I got this email about the Ontario PNP from my University's International Student Office:
On April 21, 2010, Opportunities Ontario: Provincial Nominee Program was enhanced to allow international PhD graduates to qualify for an Ontario nomination and permanent residence without a job offer.
What are the new criteria for PhD graduates?
International PhD Graduates who have graduated from a publicly funded Ontario university can now apply to Opportunities Ontario without a job offer. They are also eligible to apply within two years of the date the PhD was granted.
In order to apply to Opportunities Ontario as an international PhD graduate in Ontario, students must:
- Intend to permanently live and work in Ontario.
- Have graduated from an existing PhD program at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario or, have successfully completed all degree requirements for the program (i.e. completion of course work, successful thesis defence).
- Have completed at least two years of their PhD studies at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario.
- Apply within two years of the date on which their PhD degree was granted.
- Have legal status, if the international PhD graduate applicant is in Canada.
- Not have return obligations under Canadian International Development Agency grants or home country scholarships.
What stays the same?
International students graduating from a publicly funded college or university in Canada can continue to qualify for an Ontario nomination when they graduate, if they have a permanent, full-time job offer from an Ontario employer. The new changes to Ontario’s PhD graduates are in addition to program criteria that help international students in undergraduate and Masters programs to qualify for permanent residence in Ontario.
Where to get more information?
For more detailed information regarding the Opportunities Ontario and the changes mentioned above, we invite you and interested international students to visit our *international student* *web page *at
http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/pnp/OI_PNPSTUDENTS_APPLY.html.
This site includes all of the necessary application materials and detailed eligibility criteria students will need to benefit from this exciting opportunity.
Also available is a recently launched *new Facebook page* to better connect with international students. There you will find testimonial videos for the program and will be able to interact directly with ministry staff. You can follow the program on *Facebook* at *Opportunities Ontario.