Ontario Employer Job Offer Stream: Foreign Worker with a Job Offer

Successful applicants to this Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) will receive a provincial nomination from Ontario, allowing the applicant to apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent resident status. The spouse/common-law partner of the applicant, as well as any dependent children, may also be included on the application.

What is the OINP Foreign worker stream?

The Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream is part of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). It allows employers in Ontario to hire skilled foreign workers for full-time, permanent positions in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupations under the National Occupation Classification (NOC). This stream is intended for individuals outside of Canada or those already here with legal status, who have the skills and a valid job offer in an eligible role.

To qualify, applicants must have a valid job offer in a skilled occupation and the job offer must also meet specific wage and employment condition standards. This stream is ideal for skilled workers looking to transition to permanent residence in Ontario with the backing of an Ontario employer.

Important: This stream uses an Expression of Interest (EOI) points system to rank candidates. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee an invitation to apply. For full details, see the Scoring section.

Eligibility Requirements: Applicants

To qualify under the OINP Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Job Offer Requirements

The job offer must:

• Be full-time and permanent (minimum 1,560 hours/year and at least 30 hours/week).
• Be in a TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation under the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
• Offer a wage equal to or above the median wage for that occupation in the Ontario region where the job is located.
  • If already working in the role, the offered wage must also be equal to or higher than the current wage.
  • Collective agreements override the median wage requirement.
• Be urgently necessary to the employer’s business.
• Be located primarily in Ontario.
• Not involve more than 10% ownership of the employer by the applicant or their family.
• Meet licensing requirements if the occupation is regulated:
  • The applicant must have a valid licence or authorization from the relevant regulatory body at the time of application.
• Meet work experience requirements if the occupation is not regulated:
  • The applicant must have at least 2 years of full-time paid work experience (or equivalent in part-time) in the same NOC as the job offer, gained within the last 5 years.
  • Work experience can be inside or outside Canada, but Canadian work must have been done with legal status.

2. Other Eligibility Criteria

• Must register an Expression of Interest (EOI) and receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
• Must provide evidence supporting all information declared in the EOI.
• Must demonstrate an intention to reside in Ontario, through ties such as employment history, education, property, family, or a personal statement.
• If applying from inside Canada, the applicant must have legal status at the time of application and maintain it throughout processing.
• Must be medically and criminally admissible to Canada.

3. Physicians

Physicians may qualify for the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream without a formal job offer, provided they meet all of the following conditions:

• They are registered and in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) under one of the following certificate categories that allow patient care:
  • Independent Practice
  • Academic Practice
  • Postgraduate Education
• They are eligible to receive payment for publicly funded health services under Ontario’s Health Insurance Act (1990).

Eligibility Requirements: Employers

To support an applicant under this stream, the Ontario employer must meet the following:

1. General Employer Requirements

• Must be actively operating in Ontario for at least 3 years before the application date.
• Must have business premises in Ontario where the applicant will work.
• Must not have any outstanding violations or orders under Ontario’s employment or health and safety legislation.
• If the applicant is outside Canada or Ontario, the employer must demonstrate they made genuine recruitment efforts to hire a Canadian citizen or permanent resident before offering the job to a foreign worker.

2. Revenue Requirements

Your employer must meet one of the following gross annual revenue thresholds for their most recently completed fiscal year:

• At least $1,000,000 in total gross revenue if the job location is within the Greater Toronto Area (Toronto, Durham, Halton, York, or Peel),
  or
• At least $500,000 in total gross revenue if the job location is outside the Greater Toronto Area.

3. Full-Time Employee Requirements

Your employer must meet minimum staffing requirements based on the location where you will work or report to work, and these must be met at the time of application.

If your job is in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

(Toronto, Durham, Halton, York, or Peel):

• The employer must have at least 5 full-time employees who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents working at or reporting to that location.

If your job is outside the GTA:

• The employer must have at least 3 full-time employees who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents working at or reporting to that location.

Definition of Full-Time Employee

A full-time employee works a minimum of 30 hours per week.

If the employer has a mobile workforce, the staffing count may include employees who either work at or report to the location.

4. Reasonable Recruitment Efforts

Employers must show they made genuine recruitment efforts to hire a Canadian citizen or permanent resident before offering the job to a foreign worker, unless one of the following applies:

• The applicant already holds a valid work permit for Ontario, or
• The employer has a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for the position.

If the applicant has a valid work permit, an LMIA is not required.

The OINP is intended to help employers fill jobs that remain vacant due to labour shortages, despite domestic recruitment attempts. Employers are expected to handle these efforts themselves or work with qualified recruitment professionals, such as headhunters or HR consulting firms with expertise in the Canadian labour market.

Important: Recruitment conducted by an immigration representative is not considered valid. This is viewed as a conflict of interest, since the representative may benefit financially if the domestic hiring attempt fails. If such recruitment is disclosed in the application, the OINP will refuse the application.

5. Application for Approval of the Employment Position

Before an applicant can apply under this stream, the employer must submit an application to have the job offer approved.

To do this, the employer must:

1. Register their business in the OINP Employer Portal.
2. Create and submit a job offer for the applicant through the portal.
3. Once the job offer is submitted, the applicant may register an Expression of Interest (EOI).
4. If the applicant receives an Invitation to Apply (ITA), the employer will then have 14 calendar days to complete and submit the employment position approval application.

OINP may request additional supporting documents from the employer during assessment to verify the job offer details. Employers should review the Employer Checklist to prepare the necessary documents.

Application Process

To apply to the OINP Foreign Worker stream, both the employer and applicant must complete a series of coordinated steps. Here’s how the process works:

Step 1: Employer Submits a Job Offer

• The process begins with your employer submitting a Job Offer for your position through the OINP Employer Portal.
• The employer must:
  • Register their business on the portal.
  • Create and submit the Job Offer form.
  • Upload all required supporting documents (e.g. business license, proof of revenue, staffing levels).
• Once submitted, the job offer is assigned a Job Offer ID, which is required for your Expression of Interest (EOI).

Step 2: Register an Expression of Interest (EOI)

• Using the Job Offer ID, you submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) via the OINP e-Filing Portal.
• EOIs are scored based on a points system that evaluates factors like:
  • NOC skill level and job location,
  • Wage offered,
  • Work experience,
  • Education, and
  • Language proficiency.
• Your EOI will stay active in the selection pool for up to 12 months or until you’re invited or withdraw.

Step 3: Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA)

• OINP conducts periodic selection draws from the EOI pool.
• If your score meets or exceeds the cutoff, you will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) through your OINP account.
• An ITA gives you 14 calendar days to submit your full application — so be prepared in advance.

Step 4: Submit Your Application

• Submit a complete application for provincial nomination through the OINP e-Filing Portal.
• Include detailed documents such as:
  • Valid job offer and employment contract,
  • Proof of relevant work experience,
  • Academic credentials and assessments,
  • Language test results (if applicable),
  • Ontario licence or registration (for regulated jobs),
  • Proof of legal status (if in Canada), and
• Supporting employer documents.
• Your employer must also finalize their portion of the job offer submission within this step.

Step 5: Receive a Provincial Nomination

If your application is successful, you will receive a Nomination approval letter, a Nomination Certificate valid for six months from the Ontario government and a Work permit support letter (if applicable). This nomination allows you to apply for permanent residence under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

Processing times for this stage are typically 1 to 3 months.

Important Note: To be approved, the job offer must be active and valid at the time of your nomination if you’re already working in the approved employment position, or on the date you start working with a valid work permit if you are not. This means your employer must honor all terms in the job offer — including paying the approved wage — starting from the day you are nominated and begin working.

Step 6: Apply to IRCC for Permanent Residence

If nominated under the OINP Employer Job Offer Category for Foreign Worker Stream, foreign nationals can apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence.

• This is a base PNP stream, not linked to Express Entry.
• You must submit a paper-based application and meet all federal requirements (medical exams, background checks, etc.).
• IRCC processing can take 12 to 18 months or more.

Pro Tips!

• The Employer Job Offer streams are not Express Entry-aligned — expect a longer processing timeline.
• You and your employer should prepare documents early to avoid missing deadlines.

How the Foreign Worker Stream Score Is Calculated

The Ontario Expression of Interest (EOI) Selection System is a points-based ranking tool used by the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) to assess candidates who wish to apply for nomination through the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream.

Only candidates with the highest scores in each draw are issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) — so your score directly impacts your chances of being selected.

Each OINP stream has its own scoring criteria. The Foreign Worker Stream is evaluated based on specific factors such as:

OINP In-Demand Skills Stream Draws

An OINP In-Demand Skills Stream Draw is a selection round conducted by the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) to invite eligible candidates from the In-Demand Skills Stream pool to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence.

These draws are based on the Expression of Interest (EOI) system, where only top-scoring candidates are invited to apply during each round.

Some draws focus on specific targeted occupations that Ontario identifies as facing acute labour shortages — such as tech and health occupations, early childhood educators, and other priority occupations that are in high demand at the time of the draw.

To stay informed about the latest draw results for the OINP In-Demand Skills Stream, we recommend checking our official OINP Draw History page for the most recent updates and detailed results.

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Other Options for Skilled Workers in Ontario Looking to Stay in Canada

If you’re a skilled worker aiming for permanent residence (PR) in Ontario, the In-Demand Skills Stream is just one of several pathways. Below are other options that may suit your background, occupation, or location:

• Ontario Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills Stream – For workers in select high-need occupations such as construction, agriculture, and healthcare, with a valid job offer from an Ontario employer.
• Ontario Express Entry: Human Capital Priorities Stream – For candidates in the Express Entry pool with skilled work experience and a strong CRS score.
• Ontario Express Entry: Skilled Trades Stream – For workers with Ontario experience in a skilled trade and a valid Express Entry profile.
• Regional Economic Development – EDI (Economic Development Initiative) – For skilled workers and international talent looking to settle in small or rural Ontario communities, supporting local economic growth and community development.

Compare In-Demand Skills Stream with other Streams

Check out this webinar on the OINPs presented by Moving2Canada in partnership with Doherty Fultz Immigration.