The government of Ontario will issue Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to Express Entry candidates who are eligible for Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities (HCP) stream on a weekly basis. This stream is part of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).
Prospective applicants are encouraged to create a new Express Entry profile to make it easier for Ontario to identify their profile during its search of the pool. Candidates who create a new profile must delete their old profile.
Successful applicants are awarded 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points and placed at the front of the line to issued an Invitation To Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in a subsequent draw from the Express Entry pool.
To be eligible under the Ontario Human Capital Priorities stream, candidates must:
- Have a profile in the Express Entry pool and score a minimum of 400 points under the CRS. The score must remain at or above 400 during both the Ontario nomination processing stage and at the federal application for permanent residence processing stage;
- Have a minimum level of work experience;
- Candidates who choose to be assessed against the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC) criteria must have at least one year of continuous and full-time employment experience, or part-time equivalent, in a National Occupation Classification (NOC) level 0, A, or B occupation in the five years prior to the date of the Notification of Interest from the OINP.
- Candidates who choose to be assessed against the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) criteria must have at least one year of cumulative and full-time employment experience, or part-time equivalent, in a NOC 0, A, or B occupation in Canada in the three years prior to the date of the NOI from the OINP.
- Have a Canadian Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree OR an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report produced by a designated organization indicating that their foreign education credential is equivalent to a Canadian Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD;
- Demonstrate English or French language proficiency level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 or above in all four competencies (speaking, reading, writing, and listening);
- Intend to reside in Ontario;
- Possess sufficient funds to cover settlement costs in Ontario; and
- Meet the additional criteria under either the FSWP or CEC.
Once a NOI is issued, the invited candidate has six months to register on Ontario’s online application system and submit the application. Once registered, the candidate has 14 days to submit the application.