Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program to re-open for 2017

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program will reopen Feb. 20 and begin accepting applications for three popular streams under the program – International Masters Graduate Stream, International PhD Graduate Stream and Ontario Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream.

What does the change mean? Applications will be accepted online only and the government will monitor the volume of applications and periodically put them on pause and reopen the streams throughout the year in order to maintain efficiency in processing.

• Implementation time frame: Feb. 20.
• Visas/permits affected: Permanent residency under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program.
• Who is affected: Eligible applicants in the three streams under the program.  
• Impact on processing: The program is moving to a paperless system this year that will make it easier to apply and improve processing times.
• Business impact: Employers have filled over 3,500 job vacancies through the OINP between 2007 and 2015, with about one-quarter of the 2016 nominees working in tech jobs.

Background: The three streams of the OINP have been on pause since last May when it reached its annual quota of 5,500. The federal government has increased the province’s 2017 quota by 500 for a total of 6,000.

BAL Analysis: The re-opening of the program is positive news for eligible candidates. Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as the annual quotas are often filled quickly.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Canada. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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