OINP Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream

Farida, a 23-year-old Egyptian student, recently completed her studies at Fanshawe College, Ontario. Holding her degree, she now appreciates Canadian life. At a crucial point, she got a job offer locally. This sparked dreams of living in Canada permanently. She is considering immigrating via the OINP Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream. This path aligns with her goals. Exploring the application details, Farida feels hopeful about her future in Ontario. She looks forward to contributing to the community that embraced her.

What is the OINP International Student Stream?

The OINP International Student Stream allows international students with job offers in high-skilled occupations to apply for permanent residency in Ontario. Of course, high-skilled means NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, and 3 jobs. Applicants must first register with the OINP’s Expression of Interest System (EOI). Subsequently, they must receive an invitation to apply (ITA). After applying online and being nominated by Ontario, the final step is applying to IRCC. Of course, the last step is to become a permanent resident in Canada.

Note: If you are a Master’s or PhD graduate in Ontario, you could qualify for the special streams for these two groups.

The job offer requirements for the OINP International Student Stream

To qualify for the OINP Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream, your job offer in Ontario must meet these criteria:

• Full-time and Permanent: The job must be full-time (minimum 1,560 hours/year and 30 hours/week) and permanent (no end date, not seasonal or contract-based).
• Eligible Occupation: The job must be high-skilled at TEER Category 0, 1, 2, or 3 of the NOC.
• Low Wage Level: Pay must meet or exceed the low wage level for that occupation in the region of Ontario where you will work. Of course, Job Bank is the authority for wage calculations. The job offer wage must equal or exceed the current salary. Moreover, it must meet or exceed the low wage level for those already in the position.
• Position Urgently Necessary: The job must be necessary to the employer’s business. Regardless, it must align with existing business activities and the need for ongoing activity.
• Work Based in Ontario: The work must occur primarily in Ontario. Furthermore, you or your family members can only hold less than 10% equity in the employer’s business.

Note: Self-employed professionals, including physicians, are not eligible but may qualify under the Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream. Moreover, I have published another article that explains job offer requirements in more detail.

The Employer Requirements

I have published another article that explains the employer requirements. Regardless, here is a brief list of requirements.

• General Requirements: Employer must have been active for 3+ years and have premises in Ontario. Furthermore, they must have no outstanding orders under Ontario’s employment laws.
• Revenue Requirements: The business must have a minimum revenue of $1M in the Greater Toronto Area or $500K outside GTA. Moreover, they must meet this criterion in the past two fiscal years.
• Location Reporting: For multiple work locations, ‘report to work’ refers to the location of the supervisor or administrative office.
• Full-time Employee Requirements: The employer must have five full-time Canadian citizens or permanent residents in the Greater Toronto Area. However, for outside GTA, the minimum is three employees.
• Definition of Full-time Employee: An employee working at least 30 hours per week.
• Employer Form: The employer must fill, sign, and provide the Employer Form for the applicant’s application. Moreover, they must be willing and ready to provide supporting documents.

The candidate requirements for the OINP International Student Stream

Applicants for the OINP Employer Job Offer: International Student stream must meet these requirements. Of course, these could change in the future. So, consider booking a consultation session for official immigration advice.

• Expression of Interest & Invitation: OINP must issue them an invitation to apply. Furthermore, they must demonstrate the qualifications claimed in the expression of interest.
• Education: They must have a degree or diploma from an eligible Canadian institution, requiring a two-year or more full-time study. However, they may also apply if they receive a one-year college or university graduate certificate from an eligible Ontario institution.
• License (If Applicable): The candidate must hold a valid license or authorization for jobs requiring a license in Ontario.
• Intention to Live in Ontario: The applicant must intend to live in Ontario. Of course, they may demonstrate this matter by ties like working, studying, volunteering, property ownership or having family and personal relationships in Ontario.
• Legal Status in Canada (If Applicable): If applying within Canada, must have legal status. Consequently, people with unauthorized status in Canada may not apply. Of course, this condition does not apply to candidates outside Canada.
• Application Period: The applicants must apply within two years of completing the educational credential. This means that their graduation date must be less than two years under any of the following circumstances: (1) Submitting the Expression of Interest, (2) Receiving an ITA, and (3) Submitting their complete application to OINP. However, this condition does not apply when OINP issues their Nomination letter or when they submit their PR application.

Scoring factors for this program

The following scoring factors apply to the OINP International Student Stream. I have taken these scoring points verbatim from the OINP website. However, these could change in the future. Consequently, book a consultation session for an official assessment.

Employment/labour market factors – up to 46 points

Job offer: NOC TEER category

• NOC TEER 0 or 1 – 10 Points
• NOC TEER 2 or 3 – 8 Points
• NOC TEER 4 – 0 Points
• NOC TEER 5 – 0 Points

Job offer:
NOC broad occupational category

• Occupational Category 0, 2, 3, – 10 points
• Occupational Category 7 – 7 points
• Occupational Category 1, 9 – 5 points
• Occupational Category 4, 8 – 4 points
• Occupational Category 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 or study permit status

• With valid work or study permit – 10 points
• Without valid work or study permit – 0 points

The work or study permit must confer legal status.

Job tenure with job offer employer

• Six months or more working in a job offer position – 3 points
• Less than six months working in job offer position or not currently working in position – 0 points

The work in the job offer position must have occurred within Ontario.

Earnings history

Based on a Notice of Assessment issued by the Canada Revenue Agency in the last five years.

• $40k or more earnings in a year – 3 points
• Less than $40k earnings in a year – 0 points

Education – up to 32 points

Highest level of education

Canadian credential or Educational Credential Assessment required.

• PhD – 10 points
• Masters – 8 points
• Bachelors or equivalent – 6 points
• College diploma or trade certificate – 5 points
• Less than college or trade certificate – 0 points

Field of study

Canadian credential required.

• STEM/Health (Engineering, Health, Math, Computer Science) and Trades (agriculture and natural resources operations and management, mechanics and repair, architecture, construction and precision production) – 12 points
• Business and administration, social, legal, education, behavioural science, personal, security and transport services, social work and related programs – 6 points
• Arts and humanities, BHASE programs, n.e.c – 0 points

Canadian education experience

Credential must be for a degree or diploma program from a Canadian public institution that takes at least two years to complete on a full-time basis or for a degree, diploma or certificate program from a Canadian public institution that takes at least one year to complete on a full-time basis and requires a degree as an admission requirement.

• More than one Canadian credential – 10 points
• One Canadian credential – 5 points

Language – up to 20 points

Official language ability

• CLB 9 or higher – 10 points
• CLB 8 – 6 points
• CLB 7 – 4 points
• CLB 6 or lower – 0 points

Knowledge of official languages

• 2 Official Languages – 10 points
• 1 Official Language – 5 points

Regionalization – up to 20 points

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

Regional immigration: location of study (where you physically attended classes)

• Northern Ontario – 10 points
• Other areas outside GTA (except Northern Ontario) – 8 points
• Inside GTA (except Toronto) – 3 points
• Toronto – 0 points
• Credential was completed without physically attending (in-person) classes – 0 points

For Regionalization scoring factors, the regions are defined as follows:

• Northern Ontario – includes the following Census Divisions: Muskoka Haliburton, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Manitoulin, Sudbury, Greater Sudbury/Grand Sudbury, Timiskaming, Cochrane, Algoma, Thunder Bay, Rainy River and Kenora
• Other areas outside of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), except Northern Ontario – include all Ontario regions except those listed as part of Toronto, the Greater Toronto Area and Northern Ontario.
• Greater Toronto Area (except Toronto) – includes the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel and York.
• Toronto – includes the City of Toronto

Maximum score – 118 points

The closer you get to the maximum score, the higher your chances of receiving an ITA. However, consider the following:

• OINP limits some of the invitations to specific NOC codes.
• Most invitations are for healthcare, tech, and skilled trades occupations.
• It is unlikely you have a chance if your score is less than 60 points. Of course, nobody can predict the future.

Past invitations for OINP International Student Stream

The following table could give you an idea about the frequency of invitations and the minimum scores. However, OINP’s past behaviour does not necessarily reflect its future invitations.

Let us help!

Book a consultation session if you would like to apply under the OINP International Student Stream or other programs. I’ll review your circumstances and recommend the best province and stream. However, if you face immigration or visa issues, please complete the following form.