Ontario Attracting More Skilled Newcomers
April 28, 2022Cornwall Ontario — An additional $15.1 million will be invested to improve and expand the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). The investment will allow Ontario to attract the skilled immigrants needed to fill labour gaps when local workers are not available.
“Newcomers are crucial to growing our economy and building a stronger future for all of us,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. “We’re lowering the barriers they face and have called on our partners in the federal government to double the number of newcomers Ontario can select in 2022. By investing in the future success of this program, we’re not resting until everyone in Ontario who wants to earn a paycheque is able to do so.”
This new investment will allow the program to grow, enhance security and fraud detection and other IT updates to ensure the system can handle increased capacity now and in the future. Nominating newcomers to work in Ontario helps meet the needs of our growing economy, by filling jobs in health care, computer programming, web development and trucking.
While almost 120,000 economic class immigrants to Canada arrived in 2021, only 9,000 newcomers were nominated through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program in that year. An increased nomination allocation would allow Ontario to fill targeted labour market gaps across the province and drive overall economic growth.
Additional Changes
Ontario has recently launched a new entrepreneur pilot to attract 100 international entrepreneurs to start or grow businesses in regions outside of the Greater Toronto Area. Applications received through the pilot project will be processed on an expediated basis to help fast track job creation opportunities.
Ontario is also removing discriminatory barriers that prevent foreign-trained professionals from working in the sectors they were trained in, such as engineering, law, accounting and skilled trades.
Job Opportunities
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program has nine (9) streams, three of which require the immigrant to have a job offer, and three of which are specific to identified skills. Fortunately, there are many employers in Cornwall that are willing to hire immigrants and assist through the OINP process. Available jobs are listed on the ChooseCornwall Job Board:
Local Immigration Resources
There are a number of resources locally to help immigrants get settled in the community:
- Newcomer Employment and Welcome Services is dedicated to helping newcomers settle and find employment
- Job Zone d’emploi provides employment related services for local job seekers, including newcomers
- Immigrant entrepreneurs looking to start a business in Cornwall should contact the Cornwall Business Enterprise Centre.
- International students looking to come to the area from schooling should connect with St. Lawrence College.
- Immigration Cornwall is a local website connecting newcomers to the community.
Quick Facts
- There are currently more than 300,000 jobs in Ontario going unfilled.
- Ontario’s OINP allocation from the federal government has increased from 6,500 in 2017 to 9,000 in 2021.
- The OINP allows the province to nominate, for permanent residence, individuals who have the skills and experience to contribute to Ontario’s economy. With an Ontario nomination, individuals then apply to the federal government, through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for permanent residence.
- This work builds on the government’s efforts to attract top talent and investment to the province by:
- improving the nomination process for applicants to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program with an expression of interest system
- helping businesses in small and rural communities attract and retain skilled workers.