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The Ontario government has resumed delivering Notification of Interest (NOIs). They are being delivered to applicants who meet the Human Capital Priorities (HCP) Stream in the Express Entry program within the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).
The issuing may begin the week of April 10-14, 2017. According to the government, NOIs will continue to be issued regularly throughout the year until they reach their annual allocation.
The HCP stream allows the candidates, who are invited by the OINP through the federal Express Entry pool, to make an application for a provincial nomination certificate. When obtained and added to the candidate’s Express Entry profile, the candidate will receive an additional 600 points in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which would place him or her at the front of the line for selection in the subsequent draw from the pool.
The Ontario government advises that potential applicants should consider creating a new profile within the Express Entry system to make it easier for the province to identify their profile when it searches the federal government’s Express Entry pool. If candidates decide to create a new one, they are required to delete their old Express Entry profile. This requires the candidates to re-register in the Canada Job Bank, which is still a mandatory step for those who don’t have a job offer when entering the pool.
Select Trades Also Targeted
In relation to the NOI issuance, the OINP announced that candidates in the construction sector of the skilled trades will be targeted, as these jobs are in demand in Ontario. Nevertheless, the NOI issuance is not restricted to candidates with this type of work experience — those in other occupations may also reach their NOIs.
The Express Entry occupation list for this round of NOIs includes:
- Carpenters
- Bricklayers
- Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)
- Industrial electricians
- Plumbers
- Sheet metal workers
- Roofers and shinglers
- Electricians (except industrial and power system)
- Welders
- Tilesetters
- Boilermakers
- Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
- Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers
An annual survey of construction contractors, administered by the Ontario Construction Secretariat, for 2017 indicated that the economic outlook for the construction industry in Ontario is positive and that this confidence is held across the province.
Requirements for Eligibility
Candidates may be identified by the province and receive an NOI, if:
- They have a minimum CRS score of 400 or more CRS points; and
- They possess the required language ability, skilled work experience, education, and other characteristics to help them successfully establish and integrate into Ontario’s labour market and communities.
The candidates who are in the Express Entry pool cannot apply to HCP within the OINP until they receive an NOI. Only those who receive an NOI can submit an application for a provincial nomination certificate.
For the HCP stream the OINP only selects candidates who are eligible under the Canadian Experience Class or the Federal Skilled Worker Class.
The OINP allocation for 2017 is 6,000 new permanent residents. But the overall number of newcomers to Ontario will be higher than this number since many newcomers arrive through federal programs.
If you have received your NOI and need help submitting your application, contact the Immigration Law Office of Ronen Kurzfeld today!
