Ontario Launches a Stream for Technology Sector and Small Communities

Ontario has a plan to create a dedicated provincial stream to attract skilled technology professionals by using the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program.

This initiative is a part of the provincial budget that was announced on April 11, 2019. Another initiative is the pilot for helping to bring skilled workers to the smaller communities in Ontario. Apart from that, there is an expansion of the existing Entrepreneur Stream, and also the addition of truck drivers and workers engaged in personal support to the Employer Job Offer Demand Skills Stream.

The budget statement proclaims that with the modernization of the Program, and together with other initiatives, the government has a plan for ensuring that the workforce remains highly skilled and ready for meeting the demands of a modern economy.

The provincial government has called on the federal government for work with it for ensuring that the nomination allocation of the OINP and its NOC codes are fair allowing the province to meet the economic needs of the labor market. Moreover, the Ontario government has outlined a plan for the Program in these areas.

The government plans to create a devoted stream for helping the technology sector to attract top skilled employees. Additionally, this stream is in response to the increasing IT industry, centered on Toronto. It is a fast tech market in Northern America.

The Technology Skilled Worker Stream of OINP follows the Global Talent Stream of the federal government for technology workers, and also of the BC PNP Tech Pilot, giving a priority to technology workers in BC nominations.

Ontario plans for spreading the benefits of immigration to various small communities. Additionally, the government will start a pilot initiative involving select communities for exploring innovative approaches for bringing top skilled immigrants to work in small communities. The smaller communities in the province complain of overlooking in their struggle for attracting top skilled immigrants. The province attracts many immigrants every year, but a majority of them settle in Ottawa and Toronto leaving other areas. This causes uneasiness in overcoming the shrinking labor markets and dealing with an aging population. The pilot will also follow the Northern and Rural Immigration Pilot launched in 2019.

Ontario government has a plan to expand the eligible occupations for the Employer Job Offer. This will reflect the employer and labor market needs better. Moreover, the Demand Skills Stream includes personal support workers and transport truck drivers.

The present Employer Job Offer In-Demand Skills Stream attracts candidates having an in-demand specific skill in Ontario. The requirements are that the applicants must possess the permanent job offer (full-time) and one year of cumulative work experience during the past three years in an eligible occupation.

Ontario has a plan to recalibrate investments and threshold of net worth for expanding the base of the Entrepreneur Stream. The government has a plan of making Ontario as competitive as the other provinces. This Stream moreover, aims to attract persons outside Canada who intend to start a business or also buy an existing business in the province.

Presently, the minimum net worth requirements for businesses inside the Greater Toronto Area is $1.5 million, and for outside the GTA, it is $800,000. The investment requirements are $1 million in the GTA and $500,000 if it is outside. Candidates also have to own 33 percent business.