The Ontario International Students stream is always open to new applications. Eligible candidates can submit an application at any time and applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. However, the stream has an annual intake quota. Once this quota is met, the stream will close until the following year. Interested candidates must register by creating a One-Key account with the e-Filing Portal. The OINP application fee is $1,500 CAD for the Employer Job Offer: International Student stream.
If the province approves the application, Ontario will notify the applicant they have been selected for provincial nomination. This notification will be sent to the applicant’s ONe-Key account within the e-Filing Portal.
The province will also issue a work permit support letter enabling applicants to apply for a work permit while their permanent residency application is in processing. Select skilled worker categories of immigration allow foreign nationals to apply for temporary work permits allowing them to work in Canada while their permanent residency application is in processing. These work permits do not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), meaning they are LMIA-exempt. To apply for such a work permit, an applicant must include a work permit support letter issued by the province and submit their applications to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
After receiving a provincial nomination an applicant has six months to submit a federal application for Canadian permanent residence. Applicants in this program must complete and submit a paper-based application for permanent residence and submit it by mail to the appropriate application centre. Paper-based PNP applications for permanent residence are generally processed within 18 months.