OINP – Skilled Trades Stream

Requirements to qualify for EE

You must have a valid profile in the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC’s) Express Entry system and receive a Notification of Interest from Ontario before you can apply online to be nominated by the Ontario government for permanent residence.

To qualify for Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades stream, you must meet the requirements of the
Canadian Experience Class federal immigration program.

Language

You must be able to understand, read, write and speak either English or French at a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 or higher.

Work/Business Experience

At least one year of cumulative paid full-time work experience (or the equivalent in paid part-time work) in Ontario Major Groups 72 (excluding occupations under transportation officers), 73, 82, 83, 93 (excluding aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors) or Minor Group 6320 (excluding cooks) of the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
Your work experience must have been:
- Obtained within the last two years from the date of submitting your application to the OINP in one or more of the occupations that you identified in your Express Entry profile in Ontario while maintaining legal status in Canada.
- Cumulative means:
  - The work you’ve done must add up to one year, but it does not have to be one year of continuous work.
- Full-time work experience means:
  - Working in a job with at least 30 hours of paid work in a week that amounts to at least 1,560 hours of paid work in one year.
- Part-time equivalent work experience means:
  - Working in one job for at least 15 hours per week for two years that amounts to at least 1,560 hours in that two-year period, or
  - Working in more than one job for at least 30 hours per week for one year that amounts to at least 1,560 hours of paid work in that one-year period.
Please note:
- Your work experience must have been obtained over a period of at least one year.
- Work experience totaling 1,560 hours obtained in less than one year period does not qualify.
- If you worked in a compulsory trade, only work experience acquired after becoming qualified to practice that occupation in Ontario will qualify.
- Paid 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.
- Volunteer work and unpaid internships do not count as work experience.
- Vacation periods, regular sick leave, and other standard paid leave entitlements as provided for in collective agreements, workplace legislation and/or individual employer policies are not considered interruptions to full-time employment. Extended leaves are considered interruptions to full-time employment and are not to be included in the calculation of work experience.
Valid certificate or licence (if applicable)
- If you are claiming work experience in a compulsory trade, 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 and you must have held a valid certificate or licence that covers the period of work experience that is being used to meet the minimum one year of work experience in an eligible skilled trades occupation.

Work Permit / Temporary Permits

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

If your work permit expired, you may still apply to the OINP if you have submitted an application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to renew/extend your work permit before its expiry date. In these cases, you are considered to be in implied status. You can remain in Canada and continue to work under the same conditions as your existing work permit until a decision is made on the pending application.

Job Offer

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

Adaptability / Accompanying members

family member includes your spouse, common law partner and children under the age of 22, including their children.

Residing at time of Application

You must be living in Ontario

Intention to live in Province

You must intend to live in Ontario after you’re granted permanent residence. We determine this by examining your ties to Ontario, which can include things like:

working or have worked in Ontario
getting job offers or applying/ interviewing for jobs
studying
volunteering
leasing or owning property
visiting
having professional networks and affiliations, family ties and personal relationships

Legal Status in Canada

If you are applying from within Canada, you must have legal status (visitor record, study permit, or work permit) at the time you apply and should maintain that status until the time of nomination.
You may apply if you are in ‘implied status’ at the time of your OINP application submission.

Funds

IRCC PROOF OF FUNDS

You must have enough money to support yourself and your dependent family members when you settle in Canada.
Note that a family member includes your spouse, common law partner and children under the age of 22, including their children.
You can meet this requirement through one or a combination of any of the following:
funds as demonstrated by the balance listed in bank statements, or statements of accounts showing other investments such as non-locked in, fixed term deposits, mutual funds, etc.
annual earnings from ongoing employment
a job offer

the minimum amount you need to immigrate to Canada as of May 2024. If you have more money, you should list the full amount in your profile or application.

Number of family members	Funds required (in Canadian dollars)
1	$14,690
2	$18,288
3	$22,483
4	$27,297
5	$30,690
6	$34,917
7	$38,875
If more than 7 people, for each additional family member, add	$3,958

You don’t need to show that you have enough money to support yourself and your family if

you’re applying under the Canadian Experience Class or
you’re authorized to work in Canada and you have a valid job offer, even if you apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Federal Skilled Trades Program

Application Period

Approximately between 70 to 100 days.

Application Fee

The application fee is $1,500 and covers the cost of processing your application.

Submission of Application

Candidates must:
- Meet the eligibility requirements of the federal CEC program.
- Generate their Express Entry profile, and specify their interest in the province by selecting “Ontario” or “All Provinces and Territories”.
- Qualify for the minimum ST stream eligibility requirements.
- Obtain a Notification of Interest directly in their Express Entry profile.
- Apply to the ST stream within 45 days of receiving the Notification of Interest, by submitting their application through the OINP e-Filing Portal (filling in forms and uploading required documents).
- Accept the Ontario provincial nomination (after the OINP processes their application) within 30 days of receiving it on their Express Entry profile.
- Obtain an additional 600 CRS points in the Express Entry profile, and receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
- Apply for permanent residence through your Express Entry profile.