Maple News reports that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) invited 48 candidates to apply for provincial nomination in its August 11 draw, focusing on critical sectors with persistent labor shortages. The draw was held through the In-Demand Skills stream under the province’s recently launched Expression of Interest (EOI) system, which replaces the previous first-come-first-served application model.
Ontario’s new EOI system allows candidates to register their interest in immigrating to the province at any time. From that pool, the province selects candidates who meet specific labor market needs. The August 11 draw specifically targeted workers in health care, agriculture, and select manufacturing roles, particularly those located outside the Greater Toronto Area.
Unlike other streams that prioritize high-skilled occupations, the In-Demand Skills stream focuses on sectors facing labor shortages, regardless of skill designation. This includes jobs often categorized as ‘low-skilled’ under federal standards, yet vital to Ontario’s economic infrastructure.
This round of invitations had no minimum score threshold. To be eligible, candidates needed job offers in occupations classified under the National Occupational Classification (NOC). Health and agriculture occupations included nurse aides (NOC 3413), home support workers excluding housekeepers (NOC 4412), general farm workers (NOC 8431), nursery and greenhouse laborers (NOC 8432), harvesting laborers (NOC 8611), and industrial butchers and related workers (NOC 9462).
In the manufacturing sector, eligible roles were exclusively from outside the Greater Toronto Area and included machine operators in metal and chemical processing (NOC 9411, 9416, 9421), woodworking machine operators (NOC 9437), sewing machine operators (NOC 9446), electronic assemblers (NOC 9523), and more. These occupations were strategically chosen to address key labor shortages in Ontario’s manufacturing industry.
Candidates who received an invitation have 14 calendar days to submit their complete application for provincial nomination. A successful nomination speeds up their pathway to Canadian permanent residency.
To qualify under the In-Demand Skills stream, candidates must demonstrate at least nine months of cumulative work experience in Ontario within the past three years (excluding seasonal work). Part-time work can count if it equates to at least 1,200 paid hours. Additional requirements include a minimum education level equivalent to a Canadian high school diploma, a Canadian language benchmark (CLB) of 4 or higher in all areas, and proof of sufficient settlement funds.
With this draw, Ontario continues its strategy to fill labor market gaps in essential but often overlooked roles, reinforcing the province’s commitment to nurturing a balanced and inclusive immigration framework.