Ontario provincial nominations reach limit

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program announced Monday that its 2015 base stream quota of 2,500 nominations has been exhausted.

What does the change mean? OINP will not issue any additional nominations under its base stream until Jan. 4, 2016; pending applications will not be finalized until 2016. Prescreened employer applications in the Foreign Worker and International Student with a Job Offer streams will continue to be accepted.

• Implementation time frame: Immediate and ongoing.
• Visas/permits affected: Permanent residence.
• Who is affected: Employers and foreign nationals applying for permanent residence through OINP’s base stream.
• Impact on processing times: Processing times for applications that were filed but not finalized before the quota was reached will be significantly delayed. These applications will not be finalized until 2016.
• Business impact: Businesses may need to adjust timelines and start dates given that applications will not be finalized or accepted until the new year.
• Next steps: Nominations in OINP’s base stream will resume Jan. 4.

Background: Citizenship and Immigration Canada sets annual provincial nomination targets, and placed Ontario’s quota for its base stream at 2,500 for 2015. That quota has been hit and Ontario will not issue further nominations in this stream until the new year. Prescreened employer applications in the Foreign Worker and International Student with a Job Offer streams will continue to be accepted, but applications that have not already been prescreened will be turned away.

BAL Analysis: This week’s announcement highlights the high level of demand OINP is facing. Nominations in the OINP’s base stream will come to a halt until 2016, and employers may need to adjust plans accordingly.

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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