I think lawyer is trying directITA isn't it?
everything is through EE and the regular draws...
after u (or ur rep / lawyer) creates ur EE profile you'll be ranked based on the CRS score,and U'll get an ITA if cut off is below ur CRS...
however,provinces can nominate profiles they are interested in and they decide whom to nominate & the criteria for selection...if any one province nominates you,they will send their nomination to CIC and on the basis of nomination,you will get 600 points extra which means automatic ITA in the very next draw...
at present Ontario is sending notifications of interest to profiles created very recently & having CRS 400...Ontario officials only know the criteria of selection and we will know only by re-creating ones profile... and if u withdraw the old EE profile and create a new one and find a notification of interest in your account, the next step is to approach Ontario to accept the interest...you have 6 months to do that and from the date of acceptance another 14 days to submit ur application to Ontario to nominate you...then they will process ur application & decide whether to nominate you or not and will convey the same to you and CIC...if they do nominate, your profile will show 'nomination received : yes' & CRS : 1003...and thereafter it is the regular process ...next draw comes and you'll anyway be above cut off and you get 90 days to file eAPR...
catches are
1. Stringent documentation to apply for nomination
2. $ 1500 non refundable fee along with application & yet no guarantee of nomination
3. You will have to stay in Ontario for X number of years post landing.
getting a nomination was a great back up plan when the cut off scores stayed near 500...now,not so much...
anyway,in ur sons case,IELTS @ CLB 9 band ( 8L & 7in RSW)..it will take him to 453+...