Ontario Provincial Nominee Program - Overview
So you want to apply for Canadian Permanent residence under Ontario's Provincial Nominee Program? To be eligible to apply as a foreign worker, you must demonstrate that you qualify for the approved position by showing:
That you have worked in your intended occupation for at least two years, within the past five years. You will also need to show proof of professional registration in Ontario, if the position that you are applying for is a regulated one.
For work experience obtained in Canada, Opportunities Ontario will accept full-time work experience that is verifiable, relevant, paid and obtained with proper work authorization from Citizenship and Immigration Canada within the most recent five years.
A central issue in most Provincial Nominee applications is whether you have a valid, bona fide offer of a permanent full-time job in one of the skilled occupation (NOC 0, A or B). In order to prevent abuses of the system and to protect Ontario workers from unfair job competition, your proposed salary has to be in keeping with your qualifications and relevant market wages.
If you are in Canada at the time of your application, you will have to show proof of legal immigration status. Similarly, if you had worked in your field for the last couple of years without a proper permit, or if you did not receive wages for your effort, you will not be able to use this experience to apply under the Provincial Nominee category. In this context, volunteering really does not pay.
The employer's approval letter, Joint Verification form signed by their prospective employer, and Pre-screen Position form are some of the forms that will determine your eligibility under the Provincial Nominee Class. Following the approval of the Employer Pre-Screen Application Form by Opportunities Ontario, your prospective employer should send you the employer's approval letter, Joint Verification form and Pre-screen Position form. With these in hand, you can proceed to fill out the rest of the application forms and collect the supporting documents to show that you meet Opportunities Ontario eligibility criteria and to confirm your identity, family situation and work experience.
Notable amongst the supporting documents are the proof of membership in a regulated occupations (if applicable) and reference letters attesting to a minimum of two years of experience in the previous five years for your intended occupation.
Once your employer receives Employer Pre-screen Approved Position, you will need to move fast in collecting the relevant documentation and putting your application package together, as you only have 60 days to submit a completed application to Opportunities Ontario. While a 30-day extension may be requested by either you or your employer, this is not advisable, as the extensions are discretionary and their approval far from certain. As a practical matter, you should start collecting your supporting documentation well in advance of your deadlines to ensure the most efficient and hassle free processing.
If your application is successful, you will be given a Provincial Nomination Certificate, which is used to apply to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for permanent residence. You must apply to (CIC) for permanent resident status within 6 months of being nominated. While provincial nominees receive priority processing, the entire process is not short. CIC processing times vary and should be considered in addition to a cumulative processing deadline of up to 180 days by the Opportunities Ontario.
It is possible to apply to CIC for a temporary work permit while your permanent residence application is being processed. Good news is that Ontario nominees are exempt from the Labour Market Opinion (LMO) process. They are, however, subject to all other temporary work permit requirements.
What are the fees?
Fees charged by Opportunities Ontario are significant and vary from $1,500 for all General Category applicants who will be working for an employer located outside the GTA to $2,000 for those working for an employer located in the GTA. Employees of investors are subject to a fee of $3,500. These processing fees are non-refundable.
