Opportunities Ontario offers three streams for international students to apply for permanent residence: 1) The PhD Graduate Stream for students who have completed 2+ years of PhD studies in Ontario; 2) The Masters Graduate Stream for students who have completed a 1+ year Masters program in Ontario and meet language and savings requirements; 3) The Students with Job Offer Stream for recent graduates who have a full-time job offer in Ontario from an eligible employer. If approved under any stream, students apply to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for permanent residence and must maintain legal status in Canada.

1. Opportunities Ontario:
Provincial Nominee Program
International Students
Centennial College April 4, 2014

2. What international students need to know
What does Opportunities Ontario offer?
Who is eligible under each stream?
How do I apply?
What happens if I am approved?

3. Why choose Opportunities Ontario?
• Fast-tracking of permanent residence application by Citizenship
and Immigration Canada (CIC)
• No work experience requirement
• No point system
• No job offer required for PhD and Masters graduates
• No language testing for students with job offer or PhD graduates

4. 1. PhD Graduate Stream
Eligible PhD students:
• Who have graduated, or successfully completed degree
requirements
• Have at least two years of their PhD studies completed at a
publicly funded Ontario university
• Must apply within two years of the date their PhD degree
was granted
• Must have legal status, if they are in Canada

5. 2. Masters Graduate Stream
Eligible Masters students:
• Who have graduated (or will soon be graduating) from a
Masters program
• Minimum one academic year degree program (full-time)
completed at a publicly funded university in Ontario
• Must apply within two years of the Masters degree being
granted or during last semester of program
• Must be currently be residing in Ontario
• Must have legal status in Canada

6. 2. Masters Graduate Stream
Masters students must demonstrate:
• High official language proficiency
• English - IELTS General test: minimum score of 7
• French - TEF: minimum score of 5
• Minimum level of savings/income to support themselves and
dependents
• At least one year of residence in Ontario in the past two years
• Not having further studies as their main activity in the province
(e.g. pursuing a PhD or another degree/diploma)

7. 3. Students with Job Offer Stream
Eligible students:
• International students who have graduated within the past two
years or completing their last semester at a publicly funded
Canadian college or university
• Must have completed at least half of their qualifying studies in
Canada
• Must have an offer of permanent and full-time employment from an
Ontario employer
• Must have legal status, if they are in Canada

8. 3. Students with Job Offer Stream
Eligible Education Programs:
• Full-time diploma or degree programs (minimum of 2 years)
• One-year post-graduate degree programs and certificate
programs, for which a previous degree or diploma is a pre-
requisite, are also eligible
Part-time studies and preparatory college programs do not
qualify

9. 3. Students with Job Offer Stream
Job Requirements:
• Located in Ontario
• Permanent and full-time
• At least at the entry level wage*
• in managerial, professional or
skilled trade occupation
(NOC 0, A, B)
*visit www.workingincanada.gc.ca for entry level wage rates
The job offer does not have to be related to your field of study

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3. Students with Job Offer Stream
Employer eligibility criteria:
• Have business premises in Ontario
• Have been in active business for the past 3 years
• Have at least 3 full-time permanent employees
(5 for employers in the GTA)
• Meet the minimum gross revenue criteria of $500,000
($1 million for employers in the GTA)

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3. Students with Job Offer Stream
How to get your employer interested:
• Know the program - it is up to you to
convince the employer to take part
• Let the employer know the pre-screen
application process is free
• Direct the employer to
www.ontarioimmigration.ca

12. Nominee Application
(fee applies)
Apply to CIC
CIC checks admissibility
Employer pre-screen
Application (no fee)
Nominee Application
(fee applies)
Apply to CIC
CIC checks admissibility
CIC issues Permanent
Resident Visa
PhD & Masters Graduates Students with Job offer
All streams - how to apply
All application forms are available on Opportunities Ontario website

13. Processing Times
• Complete employer application packages within 64
business days or 90 calendar days
• Nominee applications are due in 60 days.
• Complete nominee application packages within 64
business days or 90 calendar days
• PR applications are due in six months to CIC.
What is a complete application?
• An application is not deemed complete until all missing or
required supplementary information is received. This date
can be the date of application receipt, or the day when the
last piece of information required from the client arrives.
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All Streams - what happens if I am approved?
Apply to CIC:
•If approved by Opportunities Ontario, student nominees submit their
permanent residence application to CIC:
 www.cic.gc.ca – “Apply to Immigrate to Canada: Provincial
Nominee”
Maintain legal status:
•PNP Nomination does not confer legal status to remain in Canada
•All prospective nominees in Canada should consider applying for a post-
graduation work permit from CIC

15. Greater Toronto Area: 416-327-0374
Toll Free in North America: 1-866-214-6820
Opportunities.Ontario@ontario.ca
www.ontarioimmigration.ca
Opportunities Ontario: Study, Work, Stay
@OntMCI
How to Contact Us