The province’s new Expression of Interest (EOI) platform is already taking submissions for its in-demand worker immigration stream.
The EOI system for the In-Demand Skills stream under the Employer Job Offer Category of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is online.
In the EOI framework, the latest stream combines the Foreign Worker and International Student Programs. In March, these streams were the first to be included in the new applicant intake system. The EOI platform for the Master’s Graduate and Ph.D. Graduate programs have yet to be launched in Ontario. The EOI platform will accompany the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) “in the near future,” according to the OINP website.
Applicants who participate in the EOI process can register at any time to be examined for immigration to Ontario. The province uses a scoring matrix to evaluate candidates’ profiles. Among other things, it considers education, work history, and the desired destination in the region. The goal is to help applicants who have the necessary knowledge and skills to thrive in the Ontario labour market.
Applicants that enroll for the EOI system are not guaranteed to be invited to seek a provincial nomination. In Ontario’s Ontario’s EOI pool, entries are valid for one year. Enrollees may be contacted by the OINP at any opportunity to register for a nomination.
In the previous round of the EOI process, Ontario asked 940 foreign students and employees to submit for nomination.
In-Demand Skills stream
This immigration stream places a greater emphasis on regional demand than on occupational skill levels. Many government-designated “high-skilled” vocations are the focus of many immigration initiatives. Despite this, Ontario continues to face scarcity in “low-skilled” professions.
In the In-Demand Skills stream, employees from other nations with qualified job offers in Ontario can apply for a PNP. But that is only possible if they have worked in the province for at least nine months in the previous three years. Seasonal work is ineligible for meeting the performance standard. If the applicant fulfilled the necessary number of work hours, part-time work might be acceptable. This might be 1,200 hours of paid labour in a single job over the course of 18 months. The other option is of 1,200 hours of work in multiple positions for at least 30 hours of paid work per week for nine months.
There are a few further prerequisites for qualification. Candidates must, among other things, have a high school diploma, a language rating of at least 4 in all competencies, and appropriate settlement money.
List of in-demand occupations
| NOC Code | Occupation |
| 3413 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates |
| 4412 | Home support workers and related occupations, excluding housekeepers |
| 7441 | Residential and commercial installers and servicers |
| 7511 | Transport truck drivers |
| 7521 | Heavy equipment operators (except crane) |
| 8431 | General farmworkers |
| 8432 | Nursery and greenhouse workers |
| 8611 | Harvesting labourers |
| 7611 | Construction trades helpers and labourers |
| 9462 | Industrial butchers, meat cutters, poultry preparers, related workers |
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Available only to candidates outside the Greater Toronto Area
| NOC Code | Occupation |
| 9411 | Machine operators, mineral and metal processing |
| 9416 | Metalworking and forging machine operators |
| 9417 | Machining tool operators |
| 9418 | Other metal products machine operators |
| 9421 | Chemical plant machine operators |
| 9422 | Plastics processing machine operators |
| 9437 | Woodworking machine operators |
| 9446 | Industrial sewing machine operators |
| 9461 | Process control and machine operators, food, beverage and associated products processing |
| 9523 | Electronics assemblers, fabricators, inspectors and testers |
| 9526 | Mechanical assemblers and inspectors |
| 9536 | Industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing process operators |
| 9537 | Other products assemblers, finishers and inspectors |
