The Canadian province of Ontario has issued new invitations to a total of 488 candidates in the federal Express Entry pool.

This is the fourth announcement this year of new Notifications of Interests, or NOIs, issued through Ontario's Express Entry- ed Human Capital Priorities Stream (HCP). This stream allows the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) to search the Express Entry pool for eligible candidates with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 400. 

With an NOI, Express Entry candidates can apply for a provincial nomination from Ontario. If successful, candidates receive an additional 600 points towards their CRS score, putting a federal Invitation to Apply (ITA) well within reach. 

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for Ontario’s Human Capital Priorities Stream, Express Entry candidates must also meet the following criteria:

• Have a minimum level of work experience;
  • Candidates who choose to be assessed against the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) 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 NOI 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 a language proficiency level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 or above in all four competencies (speaking, reading, writing, and listening);
  • Language proficiency must be proved by test results from one of the following designated testing agencies:
    • IELTS (General Training Test only) for English;
    • CELPIP (General test only) for English; or
    • TEF for French;
• Intend to reside in Ontario, as demonstrated by a statement of intent and indication of ties to Ontario;
• Possess sufficient funds to cover settlement costs in Ontario. This must be supported by bank statements; and
• Meet the additional criteria under either the FSWP or CEC.