It is very important to make a proper evaluation of each case on its own merits, whether the individual qualifies under any other program, for example under Federal Skilled Worker or Canadian Experience Class programs. We had a few cases when the applicant or /and his spouse did not qualify for any of these programs. We then started looking for provincial nominee programs, especially Ontario, as those individuals were working already in Ontario and many of their employers wanted to help. For the Ontario Employer Job Offer program, we were quite successful by using both streams, the International Student Stream with a job offer and the Foreign Worker stream with a job offer. Though obtaining the nomination via OINP or any other province takes longer than the above-mentioned programs, in the end it is a good solution for those who do not meet the requirements otherwise. The fees paid are also higher, as the applicants must pay both the provincial nominee fees and the federal permanent residence application fees, but the result is worth it.

We recently had two approvals for two families who applied under the 2 Ontario employer job offer streams and the families are very happy and grateful for our help with their applications.

For more information on Success Stories, please click here.

To book your consultation, please click here.

The post This Week’s Success Story: Successful Outcome for Provincial Nominee Program Application first appeared on Bellissimo Law Group.

Interested candidates can register for an account online using the OINP Portal. After filing their application and paying the processing fees, the submitted application is reviewed for completeness to ensure that applicant has submitted all the required information and documentation to demonstrate that they fulfill the program eligibility requirements.

The OINP recently implemented changes to the processing of applications. If the application is complete, the OINP will confirm the same and the application will be forwarded to assess whether the applicant meets all the eligibility requirements. On the other hand, if the application is found to be incomplete, the OINP will grant an extension of 14 calendar days to provide additional documentation or information. However, this extension cannot be used to fulfill a condition that should have been met at the time of filing the application.

Selected candidates will be nominated by the OINP, following which they can apply for permanent residence. Next, Immigrations, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will assess the permanent residence application and make a final decision. IRCC will issue permanent resident visas to successful applicants.

The post How does the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) work? first appeared on Bellissimo Law Group.

On June 28, 2017 OINP announced that it would issue targeted Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to candidates who qualify for Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities (HCP) Stream and who have work experience in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. OINP posted a list of occupations for which OINP lowered the required minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score below 400; however, candidates will still need to meet all other HCP stream eligibility, such as work experience, education, language, settlement funds, and intention to reside in Ontario.

OINP encouraged prospective candidates to create a new profile in the Express Entry system to make it easier for Ontario to identify their profile.

For more information on Express Entry, please click here.

(Sources)

The post Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream: Issuance of Notifications of Interest by Targeted Occupations first appeared on Bellissimo Law Group.

On January 23, 2017 a new online application process under the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream was launched. The OINP indicates that online application systems will help to improve processing times for applicants as well as enhance client service.

If an applicant received a Notification of Interest (NOI) from Ontario before January 23, 2017, the applicant may submit a paper application to the OINP by mail. All applications after launching the online system should be submitted online.

We will continue to monitor the OINP website for updates and hope that remaining temporarily closed programs will be re-opened in the near future.

For more information on Temporary Migration, please click here.

(Sources)

The post Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program first appeared on Bellissimo Law Group.

Each year, the total number of nominations permitted by OINP is capped by IRCC. OINP has now met its 2016 cap for its high-volume OINP streams, including:

• Notifications of Interest for OINP Human Capital Priorities Stream (Express Entry) steam effective February 16, 2016
• Employer Pre-screen effective May 9, 2016
• International Student – Masters Graduate and PhD Graduate streams effective May 9, 2016

All applications for Employer Pre-Screen and International Students streams sent after 5:00 p.m. EDT on May 9th, 2016 will not be processed and application packages will be returned to the applicant along with the unprocessed payment.

Currently the remaining eligible categories under the Ontario PNP are:

• International student and Foreign Worker with Job Offer

• Candidates whose job offer has been approved through Employer Pre-screen application can still apply under this stream. These applicants will have 60 days from the date of Pre-Screen approval letter to apply for either of these streams.

• Ontario Express Entry: French-Speaking Skilled Worker

• Candidates for French-Speaking skilled workers who have strong English language abilities and who want to live and work permanently in Ontario can still apply under this stream.

• Corporate Stream

• Established international corporations looking to expand into Ontario or buy an existing business are still eligible to apply under this stream

• Expression of Interest for the Entrepreneur Stream

• Applicants who are looking to implement a new business initiative or buy an existing business in Ontario.

For more information on the Provincial Nominee Program, please click here.

(Sources)

The post At Capacity: OOPNP 2016 Caps Met for Select, High-Volume Streams first appeared on Bellissimo Law Group.

Entrepreneur Stream

The Entrepreneur stream is open to foreign nationals who wish to implement a new business or buy an existing business in Ontario. Under this program, entrepreneurs have the opportunity to be nominated for permanent resident status once their business has been successfully established in Ontario.

The following are the eligibility requirements:

New Businesses:

1.  Minimum Investment: $500,000 – $1,000,000, depending on the location and type of business. A minimum ownership of 33.3% is also required;
2. Minimum Net Worth: $800,000 – $1,500,000, depending on the location and type of business;
3. Experience: At least 3 years of full-time business experience (as an owner or senior manager) within the last 5 years;
4. Create at least two full-time, permanent jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents; and
5. Meet a minimum language requirement of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 or equivalent in English or French.

Purchasing an Existing Business:

1.  All the requirements listed above under the New Business section;
2. The existing business must have been in continuous operation by the same owner or group of owners for the last 5 months before you buy the business;
3. The purchase must completely transfer ownership from the previous owner(s) to you, your Business Partner (if applicable) and/or your third party investor(s), if applicable;
4. The proposed business must not have been previously owned/operated by current or former OINP business stream nominees;
5. You must preserve all existing permanent full-time jobs and create two (2) additional permanent full-time jobs. You must maintain at a minimum the current wage levels and employment terms of existing staff;
6. The proposed business plan must demonstrate that you intend to grow the business. Buy and hold business plans with no intent to grow the business are not permitted in the Entrepreneur Stream; and
7. Make an exploratory visit to Ontario in the 12 months prior to submitting an application.

Corporate Stream

The OINP Corporate stream assists established international corporations to expand into Ontario or buy an existing business. Key corporation staff are eligible to apply for nomination and then permanent residence under this stream.

The following are the eligibility requirements for this stream:

• Corporations must invest a minimum of $5,000,000 in a new or existing business;
• Key staff seeking nomination must be currently employed with the corporation and be essential to the operation of the business in Ontario.  They must also meet a minimum CLB 5 level or equivalent in either English or French;
• Creation of five full-time, permanent positions for Canadian citizens or permanent residents per nominee position must be made;
• Key staff nominees will have two years to demonstrate a minimum language requirement prior to permanent residence nomination
• Other criteria will apply

For more information on Ontario’s business nomination streams, please contact our office.

(Sources)

The post OINP: Open for Business first appeared on Bellissimo Law Group.

The program assists successful nominees to gain permanent residence status in Canada. Each year, the total number of nominations permitted by Ontario PNP is capped by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (“CIC”).

As of 16 November 2015, OINP has announced they have exhausted its “base stream” allocation for 2015 of 2,500. OINP will however continue to accept nominee application(s) under the Foreign Worker and International Student with a Job Offer streams where their respective employers have already received pre-screen approval.

New Employer pre-screen applications or applications under the Master’s and PhD streams will not be accepted for the remainder of this year. The program will only welcome new applications under these streams commencing on January 1, 2016.

Nominee applications that have not been finalized in the 2015 will automatically be placed in priority for finalization in 2016.

It is important to note that this pause does not affect the OINP Express Entry stream. This category remains open and applications are still being accepted under this sub-category. Currently eligible categories under the OINP Express Entry categories are:

• Ontario Express Entry: Human Capital Priorities Stream
• Ontario Express Entry: French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream

For more information on the OINP Express Entry Categories, please click here.

(Source)

The post Temporary Pause on OINP “Base” Stream Applications first appeared on Bellissimo Law Group.