Express Entry Program Extended to Ontario

Canada

The Ontario Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade has announced the opening of an Express Entry specific provincial nomination program to foreign nationals seeking permanent residence in Ontario.  The two newly-created streams will draw from the Express Entry pool, which require qualification under either the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Canadian Experience Class.

Creation of Two New Streams

Ontario has created two new streams for skilled workers to live and work permanently in Ontario. To qualify for the Human Capital Priorities Stream or the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream, candidates must meet certain work experience, education, language and financial criteria.  To be selected for the Human Capital Priorities stream, among other criteria, candidates must have a minimum score of 400 on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) in the Express Entry system. To be selected for the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream, among other criteria, candidates must have a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark level of seven in French and six in English.

Selection Notification

Those selected for either stream will receive a Notification of Interest through the MyCIC account, and will have 45 days to apply for a stream.  Once the candidate is notified of the nomination, they will have 30 days to accept the nomination. Once confirmed, the nominee will be eligible for 600 CRS points under the Express Entry system.

Provincial Nominee Program Remains Unchanged

The current streams under Ontario’s Provincial Nominee Program will not change as a result of Express Entry, and Express Entry will not affect the processing of existing applications to Ontario’s Provincial Nominee Program.

What This Means for Foreign Nationals

Eligible foreign nationals should benefit from the opening of the Express Entry specific provincial nomination program to Ontario, as it will allow more foreign nationals to permanently reside in Canada under the benefits of the program.

Interested applicants should contact their immigration professional to discuss eligibility criteria under the two new streams.

The alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].

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