Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream is a permanent residency program. This program runs under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). It gives foreign workers with the required skilled work experience, language abilities, and education the opportunity to apply to permanently live and work in Ontario. To apply for this stream, you need to have a reasonable profile in the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC’s) express entry system and receive notice of interest from Ontario before applying online for permanent residency in Ontario.
Instructions Before you apply
i- Create a profile on Immigration, Refugees, and Canada’s Express Entry System
Before the authorities can send you a Notification of Interest (NOI), you must have a profile in the IRCC’s Express Entry System and this must be done before applying for the Ontario Express Entry Human Capital Preferences program.
To qualify for the IRCC Express Entry System, you should first answer a questionnaire developed by using the IRCC to determine which immigration program (s) you can apply for. The questionnaire is hosted on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada webpage: Do you want to come to Canada as a skilled immigrant? Based on your answers, the Express Entry System will point out if you are eligible for the Federal Express Entry Program. If you are eligible, you will be provided with a reference number, which can be used to create an online profile in the Express Entry System. Once you’ve created your profile, you’ll get an express entry profile number and a job seeker verification code.
In the next step, if you receive an NOI from Ontario and would like to apply for the Ontario Express Entry Human Capital Priority, you will need these numbers. You will also be assigned a Comprehensive Rating System (CRS) score. Your CRS rating is calculated based on the information provided in your profile such as:
- Your age,
- Education,
- Language skills,
- Skills Work experience etc.
When you create a profile in the Express Entry System, you must indicate your interest in immigration to Ontario by selecting Ontario or all provinces and territories.
ii- Fulfill the compulsory requirements
Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream has obligatory requirements you have to fulfill before you apply. If you have completed education outside of Canada, get a Certificate of Education (ECA). Set a National Professional Rating Code for your previous work experience. Once you are ready, you can create your express entry profile. If you meet the express entry criteria, you will be accepted into the candidates’ express entry pool. You will receive an express entry profile number and a job seeker verification code. You will need to send your application to OINP.
To be eligible for the Ontario Express Entry Human Capital Priority Program, you should meet one of these federal immigration program requirements:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
When you submit your application to OINP, you will need to choose which federal program you will review, FSWP or CEC.
Learn about the Application procedure
You have to apply via the OINP e-filing portal.
i- Filling and completing the application
It may take up to 4 hours to complete the application. You do not need to complete the application in one session, you can save your work and return to it later. You can complete the application yourself or have a consultant complete it on your behalf.
ii- Fees and online payment
You must pay 1,500 to apply. You have to pay by credit card, only Visa, Visa Debit, MasterCard, and MasterCard Debit are acceptable.
iii- How much time do you have to apply after obtaining notice?
You have 45 calendar days from the date you obtain a notice of interest from Ontario for the Ontario Express Entry Human Capital Preferences series.
iv- Prepaid your supporting documents
You have to make sure that your supporting documents are prepared to be scanned and utilized in English or French when you apply. If you do not, your application will be returned incompletely and your application fee will be refunded.
v- How do the authorities select you?
Authorities search the IRCCs Express Entry Pool to find candidates who meet Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Preferences sequence criteria, as well as different parameters set for each search. If you are identified as a candidate, you will receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) via your IRCC online account, inviting you to publish an online application to OINP. Another important point is that before applying, you should meet the conditions because no NOI ensures that you meet the stream requirements or that your application will be approved. You have forty-five calendar days after receiving the NOI via your IRCC online account to apply for OINP.
Due to the demand for Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priority series, not all categorical entry candidates who meet Ontario’s sequence of criteria will acquire a NOI. To be responsive to the needs of Ontario’s labor market, parameters are set for every search in the Express Entry Pool. NOIs can be issued to candidates who not only meet the requirements of the stream but also appear to meet other requirements, such as having experience working in targeted professions or fields.
Eligibility criteria/conditions and requirements
If you want to be successful in qualifying for Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Preferences, you must meet all criteria. You do not need a job offer to apply. First, you have to review the two federal programs, then you have to determine which of the following two federal programs meets your desires and which program suits you.
i- Work Experience Requirements
Federal Skilled Workers Program
Under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you require the following:
- Full-time full-time work experience (or equal to residual part-time work) for at least one year in TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3 of NOC;
- If you are using self-employment for the period of your employment, you will need to provide employment documents that are independently tested by a third party. This may encompass client reference letters that indicate your duties and intervals of work—proof of personally issued payments (e.g. receipts) for services provided to you. Your working hours must be quantified so that you can accumulate at least 1,560 hours in a single 12 months of employment. Reference letters from yourself, your business companions, and/or a family member are not accepted via the program.
- Your work experience should be: Received in the last 5 years from the date of submission of your application to OINP in the same fundamental profession that you identified in your express entry profile. You may have gained work experience in Canada or abroad.
i- Work Experience
Canadian Experience Class Read the following facts carefully to find out what you need under the Canada Experience Class.
- Full-time work experience crammed with at least one year’s wages in Canada (or equivalent to part-time work as a part-time) Skill in Type 0 or Level A or B in NOC;
- Your work experience should have been in the last three years from the date of submission of your application to OINP,
- The work you have done must be extended by using one 12 months,
- Paid work ride while studying full-time at a post-secondary institute (e.g., on an operational work term) and self-employment under the CEC are not eligible.
- One or more of the occupations you have are recognized in your Express Entry Profile,
- Maintaining legal status in Canada,
ii – Education
Under Ontario’s express entry human capital stream, you have to provide your bachelor’s, master’s, or Ph.D. degree or its equivalent in another country. If you studied outside of Canada, you are required to obtain an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report that will determine whether your education is equal to a Canadian degree. The assessment must be done by one of the following organizations, selected by IRCC:
- Comprehensive Education Service – University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies,
- International Credential Assessment Service of Canada,
- International Credential Evaluation Service,
- International Qualifications Assessment Service,
- medical Council of Canada (the expert body for specialists),
- Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (the professional body for pharmacists).
- World Education Services
iii- Language Proficiency
You have to prove that your English or French language is at (CLB) Level 7 or higher. You must take an English or French language test before applying so that you can prove that you have the necessary language skills. The test result should not be older than 2 years. Following English language proficiency tests are accepted for this program:
- International English Language Testing (IELTS) – Only general training tests are acceptable,
- English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) – Only general exams are acceptable.
Acceptable French tests are:
- TEF, Test d’evaluation de francais pour le Canada,
- TCT Canada, Test de connaissance du francais pour le Canada.
iv- Financial requirements
When you settle in Canada, you may want to have enough money to support yourself and your dependent family members so that you can cover all the expenses. The family members are:
- A family member includes your spouse,
- Common-law partner,
- Children under 22 years of age.
Funds such as balances in bank statements, or account statements such as non-lock-in, fixed-term deposits, mutual funds, etc. The required funds are as follows:
| Number offamily members | Funds required(in Canadian dollars) |
| 1 | $13,757 |
| 2 | $17,127 |
| 3 | $21,055 |
| 4 | $25,564 |
| 5 | $28,994 |
| 6 | $32,700 |
| 7 | $36,407 |
| If more than 7 people, for each additional family member | $3,706 |
v- Living in Ontario
You must plan to live in Ontario after permanent residency. This is determined by examining your relationship with Ontario. For example:
- study,
- Volunteer Leasing or owning a property,
- To visit,
- There are professional networks and affiliations,
- family relationships and personal relationships,
- Working or working in Ontario,
- Jobs for job offers or applications/interviews.
vi- Legal status in Canada (if applicable)
If you are applying within Canada, you must have one or more of the following things as legal status when applying
- Visitor records
- Study permit
- Work permit
This status must be maintained at the time of nomination. You must have implied status at the time of your ONIP application submission. The implied status means that you have submitted an application to IRCC for renewal/extension of your temporary status document (analysis record, work permit, study permit) before the expiration date. You can stay in Canada and continue to work or study under your current permit until a decision is made on your pending IRCC application.
vii- Supporting Documents
You must provide supporting documents to verify the information in your application and meet the eligibility criteria. You must scan and upload all supporting documents in your online application. Documents must be in English or French language otherwise an attested translation of these documents is required.
viii- Application fee
The application fee is $1,500 and it costs to process your application. The fee should be paid online. Fees paid is only refunded if your request is incomplete or you withdraw your application before it can be processed.
How to apply for the program?
Creating account
If you are a new applicant:
- Select that you are a new applicant,
- Select the Ontario Express Entry Human Capital Preferences series,
- You must pre-register with your name and date of birth Log in to your Wool Key account,
- If you don’t have one, “Sign up now!” Click on Once you are logged into your key account,
- you will be redirected to the OINP e-filing portal,
- Create a profile in the OINP e-filing portal,
- Once you have completed your profile, click “Finish” and you will be redirected to your main page in the e-filing portal. Click on the file number related to human capital preferences to start your application.
If you are an old applicant and have already registered:
Select whether you are a returning user and then select the Ontario Express Entry Human Capital Preferences program and then Log in to your account. If you don’t have one, “Sign up now!”. Click on Once you are logged into your key account, you will be redirected to the OINP e-filing portal. Create a profile in the OINP e-filing portal. Once you have completed your profile, click “Finish” and you will be redirected to your main page in the e-filing portal. Click on the file number related to human capital preferences to start your application. It takes about three hours to complete your application. You do not have to do all of this at once, but you must submit your application within 45 calendar days of receiving the NOI from Ontario.
Confirmation of application submission
You will receive an email that confirms your application has been received. You can check your application status through the OINP e-Filling Portal. You must notify the authorities if you make any changes to the information provided in the application.
Maintain a reasonable profile of express entries
You must not apply to the Express Entry System until you are nominated. If you receive an Invitation for Permanent Residence (ITA) from the IRCC while your application is being processed by the OINP, your name should be submitted to the authorities to nominate you. Not available for You have to decide one of two things:
- Withdraw your application to the OINP or,
- Reject the Invitation To apply by IRCC.
If you reject the ITA, you must send an e-mail request to ontonionominee@ontario.ca to continue processing your application and include a screenshot that shows you have rejected ITA from IRCC.
If you are nominated
If your application is successful, you will receive a letter of acceptance of the nomination and an OINP certificate of nomination by email. Your nomination details will be entered into the Express Entry System. You will then receive a notification of your nomination through your IRCC online account.
You have 30 calendar days to accept or reject the nomination in the Express Entry System. If you accept, you will receive an additional 600 points for being nominated, which means that in the next invitations, you will receive ITA for permanent residence from the IRCC, which is usually. But are done every two weeks.
You then have 60 calendar days to submit your application to the IRCC for permanent residence. You will need to include a letter of approval for your nomination and a certificate of nomination. Nomination does not guarantee the approval of your application for permanent residence with the IRCC.
If your original Express Entry profile has been disabled, you may request to transfer your nomination to a new Express Entry Profile. You can request a transfer to the entry profile. A copy of the letter received from the IRCC acknowledging the new profile with the express entry number and job seeker verification code; And A copy of a letter from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada explaining why your old profile was disqualified.
If you have applied to the IRC you can apply for an extension of your Certificate of Nomination but your application for permanent residence was withdrawn because it was incomplete, or you have been granted assistance to apply for permanent residence submission of documents (e.g., police criminal record check) was delayed. Only applications that meet the above conditions will be accepted. You may request an extension by emailing OINP at ontarionominee@ontario.ca with the following information. A letter explaining the reason for the extension of your nomination certificate; And A copy of the incomplete IRCC letter (if applicable).
Nomination approved
Until you receive permanent residence, your nomination is subject to your commitment that you demonstrate your intention to live in Ontario on a reasonable basis.
If you are not nominated
If your request is not accepted, you will be notified by email. If you think the authorities made a mistake in their decision that led to your application being rejected, you can ask for an internal review. To request an internal review: Download and complete the Request Request Notice for the Internal Review Form. Make sure you read the instructions on the form carefully. In a separate document, point out any errors or omissions in the director’s decision. Send complete notice of application for internal review form and all supporting documents by email to internal review-revisioninterne@ontario.ca. You must email them if you live in Canada, you have 30 calendar days from the date of receipt of the notice of denial. If you live outside of Canada, you have 60 calendar days of receiving the denial notice.
Do not add any new information that you did not include in your original application unless that request is appropriately available to you at the time of application submission. New information that you did not include in your application due to surveillance, will not be considered. Internal review requests should be sent by email.