Ontario loosens eligibility criteria for OINP Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream. The eligibility requirement has been expanded for students who have completed a one-year college graduate certificate. 

Earlier, the OINP’s Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream enabled applicants to apply with a one-year credential from an eligible institution only if the program needed the completion of a degree as an admission requirement. 

With this transition, the OINP enables applicants of any one-year college program that grants an Ontario College Graduate Certificate to qualify for the program. As a result, this increases the number of certificate programs eligible for the OINP. The change came into effect on January 1st, 2024. 

What Is The OINP Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream? 

Ontario loosens eligibility criteria for OINP. Moreover, the International Student Stream offers students a job offer in an eligible skilled profession to obtain permanent residence. 

In addition, the stream is for international students residing in or outside Canada with an employment offer in a ‘skilled profession’ classified as Level 0, A, or B as per Canada’s NOC.  

Furthermore, along with the employment offer, international students must ensure that they and their employer & the employment offer meet the program criteria. The Ontario employer has to complete an Employer Form, which the international student has to submit when applying. 

If an application is approved & an Ontario provincial nomination is issued under this stream. Further, the nominees might apply for a work permit & Canadian PR status with IRCC. 

In order to be eligible, applicants must prove they have obtained one of the following eligible credentials: 

  • An undergraduate degree/ diploma, which takes at least two years if pursued on a full-time basis from an eligible Canadian institution. 
  • A graduate degree/ diploma takes a minimum of one year if pursued full-time from an eligible Canadian institution.
  • A university graduate certificate that takes at least one year to complete if pursued on a full-time basis from an eligible Ontario institution. 
  • A college graduate certificate, which takes a minimum of one year to complete if pursued on a full-time basis from an eligible Ontario institution. 

More than half of the candidate’s studies must have been completed at an eligible Canadian institution while living & studying in Canada. In order to determine whether a graduate certificate is an eligible credential, candidates must check that the official credential from their obtained institution is an Ontario College Graduate Certificate. 

In addition to having apt education credentials, candidates must: 

  • Have an approved full-time employment offer of intermittent length in a skilled profession in Ontario. The employment offer must meet the entry-level wage levels in Ontario for that profession.   
  • Demonstrate the intention to reside in Ontario. Candidates have to showcase their ties to Ontario. 
  • Hold the mandatory licensure or authorization needed for the job at the time of applying. 
  • Have & maintained legal status in Ontario throughout the application period if the candidate is residing in Canada. 

A potential candidate can demonstrate a connection to Ontario via: 

  • Current/ previous employment in the province
  • Education 
  • Job offers ]volunteer work
  • Professional networks & affiliations 
  • Lease agreements for a residence in Ontario or property ownership    
  • Family ties
  • Social connections or personal relationships 
  • Previous visits to Ontario