Ontario Organized Two PNP Draws in May

Canadian province Ontario held two PNP draws in may which were withheld during the provincial election. Last month, Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program paused the draw information due to the election which ended on June 2.

On May 4, the province released the draw results by issuing 57 invitations to apply to the candidates in the Expression of Interest system pool who will qualify for the Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills with a minimum score of 27.

On May 26, Ontario issued 535 notifications of interest to all the candidates who can qualify for Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades stream with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score between 295 and 461.

Ontario’s In-Demand Skills Stream

The In-Demand Skills stream solely focuses on provincial requirements than the occupation skill level. Most of the immigration programs aim at occupations that the federal government considers to be highly skilled. The Canadian province, Ontario is still facing labour shortages in occupations that are marked as low-skilled.

International workers with qualifying job offers in Ontario can easily apply for a PNP with a 9-month work experience in the province in the last three years. Seasonal work experience is not considered eligible to meet the work requirement. Freelancing or part-time work can be considered eligible if the candidate completes the required number of work hours. There are numerous other eligibility requirements. A candidate needs to have a high school education, a language proficiency of at least 4, and sufficient settlement funds, among other requirements.

In order to receive an invitation under this stream, a candidate needs to fill out their profile in Ontario’s EOI system. Ontario evaluates candidates’ profiles based on its scoring matrix. The province evaluates education, work experience, and intended destination in the province among other factors. The purpose is to shortlist candidates who can support the province’s economic growth and fulfill the labour market shortage.

Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream

The Skilled Trades Stream permits Ontario to go through the Express Entry pool for candidates currently living in Ontario. The federal Express Entry system manages the pool of candidates for three of Canada’s main economic immigration categories —the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class, and Canadian Experience Class.

To qualify for the Skilled Trades Stream, candidates need a minimum of 1year of full-time Ontario work experience, or the equivalent in part-time work in a skilled trade listed in Minor Group 633 or Major Group 72, 73, or 82 under Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC).