Two popular streams under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), International Students – Masters Graduate Stream and International Students – PhD Graduate Stream, are now open for eligible international graduates. An update announced on the government of Ontario page on October 12, states that “OINP is monitoring the intake of applications with respect to the limits of Ontario’s federal nomination allocation.” This is the first time these two streams open since February and May.
(Update: Since this article was first published, the OINP Masters Graduate stream reached its intake limit and is no longer accepting applications.)
One of the reasons these two streams are popular among eligible graduates is that applicants do not require a job offer in order to be eligible. Additionally, candidates are not required to be residing in the province of Ontario at the time of application. Previously this was a requirement for candidates to qualify for the International Students – PhD Graduate Stream. However, changes to the eligibility requirements demonstrate an easier and accessible process for international graduates interested in applying to reside in Ontario. 
Once an applicant is deemed successful under one of the two streams, they receive a ‘base’ provincial nomination certificate, which places them in a position to submit an application for permanent residence to the federal government. The term ‘base’ refers to immigration streams that not aligned with the federal Express Entry system, but still provide a route to Canadian permanent resident status.
Immigration authorities in Ontario inform candidates that applications can only be made online via the OINP e-Filing Portal. Further warnings from Ontario encourage applicants to avoid opening multiple tabs or refreshing the page when accessing the e-Filing system.
Eligibility requirements
| International Masters Graduates | PhD Graduates |
|---|---|
| Must intend to live and work in Ontario | Must intend to live and work in Ontario |
Must have graduated from an existing Master’s program at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario
|
Must have successfully completed all PhD program requirements at an eligible publicly-funded university in Ontario
|
| Must submit the application within two years of the date on which the Masters degree was granted | Must submit the application within two years of the date on which the PhD was granted |
Must have legal status (i.e. study permit, work permit, visitor record) if living in Ontario at the time of the application
|
Must have legal status (i.e. study permit, work permit, visitor record) if living in Canada at the time of the application
|
| Must demonstrate an adequate intermediate proficiency level in English or French of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 or above in all four competencies (speaking, reading, writing, and listening) | |
| Must be able to show a minimum level of savings and/or income in order to support themselves and their dependents | |
| Must show that they have resided in Ontario for at least 12 cumulative months in the 24 months before submitting an application |
International students and post-graduate workers in Canada can join the CanadaVisa Study Hub to access a range of tools and resources to assist in studying, working, and settling in Canada permanently.
To learn more about your Canadian immigration options through the OINP, as well as other Canadian immigration programs, please fill out a free online assessment today.
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