Ontario PNP invites Master's and Phd. Candidates

Ontario asked 691 international student graduates to register for a provincial nomination on September 14. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) encouraged 627 international student graduates to apply for the Masters Graduate stream, with an additional 64 candidates potentially eligible for the PhD Graduate stream.

Candidates were required to have their Expression of Interest (EOI) profile submitted in order to be invited by Ontario. Each stream had its own set of criteria for scoring:

• Master's holders needed a minimum score of 35
• PhD grads were supposed to have a score of 16

Since Ontario established an EOI method for its Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) that do not already use the Express Entry system, this is the third and largest Masters Graduate stream draw. It was the second draw for the PhD Graduate stream.

Master's Graduate draws look to be larger and have a higher score requirement, based on the precedence created by these draws. This could be owing to the quantity of competent individuals who apply for each degree type in the EOI system. According to Statistics Canada, thousands of overseas students graduate with master's degrees from Ontario each year, while the number of PhD graduates is in the hundreds.

Ontario Master's Graduate Stream

To be considered for the Masters Graduate stream, you must first register with Ontario's e-Filing Portal and then submit a graduate stream expression of interest.

Get a Free Express Entry Assessment

The province of Ontario then asks qualified people to apply for a provincial nomination, which strengthens any application for permanent residency in Canada.

You do not need a job offer to apply, but you must submit your application within two years of graduation. This stream is open to graduates of the following universities:

• Algoma University
• Brescia University College (Affiliated with the University of Western Ontario)
• Brock University
• Carleton University
• Dominican University College
• Huron University College (Affiliated with the University of Western Ontario)
• King’s University College at the University of Western Ontario
• Lakehead University
• Laurentian University
• McMaster University
• Nipissing University
• Ontario College of Art & Design University
• Queen’s University
• Royal Military College of Canada
• Ryerson University
• Saint Paul University (Federated with the University of Ottawa)
• St. Jerome’s University (Federated with the University of Waterloo)
• Trent University
• University of Guelph
• University of Ontario Institute of Technology
• University of Ottawa
• University of St. Michael’s College (Federated with the University of Toronto)
• University of Toronto
• University of Trinity College (Federated with the University of Toronto)
• University of Waterloo
• University of Windsor
• Victoria University (Federated with the University of Toronto)
• Western University
• Wilfrid Laurier University
• York University

How to increase points for your Ontario Immigration? 

Ontario evaluates EOI profiles according to a set of human capital indicators that the province has determined are significant in identifying immigrants with the ability to succeed. Your job offer's skill level, as well as your Canadian work experience, get you points.

Depending on which stream you apply for, the OINP scoring methodology differs. It considers your wage, education, official language proficiency, and the place in which you study or work, in addition to your skill level and job experience. In addition, the province has the option of allocating 10 points to respond to labour market demands.