In-Demand Skills Stream under the OINP programs

Johanna is a citizen of Finland who recently moved to Canada. Her partner is studying at a university, and she holds an open work permit. Johanna is currently working for a greenhouse in Leamington, Ontario. Consequently, she hopes to immigrate to Canada under the OINP In-Demand Skills Stream. Johanna wonders if she qualifies and how she needs to proceed.

What is OINP?

Before exploring OINP for In-Demand Skills, it’s critical to understand Ontario’s unique features. Ontario hosts the bustling hub of Toronto and serene areas like Muskoka and Niagara Falls. The province is crucial for Canada’s industrial and tech growth, being a hub of innovation with many universities and research centers. Its landscapes vary from the rich farmlands in the south to the rugged terrains of the Canadian Shield in the north. Ontario has a rich cultural mix, enriched by its Indigenous communities and a history of immigration. It’s a welcoming place for newcomers. The province seeks to attract skilled professionals through programs like OINP to boost its economy and maintain cultural diversity.

While many federal immigrants choose to settle in Ontario, the province also provides its immigration pathways through the Provincial Nominee Program, known as the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program or OINP. The OINP currently offers the following streams:

• Non-Express Entry
  • Employer Job Offer:
    • Foreign Worker Stream
    • International Student Stream
    • In-Demand Skills Stream
  • Post Graduate:
    • Masters Graduate Stream
    • Ph.D. Graduate Stream
  • Entrepreneur Stream
• Express Entry:
  • Human Capital Priorities Stream
  • Skilled Trades Stream
  • French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream

Keep in mind this list is subject to change.

Applicant Requirements for In-Demand Skills Stream

To qualify for this stream, the applicant must meet the following eligibility requirements. Of course, these are the bare minimums.

• Expression of Interest and Application:
  • Must have received and responded to the invitation to apply within the specified deadline.
  • Ensure qualifications claimed during expression of interest are substantiated.
• Work Experience:
  • Minimum nine months of paid full-time work (or part-time equivalent) in Ontario in an in-demand occupation within three years before application, not invitation date.
  • Cumulative work experience with at least 1,200 hours over 9 or 18 months, depending on full-time or part-time.
  • Self-employed individuals need verifiable employment documentation with quantifiable hours.
• Licence or Authorization:
  • If applicable, hold a valid licence or authorization from the relevant Ontario regulatory body.
• Language Proficiency:
  • CLB level 4 or higher in English or French.
  • Language test results should be less than two years old at application submission.
• Education:
  • Canadian high school diploma or its equivalent.
  • If educated outside Canada, provide an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report, not older than five years, from designated organizations.
• Intention to Reside in Ontario:
  • Proven ties to Ontario to ensure intention to live in the province post-permanent residence grant.
• Legal Status in Canada (if applicable):
  • Maintain legal status in Canada (if applying from within) until nomination, including during ‘maintained status‘ if renewing/extending temporary status document.

List of eligible jobs

The following lists show the eligible occupations for the OINP In-Demand Skills Stream. However, these lists are subject to change. Moreover, I have included the NOC codes and a link to the official NOC website for your convenience. All these jobs fall under TEER 4 and 5 (low-skilled) occupations.

Occupations that could occur everywhere in Ontario

• 44101 – Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations
• 65202 – Meat cutters and fishmongers – retail and wholesale
• 75110 – Construction trades helpers and labourers
• 84120 – Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators
• 85100 – Livestock labourers
• 85101 – Harvesting labourers
• 85103 – Nursery and greenhouse labourers
• 94141 – Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
• 75119 – Other trades helpers and labourers (added on July 4, 2024)

Occupations that must be outside the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

These occupations must occur outside GTA or the City of Toronto, Durham, Halton, York and Peel regions. Of course, OINP could change the eligible regions and jobs.

• 94100 – Machine operators, mineral and metal processing
• 94105 – Metalworking and forging machine operators
• 94106 – Machining tool operators
• 94107 – Machine operators of other metal products
• 94110 – Chemical plant machine operators
• 94111 – Plastics processing machine operators
• 94124 – Woodworking machine operators
• 94132 – Industrial sewing machine operators
• 94140 – Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing
• 94201 – Electronics assemblers, fabricators, inspectors and testers
• 94204 – Mechanical assemblers and inspectors
• 94213 – Industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing process operators
• 94219 – Other products assemblers, finishers and inspectors
• 95102 – Labourers in chemical products processing and utilities
• OINP added the following NOC codes to this list on July 4, 2024:
  • 14400 – Shippers and Receivers
  • 14402 – Production logistics workers
  • 65320 – Dry cleaning, laundry and related occupations
  • 74200 – Railway yard and track maintenance workers
  • 74203 – Automotive and heavy truck and equipment parts installers and servicers
  • 74204 – Utility maintenance workers
  • 74205 – Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers
  • 75101 – Material handlers
  • 75119 – Other trades helpers and labourers
  • 75211 – Railway and motor transport labourers
  • 75212 – Public works and maintenance labourers
  • 85102 – Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers
  • 94101 – Foundry workers
  • 94102 – Glass forming and finishing machine operators and glass cutters
  • 94103 – Concrete, clay and stone forming operators
  • 94104 – Inspectors and testers, mineral and metal processing
  • 94112 – Rubber processing machine operators and related workers
  • 94120 – Sawmill machine operators
  • 94121 – Pulp mill, papermaking and finishing machine operators
  • 94123 – Lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders
  • 94142 – Fish and seafood plant workers
  • 94143 – Testers and graders, food and beverage processing
  • 94200 – Motor vehicle assemblers, inspectors and testers
  • 94202 – Assemblers and inspectors, electrical appliance, apparatus and equipment manufacturing
  • 94203 – Assemblers, fabricators and inspectors, industrial electrical motors and transformers
  • 94205 – Machine operators and inspectors, electrical apparatus manufacturing
  • 94211 – Assemblers and inspectors of other wood products
  • 94212 – Plastic products assemblers, finishers and inspectors
  • 95100 – Labourers in mineral and metal processing
  • 95101 – Labourers in metal fabrication
  • 95103 – Labourers in wood, pulp and paper processing
  • 95104 – Labourers in rubber and plastic products manufacturing
  • 95106 – Labourers in food and beverage processing
  • 95107 – Labourers in fish and seafood processing

Job Offer Requirements for In-Demand Skills Stream

This program relies on a job offer. The employer doesn’t need to receive a positive LMIA. However, the offer must meet the following requirements. Moreover, don’t forget to look at the list of eligible jobs.

• Job Offer Validity:
  • The job offer should be effective from the nomination date if already employed or from the date of obtaining a work permit and starting the job if not.
  • The employer must adhere to job offer terms and pay the approved wage once work begins.
• Employment Type:
  • Offer must be for a full-time and permanent position, with a minimum of 1,560 hours a year and 30 hours per week.
  • Permanent implies no end date; seasonal or contract-based offers are ineligible.
• Occupation Eligibility:
  • Position can be anywhere in Ontario, but specific jobs outside the Greater Toronto Area have distinct eligible occupations.
• Wage Requirements:
  • Pay must meet or exceed the prevailing wage for the occupation in the specific region of Ontario.
  • Wage calculation for salaried employees provided, excluding bonuses, commissions, and non-financial compensation.
• Position Relevance:
  • Job offers should be urgently necessary to the employer’s business, aligning with existing business activities and crucial for maintaining or growing the business.
• Work Location:
  • Work must primarily occur in Ontario.
  • Equity holding in an employer’s business is restricted to less than 10% and should have been part of the remuneration package as an employee.

The employer’s requirements for In-Demand Skills Stream

When you receive a job offer, ensure the employer meets the following requirements. Of course, they must sign the necessary letters and job offer forms.

• General Requirements:
  • Employer must have been actively in business for at least three years before application submission.
  • Must have business premises in Ontario where the applicant will work.
  • No outstanding orders under the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 or the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
  • Efforts must have been made to recruit a Canadian citizen or permanent resident before offering the position unless certain conditions apply (e.g., the applicant has a valid work permit in Ontario or a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment).
• Revenue Requirements:
  • Gross annual revenue must be at least $1,000,000 for jobs in the Greater Toronto Area or at least $500,000 for employment outside the Greater Toronto Area.
• Full-Time Employee Requirements:
  • For jobs in the Greater Toronto Area: At least five full-time employees are Canadian citizens or permanent residents at the location where the applicant will work or report to work.
  • For jobs outside the Greater Toronto Area: At least three full-time employees who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents at the location where the applicant will work or report to work.
  • A full-time employee is defined as one working a minimum of 30 hours per week.
• Employer Form Submission:
  • Employer must fill out, sign, and provide the applicant with an Employer Form for the application.
  • Additional supporting documents might be requested to validate the information in the Employer Form during application assessment.

The Scoring System

OINP uses the following scoring regime for the In-Demand Skills Stream. Of course, the scoring criteria could change in the future.

• Employment / Labour Market Factors:
  • Job Offer by Occupational Category:
    • Categories 0,2,3: 10 points
    • Category 7: 7 points
    • Categories 1,9: 5 points
    • Categories 4,8: 4 points
    • Categories 5,6: 3 points
  • Job Offer Wage:
    • $40 per hour or higher: 10 points
    • $35 to $39.99 per hour: 8 points
    • $30 to $34.99 per hour: 7 points
    • $25 to $29.99 per hour: 6 points
    • $20 to $24.99 per hour: 5 points
    • Less than $20 per hour: 0 points
  • Work Permit Status:
    • With a valid work permit: 10 points
    • Without a valid work permit: 0 points
  • Job Tenure with Job Offer Employer:
    • Six months or more in job offer position: 3 points
    • Less than six months or not currently in place: 0 points
  • Canadian Work Experience (Earnings History):
    • $40k or more earnings in a year: 3 points
    • Less than $40k earnings in a year: 0 points
• Regionalization:
  • Regional Immigration (Location of Job Offer):
    • Northern Ontario: 10 points
    • Other areas outside GTA (except Northern Ontario): 8 points
    • Inside GTA (except Toronto): 3 points
    • Toronto: 0 points

The invitations

The following table shows you a list of invitations OINP has made under this group. Of course, I am publishing this information to give you an idea about the required scores and the potential frequency of invitations. Nonetheless, nobody can predict the future.

Let us help!

Whether you are applying for OINP and have experience in health occupations or if you choose another option, we are there for you. Thus, please fill out our assessment form or book a consultation session. However, if you face immigration issues, fill out the following form.