A total of 1,034 candidates were invited to apply for provincial nomination for permanent residence on April 26.
The invitations were issued under an Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) stream called Express Entry Skilled Trades.
Notifications of Interests (NOIs) were issued to candidates who had Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores between 300 and 600 and who had submitted their profiles between April 26, 2021 – April 26, 2022.
To be eligible under this stream, candidates must live in Ontario and hold a valid work permit. They must also have a minimum of one year full-time work experience in the last two years prior to their Notification of Interest in National Occupation Classification 633, or major groups 72, 73 or 82. They also need to have have a profile in Canada's Express Entry pool.
Those who received an invitation have 45 calendar days from the day of they receive their NOI to apply for the provincial nomination.
Express Entry candidates who then receive a nomination from Ontario will get 600 CRS points added to their CRS score. They will also be eligible to receive an Invitations to Apply (ITA) from a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)-specific Express Entry draw.
The Express Entry system is Canada's main way to attract global talent to grow its economy. The system is used to manage permanent residence applications through three main economic-class immigration programs:
Once you have determined that you are eligible for one or more of the above mentioned programs, your next step is to create an Express Entry profile to enter the pool. Once you have uploaded all your documents, you will be given a score based on your work experience, education, age and English or French language skills, among other criteria.
Entering the Express Entry pool has a double benefit: not only does it give you the possibility of receiving an invitation under one of Canada's federal programs, but it also gives you the chance to receive a provincial nomination.
The highest scoring candidates are issued ITAs, which allows them to submit a complete application for permanent residence.
Although Canada paused all-program draws during the pandemic, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser recently announced that Canada would restart Express Entry invitations for prospective immigrants from across the globe in early July. By 2024, Canada expects to welcome more than 110,000 immigrants a year under the Express Entry program. Minister Fraser also reassured those concerned about current processing times that the government intends to process most Express Entry applications within six months.
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