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Ontario Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream (OEEST)

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SUMMARY

The Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream gives foreign nationals with Ontario work experience in eligible skilled trades the opportunity to apply to permanently live and work in Ontario.

Applicants can only apply to the Ontario Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream after receiving a Notification of Interest (NOI) letter from the province. Eligible candidates will be contacted directly by the OINP through their Express Entry profile (➨page).

Only those Express Entry candidates who receive an invitation or NOI letter from the OINP can submit an application for a provincial nomination under the Ontario Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream.

The OINP will select candidates from the pool of candidates in Express Entry system based on the self-declared information in their Express Entry profile. So in order to apply under this program, you should have created and accepted to the pool of Express Entry.

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MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

The following requirements must be met if you are applying to Ontario Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream:

1- Eligibility for an Active Express Entry Profile

You must have an active Express Entry profile in the Federal Express Entry pool. In order to be accepted to the Express Entry Pool, you must meet the eligibility criteria for Federal Canadian Experience Class (➨Page).

In your Express Entry Profile, you must have stated an interest in immigrating permanently to Ontario.

2- Work Experience

You must have at least one (1) year of cumulative paid full-time work experience (or the equivalent in paid part- time work) in Ontario in a skilled trade that is listed in Minor Group 6320 (excluding cooks) or Major Groups 72 (excluding occupations under transportation officers), 73, 82, 83 or 93 (excluding aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors) of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) (➨Appendix 1).

If you received a notification of interest from a targeted draw, you must show that at least six (6) months of your one (1) year of eligible work experience is in your primary NOC.

Your work experience must have been obtained within the last two (2) years from the date of submitting your application to the OINP and must be obtained in Ontario in one or more occupation as you identified in your Express Entry profile.

If you are claiming work experience in a compulsory trade (➨immilib.com/O-Trades), even if you are no longer working in the trade, you must have a valid certificate or licence in Ontario at the time you apply.

Work experience gained while studying full-time at a post-secondary institution (for example, on a co-op work term) and self-employment are not eligible.

3- Legal Status in Canada

You must be living in Ontario and hold a valid work permit at the time you apply.

You are not required to have a job at the time you apply.

4- Language Ability

You must have taken an approved test results and have obtained a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark CLB 5 in all for abilities in English or French (➨Appendix 5).

5- Settlement Funds

You must show that you have enough money for you and your family to settle in Canada based on 50% of Statistics Canada’s Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) (➨Appendix 2), unless you are currently able to legally work in Canada or you have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada.

You can meet this requirement through the annual earnings of your job offer from your employer. If the annual salary of your job offer is insufficient to meet the settlement funds requirement based on your family size, you can show that you have enough to make up the difference.

6- Ineligibility

You are not eligible to apply under the Ontario Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream if you are a refugee claimant in Canada, a failed refugee claimant, had a removal order, are prohibited from entering or being in Canada, do not have status in Canada or are living illegally in your country of residence.

Ready to take the next step towards your Canadian immigration journey? Fill out the form below and embark on your path to new opportunities.

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WHAT STEPS SHOULD YOU TAKE?

Step 1: Work Experience in Ontario

Before you can submit your application under the “Ontario Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream”, you must have completed equivalent of One (1) year cumulative authorized work experience in Ontario within the past two (2) years.

If you didn’t have a qualified work experience in Ontario with the criteria explained in “Minimum Requirements”, you need to find an employer and secure a job for yourself.

After you have obtained an offer of employment from Ontario employer, you need to apply and receive a work permit. Your work permit will be an employer-specific work permit meaning that it lets you work in Canada for that employer and according to the conditions on your work permit.

Before you submit your application for an employer-specific work permit, the employer who wants to hire you must complete certain steps and give you either a copy of a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) (➨immilib.com/LMIA) or an offer of employment number (if the job is LMIA exempt)to include in your application.

One of the requirements for the Ontario Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream is to have a valid work permit at the time of application.

Note: You are not required to be employed at the time of application submission, however, you must have a valid work permit in Canada.

Step 2: Create Express Entry Profile

For a chance to be invited to apply under OINP Express Entry Stream, you must create an Express Entry Profile for yourself. Within your Express Entry profile make sure you have stated an interest in immigrating permanently to Ontario.

Since you are eligible under Canadian Experience Class, you may be accepted into the pool of candidates.

The Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (OINP) regularly searches the Express Entry pool to find candidates who may meet the criteria of one of Ontario’s Express Entry immigration streams.

You must receive a Notification of Interest letter (request to submit an application to apply to the program) through your IRCC Express Entry account. If the OINP does not ask you to submit an application, you are not eligible for consideration under this stream.

Recent Draws – Ontario Express Entry Stream
Date of Draw	No. of NOI	Min. CRS
Oct 17, 2024	1307	405
Aug 22, 2024	1287	400
Jul 11, 2024	1277	408
Mar 1, 2024	2583	350
Jan 11, 2024	2552	350
Aug 3, 2023	2844	250
May 18, 2023	1694	250
Mar 23, 2023	746	250
Feb 10, 2023	466	260
Feb 9, 2023	510	260
Updates and Complete list of previous Draws available at: immilib.com/OEEST-Draws

If OINP identifies you in the pool, you will receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) in your online account where you created your Express Entry Profile.

You must receive a Notification of Interest letter (request to submit an application to apply to the program) through IRCC Express Entry account. If the OINP does not ask you to submit an application, you are not eligible for consideration under this stream.

Check your CRS score and then compare with previous rounds of OINP invitations to see how likely you are to get an invitation in the next round. You may calculate your score using the online CRS tool at (➨immilib.com/CRS-Tool).

Step 3: Submit Application to OINP

If you receive a Notification of Interest (NOI), you may submit your application by providing the Application Forms and all supporting documentation and paying the application by credit card in the OINP e-filing Portal (➨immilib.com/OEEST-Apply). Within the portal you must choose the Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream.

You have 45 calendar days after you receive your NOI to submit an application to the OINP.

All supporting documents must be scanned and uploaded in your online application and you need to submit a complete application online in the OINP e-filing Portal.

It takes about three hours to complete your application. You don’t have to do it all at once but you must submit your application within 45 calendar days of receiving your NOI.

After you submit your application, you will receive an email confirming that your file has been received and accepted for processing. This will include your OINP file number.

You can check the status of your application through your account in the OINP e-Filing Portal.

If your application is successful, you will receive a Nomination Approval Letter and an OINP Certificate of Nomination by email.

OINP will enter the details of your nomination into the IRCC Express Entry system. You will then receive a notification of your nomination through your IRCC online account.

You have 30 calendar days to accept or refuse the nomination in the Express Entry system.

If you accept, you will receive an additional 600 points in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) (➨page) for being nominated, which means you will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence from IRCC in the next round of invitations, which are usually done every two (2) weeks. You then have 60 calendar days to submit your application to IRCC for permanent residence.

OINP Application
Submit Online Application:
immilib.com/OEEST-Apply

Official Program Guide:
immilib.com/OEEST-Guide

OINP Application Fee:
$1,500
Processing Time:
immilib.com/ON-PT

Document Checklist:
immilib.com/OEEST-Doc

Contact:
416-327-0374 ontarionominee@ontario.ca

Step 4: Apply for Permanent Residence

You can only apply for permanent residence (➨page) through Express Entry if you’ve received an invitation to apply.

Your Express Entry invitation to apply is valid for 60 days only.

Step 5: Landing in Canada

If your application is approved, you will be asked to pay your right of permanent residence fee if you haven’t already done so. You will receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR) and if you are from a country that requires a visa you will also be issued a permanent resident visa.

You will only become a Permanent Resident of Canada when you cross a Canadian port of entry. This is referred to as ‘landing in Canada’ (➨page).

You must land in Canada before the expiry date, which appears on your Canada Immigration Visa. Usually, the expiry date is one (1) year from the time medical examinations were completed. As this is not always the case, be sure to verify the expiry date as soon as the Canada Immigration Visa is received.

Ready to take the next step towards your Canadian immigration journey? Fill out the form below and embark on your path to new opportunities.

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WELCOME TO ONTARIO!

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Immigration Library™

Ontario Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream (OEEST)

Table of Contents

SUMMARY

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

1- Eligibility for an Active Express Entry Profile

2- Work Experience

3- Legal Status in Canada

4- Language Ability

5- Settlement Funds

6- Ineligibility

WHAT STEPS SHOULD YOU TAKE?

Step 1: Work Experience in Ontario

Step 2: Create Express Entry Profile

Step 3: Submit Application to OINP

Step 4: Apply for Permanent Residence

Step 5: Landing in Canada

WELCOME TO ONTARIO!

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