Ontario Foreign Worker and International Student Streams Closed for 2019

umkaadmin — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 16:09:44 +0000

Ontario Foreign Worker and International Student Streams Closed for 2019

By CENK KEMAL HAZNACI

On September 23, 2019, Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) announced that it closed intake for its two popular immigration streams, namely Foreign Worker Stream and International Student Stream. I will give you the good news fast: This closure is only for 2019. The said streams will re-open in 2020.

The reason for the temporary closure is that OINP reached its annual target for the two streams. The Government of Canada allocates a nomination quota to the provinces. And the provinces determine target numbers for each of their streams in a given year. Ontario reached that target for Foreign Worker Stream and International Student Stream. Both streams are under the Employer Job Offer category.

Here is a brief overview of these two streams:

1. Foreign Worker Stream

Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream is an Ontario immigration stream for permanent resident hopefuls with a job offer in a skilled occupation at Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC). Foreign nationals outside of Canada also qualify under this stream.

The job offer must be permanent and full-time, and the work must occur in Ontario. The wage cannot be lower than the median wage for that occupation. Within the last 5 years, the applicant must have at least 2 years of work experience in the same occupation, or the applicant must hold a license for the offered job. A license becomes mandatory if the occupation is regulated in Canada.

The employer offering the job also has to meet some criteria:

In business for at least 3 years
a minimum of $1,000,000 in gross annual revenue if the work is in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
a minimum of $500,000 in gross annual revenue if the work is somewhere in Ontario excluding the GTA
At least 5 Canadian citizens or permanent residents must already be working full-time where you work if in the GTA
At least 3 Canadian citizens or permanent residents must already be working full-time where you work if in Ontario excluding the GTA

2. International Student Stream

Just like the Foreign Worker Stream, International Student Stream also requires a full-time and permanent Ontarian job offer in a skilled occupation at Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC). The wage cannot be lower than the low wage level for that occupation.

The applicant must have received either one of the two from an eligible Canadian learning institution:

a degree or diploma that takes at least two years to complete if the applicant studies on a full-time basis, OR
a degree, diploma or certificate that takes at least one year to complete if the applicant studies on a full-time basis and that requires a completed degree as an admission requirement.

At least half of this study time must have occurred while the student was physically present in Canada. You must apply within two years of the date on your diploma, degree or certificate.

The employer requirements are exactly the same as the Foreign Worker Stream:

In business for at least 3 years
a minimum of $1,000,000 in gross annual revenue if the work is in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
a minimum of $500,000 in gross annual revenue if the work is somewhere in Ontario excluding the GTA
At least 5 Canadian citizens or permanent residents must already be working full-time where you work if in the GTA
At least 3 Canadian citizens or permanent residents must already be working full-time where you work if in Ontario excluding the GTA.

Feel free to contact Umka Immigration Consulting for your immigration needs, including OINP streams. I will be happy to assist you.

international student stream – Umka Immigration Consulting

Ontario Foreign Worker and International Student Streams Closed for 2019