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Intake Open for Ontario’s New Regional Immigration Pilot

July 13, 2020
By Bob Peters

Cornwall Ontario – Ontario has started accepting applications for the new Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program Regional Immigration Pilot.

Cornwall's Waterfront

The Regional Immigration Pilot is an opportunity for Cornwall businesses to fill talent gaps and support economic growth. It offers a pathway for skilled workers who have job offers from local employers to become permanent residents. Cornwall is one of three Ontario communities selected for the project, along with Belleville/Quinte West and Chatham-Kent.

“Cornwall businesses continue to expand and are in need of skilled workers,” says Mayor Bernadette Clement. “The Pilot will help attract and retain talent to the Cornwall area and we are happy the program is now open.”

The pilot is designed to help employers fill labour gaps in professional, managerial and in-demand occupations with foreign workers and international students that otherwise may have settled in larger communities. To qualify, candidates must have a permanent job offer and must also meet the criteria for one of the Ontario Employer Job Offer streams, namely:

  • Foreign Worker
  • International Student
  • In-Demand Skills

Candidates can apply from within or outside Canada. More information is available on the following link, along with links to the intake application form:

The pilot is not intended to overlap with local efforts to employ workers who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents who may have been laid off as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The pilot was initially announced in December 2019 following a consultation period with a number of stakeholders in smaller Ontario communities. It has an allocation of approximately 150 nominations.

Quick Facts

  • The OINP will allocate approximately 150 nominations for the pilot through the OINP Employer Job Offer category that will be reserved for applicants with job offers in the pilot communities.
  • The OINP’s Employer Job Offer Category allows Ontario businesses to fill labour needs in professional, managerial and in-demand occupations with foreign workers and international students to fill their labour gaps. Recruited workers must have a job offer and may apply from within or outside of Canada.
  • Immigration is a shared jurisdiction in Canada between the federal government and the provinces and territories. Ontario has the largest nominee program in the country with an allocation of 6,650 in 2019, plus an additional 250 nominations specifically for National Occupational Classification level C jobs that usually require high school and/or job-specific training.

Additional Resources

About the Ontario Immigration Nominee Program

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is the province’s economic immigration program. It works in partnership with the Government of Canada through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Foreign workers, international students and others with the right skills, experience and education apply to the OINP for a nomination. The OINP recognizes and nominates people for permanent residence who have the skills and experience the Ontario economy needs, and the Government of Canada makes the final decision to approve applications for permanent residence.

 

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