The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) recently announced the addition of the Master's Graduate Stream (OINP) and the Ph.D. Graduate Stream (OINP) to the Expression of Interest (EOI) system. This will allow international graduates with a valid job offer from an employer in Ontario to register for provincial nomination.
Earlier this year, under the Employer Job Offer Category, Ontario included the Foreign Worker Stream (OINP), International Student Stream (OINP), and the In-Demand Skills Stream (OINP) to the EOI system. The EOI system ranks the applicants based on their education level, work experience, and intention to reside in the province, among other factors. This way, the province can identify the highest-ranking applicants based on their ability to best integrate into the Ontario labor market.
However, only registering your profile on the EOI system does not guarantee you a provincial nomination. Your profile will stay in the EOI system for 12 months. During this time, the OINP may invite you to apply for provincial nomination.
How Will This Help Future Applicants of the OINP?
The availability of provincial immigration streams on the EOI system will allow you to register for any program under the OINP at any time. Earlier, registration was only possible when the OINP would open its online portal for applications. Also once your profile is registered, it will be ranked based on your eligibility. If you are among the highest-ranking applicants, the OINP will invite you to apply for provincial nomination through your preferred program in one of its PNP draws.
Your profile will stay in the system for 12 months. After that, it will be automatically deleted. You can also withdraw your application at any time during this period.
Also, registering your profile in the EOI system is free of cost. However, only receiving provincial nominations will not guarantee that your application for permanent residency will succeed. You will be required to meet certain additional admissibility requirements to obtain Canadian permanent residency.