OINP Regional Immigration Pilot now accepting applications

Ontario has begun accepting applications for the Regional Immigration Pilot. The Pilot provides a new pathway to Canada permanent residence to prospective Ontario immigrants, increasing uptake of immigrants in the small and rural communities in Ontario.

Announced in a News Release dated December 19, 2019, the Pilot is an attempt by the Ontario Government to help businesses in rural and small communities in the province to attract as well as retain skilled foreign workers.

As per the News Release, the communities of Cornwall, Belleville/Quinte West, and Chatham-Kent were selected for the Pilot in an endeavour to fulfil the labour needs in these communities that were not being met locally.

A part of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program [OINP], the Regional Immigration Pilot of Ontario provides an opportunity to businesses in the selected 3 communities to support economic growth and fill talent gaps through the creation of an immigration pathway for skilled foreign workers to become Canadian permanent residents.

The Ontario government seeks to further develop its immigration strategy, giving the province more choice as well as autonomy over the selection of economic immigrants.

Communities were chosen based on the interest shown by the community stakeholders, the ability to successfully getting newcomers settled in the province, and their specific skilled labour challenges.

The outcome from the Pilot will be utilized for informing further efforts for reorganizing economic immigration in Ontario.

A 2-year Pilot, the OINP’s Rural Immigration Pilot works within the Employer Job Offer stream of the OINP.

An immigration candidate will qualify for the Pilot if they are eligible for any 1 of the 3 OINP Employer Job offer streams – International Student stream, Foreign Worker stream, or In-Demand Skills stream – and their valid job offer is from an Ontario employer located within any of the 3 Pilot communities.

Around 150 nominations under the OINP’s Employer Job Offer category have been set aside for the Regional Immigration Pilot.

How to apply to the OINP Regional Immigration Pilot?

Firstly, you will have to be an OINP applicant. If interested in Canada immigration through the OINP Regional Immigration pilot, you can explore opportunities to work or settle in any of the partnering communities.

As eligibility for the Pilot, an applicant must –

Meet the stipulated criteria for any of the streams under the Employer Job Offer category of the OINP

Have a permanent, full-time job offer from an employer that is located in either of the communities taking part in the Pilot

For applying for the Pilot, an intake form will have to be filled up and emailed to the OINP to the appropriate email address.

If the completed intake form submitted by the applicant is found to be accurate upon assessment, further notification will be sent on how to proceed with the submission of an application to the OINP Employer Job Offer stream.

Which communities in Ontario are a part of the OINP Regional Immigration Pilot?

Chatham-Kent

Cities of Quinte West and Belleville

City of Cornwall

To be eligible for the Pilot, the job offer must be from an employer that is located within the designated geographical boundaries for the communities.

If you are looking to Study, Work in Canada, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Canada, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

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