Ontario Provincial Nominee Program Updates: New Criteria for Application Suspension and Return

Ontario provincial nominee applicants may now see their applications returned or suspended under a wider range of circumstances.

Ontario has amended Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) regulations to broaden the factors that could lead to the suspension or return of applications before a nomination is issued.

The update adds 13 new factors and revokes one of the six previously introduced, bringing the total to 18 factors.

Factors that could lead to the suspension or return of OINP applications.

The following criteria have been added, effective October 31:

Policy factors:

  • Any policy priorities provided by the Government of Canada to the Ontario government in respect of the OINP.
  • Any policy priorities provided by the Minister to the director with regard to the suspension or return of applications.

Labour market factors:

  • Ontario-wide or regional unemployment rates.
  • Current or anticipated labour market needs in Ontario or a region in Ontario.

Infrastructure and social services factors:

  • The cost or availability of housing in Ontario or specific regions.
  • Ontario’s capacity to fund and provide access to health and other social services.

Applicant factors:

  • Whether the applicant is currently authorized to work in Canada.
  • Whether the applicant is working in Ontario at the time of application.
  • Whether the applicant has a job offer approved by the director under the Act.
  • Applicant’s English or French language proficiency.
  • Applicant’s employment and wage history.
  • Applicant’s highest level of education.
  • Applicant’s Canadian work experience or Canadian education.

Under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), provinces can nominate foreign nationals for permanent residency. After receiving a nomination, the provincial nominee can apply to the federal government for permanent residence.

Returning applications for nomination is not standard practice.

Up until recently, it has generally been the case that once a PNP received a foreign national’s application for nomination, the PNP would simply process the application. If the officer were to determine that the applicant met the stream requirements, then the officer would issue a nomination.

Earlier this year, Ontario first introduced the ability of the PNP to suspend or return applications under certain situations.

The most recent amendments add to five of the criteria that were introduced on July 2nd.