New OINP EOI System

The Ontario government has recently opened its popular International Student and Foreign Worker streams . Instead of the maddening first-come, first-serve system of the past, the OINP has launched a new EOI points system that allows applicants who qualify to enter first into a pool. The government will subsequently conduct draws to allow those with points above a certain level to apply under these programs. Here are some details about this system:

The EOI will apply to the Employer-Based Streams (International Student Stream, the Foreign Worker Stream, and the In-Demand Skills Stream) and the Graduate Streams (the Masters Graduate Stream and PhD Graduate Stream).

Applicants who are interested in applying under these streams must first create a profile that will include the following factors to gain points:

1. Job offer – NOC level, code and wage level (not for Graduate Streams)
2. Canadian Work Experience – length, NOC Code, and wage level
3. Level of Education
4. Education – field of study and Canadian education (not for Foreign Worker or In-Demand Skills Streams)
5. Language ability – level and knowledge of 1 or 2 languages (not for Foreign Worker or In-Demand Skills Streams)
6. Location of job offer and study (not for Graduate Streams)
7. Other – Strategic priorities that the government will decide on

There will be a number of draws throughout the year (frequency unknown) where the government will issue invitations to apply. Those who receive an invitation to apply will have 14 days to submit their application.Currently only the International Student and Foreign Worker Streams are open. The In-Demand Skills, Masters Graduate, and PhD Graduate Streams are set to open later this year.

We speculate that given the attention on the new TR to PR public policy programs for the 90,000 International Students and Workers as well as the lowered Express Entry scores for Canadian Experience Class applicants, there will likely be a lower number of people who are currently going to apply under these OINP categories at this time. As such, it may be a good idea for those who qualify under these categories to enter the pool now.

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