Human Capital Priorities Stream: a chance to permanently live in Ontario

Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities is an immigration stream under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). It basically gives foreign skilled workers the opportunity to apply to permanently live and work in Ontario. Of course, these workers must have the required skilled work experience, language abilities, and education.

The requirements for the Human Capital Priorities stream will vary according to the category in which you wish to be evaluated. However, you may consider exploring the requirements since this could be a great alternative for:

• people who have been working in Ontario for a year (including self-employed),
• candidates under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and also
• candidates under the Canadian Experience Class.

Before going through the requirements, let’s explore how the Human Capital Priorities category works.

1. About the Human Capital Priorities Category
2. Minimum Eligibility Requirements
3. Work Experience
4. Application Process
5. Human Capital Priorities Draws
6. Let us Help

About the Human Capital Priorities Category

In order to apply, candidates must have a valid profile in IRCC’s Federal Express Entry system. Also, they must qualify under either the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). It is important to note that candidates may not apply directly to this stream. Instead, they must first receive a Notification of Interest from the OINP.

The OINP searches the federal Express Entry pool for potential candidates who:

• Meet the stream’s minimum CRS in IRCC’s Express Entry system (there is no minimum CRS established for this category.); and also,
• Meet the criteria of Ontario’s Human Capital Priorities Stream.

Now, let’s explore the following eligibility requirements.

Minimum Eligibility Requirements

The minimum requirements to be eligible under the Ontario Human Capital Priorities Stream are:

• Have a profile under the Federal Express Entry system, and be qualified for either the FSWP or the CEC.
• Have obtained a minimum CRS score under the Express Entry system as determined by the director;
• Also, you must hold a minimum of 1-year of full-time (or full-time equivalent) work experience under NOC occupation level 0, A, or B.
• Have a Canadian Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. degree. You can also have an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report produced by a designated organization indicating that the foreign education credential is equivalent to a Canadian Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D.
• Furthermore, you must show language proficiency of minimum CLB/NCLC level 7 (or above) in English or in French.
• In addition, you must show that you intend to reside in Ontario, by providing documentation to demonstrate ties to the province.
• Residing with legal status in Canada, if applicable.
• Moreover, you need proof of required settlement funds, such as bank statements, annual earnings from ongoing employment in Ontario, and/or a job offer in Ontario.

Furthermore, the required settlement funds must be equal to or greater than the sums listed for each family size. It is also important to note that requirements for settlement funds are updated annually.

Work Experience:

Requirements for Federal Skilled Worker Program

Under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you must have:

• At least one year of continuous paid full-time work experience (or the equivalent in paid part-time work) in Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC). Please be aware that continuous means no breaks in employment over a one-year period.
• Your work experience must also have been: obtained within the last five years from the date of submitting your application to the OINP. Or in the same primary occupation as you identified in your Express Entry profile

Note: Work experience may consist of back-to-back jobs with the same or different employer(s) (with no gap in between), but at least one year must be in the same NOC occupation as your primary NOC declared in your Express Entry profile.

In addition, you can also use periods of self-employment, but then you will need to provide employment documentation that is independently verifiable through third parties, as well as evidence of ongoing payments for the services provided (e.g. invoices).

Please notice that candidates applying through the FSWP must meet the pass mark of 67 points based on IRCC’s Federal Skilled Worker selection factors: language skills, education, work experience, age, arranged employment in Canada, and adaptability.

Requirements for Canadian Experience Class

Under the Canadian Experience Class, you must have:

• At least one year of cumulative paid full-time work experience (or the equivalent in paid part-time work) in Canada in Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the NOC. Be aware that cumulative means the work you’ve done must add up to one year – it does not have to be one year of continuous work.
• Moreover, your work experience must have been:
  • obtained within the last three years from the date of submitting your application to the OINP
  • in one or more of the occupations that you identified in your Express Entry profile
  • in Canada, while maintaining legal status in Canada

Note: Paid work experience gained while studying full-time at a post-secondary institution. For example, on a co-op work term and self-employment are not eligible under the CEC.

<<Also Read: Comparing Express Entry programs>>

Under both programs:

• your work experience must have been obtained over a period of at least one year. However, work experience totalling 1,560 hours obtained in less than one year period does not qualify.
  • Be aware that full-time work experience means working in a job with at least 30 hours of paid work in a week that amounts to at least 1,560 hours of paid work in one year
• part-time equivalent work experience means:
  • working in one job for at least 15 hours per week, for two years that amounts to at least 1,560 hours in that two-year period, or
  • working in more than one job for at least 30 hours per week, for one year, amounts to at least 1,560 hours of paid work in that one year period
• also, if your work experience was obtained in Ontario in an occupation that requires a licence or other authorization, only work experience acquired after becoming qualified to practice that occupation in Ontario will qualify
• in addition, volunteer work and unpaid internships do not count as work experience

Note: Vacation periods, regular sick leave, and other standard paid leave entitlements as provided for in collective agreements are not considered interruptions to full-time employment. However, extended leaves are considered interruptions to full-time employment and are not to be included in the calculation of work experience.

Human Capital Priorities Application Process

• In order to apply, applicants must have received a NOI from Ontario through their Express Entry profile. A NOI is valid for 45 calendar days, which means that an application to the OINP must be submitted within 45 days.
• Once you receive a NOI from the OINP, you must apply to the OINP under the Human Capital Priorities Stream.
• If nominated, you will obtain a Nomination Approval Letter and an OINP Certificate of Nomination by email. of course, candidates have 30 calendar days to accept the nomination in the Express Entry system.
• If a nomination is accepted, Express Entry candidates are awarded an additional 600 CRS points and an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence at a future draw from the pool.
• Then you have to submit an application for Canadian permanent residence to IRCC within 60 days of receiving the ITA.

Human Capital Priorities Draws

OINP issues NOIs on a regular basis under the Human Capital Priorities Stream. Of course, this means that your options to be nominated are higher.

Draw: date of announcement	Number of invitations issued
February 8, 2022	622
January 12, 2022	502
October 27, 2021	1,408
October 6, 2021	486
July 27, 2021	1,031
June 23, 2021	583
April 13, 2021	456
March 2, 2021	754
February 16, 2021	1,186
February 2, 2021	283

Let us Help

If you have a general question about this stream, please fill out the following form. However, if the question is case-specific, we’ll advise you to book a consultation session. You may also fill out our assessment form.

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