of Canada. Given the number of job opportunities, high income, and high standards of living, Ontario attracts a very large number of immigrants- accounting for almost one-third of the total influx of immigrants. In such a scenario, getting a nomination from the Ontario province under Provincial Nomination Program is quite a thing. You need to score well on the CRS to become eligible for receiving a nomination under the Ontario PNP program. How to go about it?
What is PNP?
It is a pathway through which you can immigrate to Canada upon receiving a nomination from a Canadian province or territory. To receive such a nomination, you first need to apply to the PNP of the province or territory of your choice. If you meet the basic requirements in terms of skills, educational qualifications, work experience, and the economic or market needs of the given province/Canada, and if you score the necessary CRS points, the concerned province will process the application. Other than Quebec and Nunavut, various provinces like Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan have their PNP programs. Once the province issues the Provincial Nomination certificate, you can then apply for permanent residence in Canada.
What is the Ontario PNP Program?
Ontario PNP is also called the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). This allows Ontario to hire foreign nationals for working in the province. The final decision regarding this program is taken in collaboration with IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada). There are three categories under this PNP program-
| Employment Job Offer Category | Human Capital Category | Business Category |
| This has three sub-streams-Foreign Worker StreamInternational Student StreamIn-demand Skills Stream | The sub-streams under this category are-French-Speaking Skilled Worker StreamOntario’s Express Entry StreamHuman Capital Priorities StreamSkilled Trades StreamMasters Graduate StreamPh.D. Graduates Stream | This category has-Entrepreneur Stream |
Express Entry PR in Canada is a form of PNP stream through which the immigration applicants get almost assured Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in Canada. This is because, with Express Entry, an applicant can claim 600 additional Comprehensive Rankin System (CRS) points. This is an apparent guarantee for receiving the PR in the subsequent draw, where only the top-ranking candidates get the invitation to apply.
What Are The Basic Requirements for Applying to the Ontario PNP Program?
The basic requirements for Ontario PNP may differ as per the immigration program you are applying for. However, the basic requirements are-
- Meeting the educational requirements
- Having language proficiency
- CRS Scores as stipulated
- Having requisite work experience
- Having proof of requisite funds
- Having requisite investment resources.
What Are The CRS Scores?
CRS or Comprehensive Ranking System is a system of points used by the Canadian Immigration department to assess the applicant’s profile. This system takes into account education, skills, language abilities, work experience, and other factors as required by the concerned province. The CRS score should be above the minimum stipulations to become eligible for receiving invitations, especially for express entry PR Canada.
Under Express Entry, a total of 1200 points are available under the CRS. Various components and the maximum points one can score on them are as under-.
a) Without Accompanying Spouse/Common-Law Partner-
| Factor | Maximum points available |
| Core human capital factors | 500 |
| Skill transferability factors | 100 |
| Provincial nomination | 600 |
| A qualifying offer of arranged employment | 200 |
| Canadian study experience | 30 |
| French language ability, along with English language ability | 50 points extra |
| A sibling in Canada | 15 |
b) With Accompanying Spouse/Common-Law Partner-
| Factor | Maximum points available |
| Core human capital factors – for Principal Applicant | 460 |
| Core human capital factors– for spouse/common-law partner | 40 |
| Provincial nomination | 600 |
| A qualifying offer of arranged employment | 200 |
| Canadian study experience | 30 |
| French language ability, along with English language ability | 50 points extra |
| A sibling in Canada (only one sibling is considered for both the applicant and the spouse) | 15 |
Each PNP has its stipulations which they require so far as the CRS points are concerned. As of 2022, the cut-off CRS scores required by the Ontario PNP program was as follows-
| Draw Category | Sub-category | Score |
| Employer Job Offer | Foreign Worker stream | 37 and above |
| International Student stream | 62 and above | |
| Entrepreneur Stream | – | 147 and above |
| Express Entry | Human Capital Priorities stream | 455 and above |
| French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream | 459 and above | |
| Skilled Trades stream | 300 and above |
You can choose from various streams under the Ontario PNP program if you are planning to apply for immigration to Ontario. Which stream will suit you the best, that will depend on your profile, so you should be careful while choosing the stream. Ontario Province holds the draws fairly regularly. If you are planning to migrate to Ontario, Canada, start by assessing your CRS score.