OINP MASTERS GRADUATE STREAM
If you have obtained a Master’s degree at an Ontario post-secondary institution you may be eligible for the OINP Masters Graduate Stream which can get you a nomination from the province of Ontario which means 600 CRS points towards your application for permanent resident status in Ontario. And the good news is, unlike many other OINP streams, you do not need a job offer.
Who qualifies?
You must have the following in order to be able to apply:
You must have completed a Master’s Degree from an eligible Ontario institution within 2 years or less of the date you apply for the OINP Masters Graduate Stream. The degree must have been pursued on a full-time basis and have taken a minimum of 1 academic year to obtain.
The eligible Ontario institutions are:
- Algoma University
- Brescia University College (Affiliated with the University of Western Ontario)
- Brock University
- Carleton University
- Dominican University College
- Huron University College (Affiliated with the University of Western Ontario)
- King’s University College at the University of Western Ontario
- Lakehead University
- Laurentian University
- McMaster University
- Nipissing University
- Ontario College of Art & Design University
- Queen’s University
- Royal Military College of Canada
- Ryerson University
- Saint Paul University (Federated with the University of Ottawa)
- St. Jerome’s University (Federated with the University of Waterloo)
- Trent University
- University of Guelph
- University of Ontario Institute of Technology
- University of Ottawa
- University of St. Michael’s College (Federated with the University of Toronto
- University of Toronto
- University of Trinity College (Federated with the University of Toronto)
- University of Waterloo
- University of Windsor
- Victoria University (Federated with the University of Toronto)
- Western University
- Wilfrid Laurier University
- York University
Your language skills must be at a Canadian Language Benchmark CLB 7 level in either English or French.
You must have resided in Ontario for at least 1 year during the 2 years previous to applying. This must have been with a legal status as conferred by a study permit or a work permit or a visitor visa.
You must fulfill the settlement funds requirement showing you have enough savings and/or income to support yourself and any family members coming with you. These are updated annually by the IRCC. Go here for more information. You can meet the fund requirements through a combination of savings and earnings or income to be earned from any legitimate job offer you may have in Ontario. You will have to show:
- Bank statements or statements of investments such as term deposits in liquid currencies that can be converted to Canadian funds.
- Earning statements from ongoing jobs.
- Letters from your financial institutions indicating that the funds are available to be transferred to Canada.
- Remember to black-out or “redact” any credit card numbers on any copies of statements that you submit to OINP.
You must have an intent to settle and live in Ontario which means you may have to provide copies of the following:
- Current or previous employment in Ontario
- Job offers or interviews or applications for jobs in Ontario
- Education in Ontario
- Volunteer work in Ontario
- Lease agreements for a residence in Ontario or property ownership in Ontario
- Professional networks and affiliations linked with Ontario
- Family ties and/or social connections to Ontario
- Previous visits to Ontario.
You must either be residing legally in Ontario at the time of your application or be residing abroad. You cannot apply if you are residing in another province or territory in Canada.
If you are renewing your status document (study permit, work permit, visitor visa) then you have what’s called “implied status”. You may apply for the Masters Graduate Stream if you have implied status, until a decision is rendered on your status.
If you have studied in Canada on a grant, bursary, or scholarship that requires you to return to your home country and you have not completed the obligations by not returning home, then you cannot apply to the stream until you return to your home country.
You do NOT need a job offer under this stream.
How to Apply
Step 1:
Register online at OINP’s website to get your ONe-key Account. Once you have registered you then have 14 days to submit your application to OINP. Go here to begin the process. Scroll down to the red-outlined rectangular box and click there to begin. The application should take a couple of hours to complete. Remember to save your work if your application is not yet complete.
Your application fee is CAD$1,500 and can ONLY be paid by Credit Card (Visa or MasterCard only) online. Once you have paid your fee online, your application will be processed and cannot be changed. You will receive an email confirming receipt of the payment.
Step 2:
Gather your documents and scan them and upload them with your application. You will need the following documents:
- A copy of a passport or visa photograph of yourself
- A copy of your entire valid passport
- A copy of the personal details pages of each dependent family member’s passport
- Copies of all status documents (work or study permits, visitor visas etc.) current and previous that have been issued to you by IRCC or CBSA, including any letters acknowledging receipt of your application to extend your status in Canada in the case you have implied status
- Copies of the following confirming residency in Ontario, for example:
- Phone, Hydro, or Energy bills
- Car, House, Apartment insurance bills/contracts
- Residential leases
- Pay slips from Ontario employer
- A copy of your Master’s Degree and your transcripts from the Ontario institution
- Copies of any other university degrees you wish to include
- Language Test results taken not more than 2 years from the date you apply, that confirm you have CLB 7 in either English and/or French with the following exams being acceptable:
- IELTS
- CELPIP
- TEF (French)
- TCF (French)
- Copies of bank statements or investment account statements showing your savings in order to meet the settlement funds criteria
- Employment Contracts or Payslips if you are using your income to prove you have sufficient settlement funds
- Additional documents that show your connections to Ontario and prove your intent to reside in the province
- A copy of your current resume (CV) showing your work experience and your educational history
- Copies of any other documentation that provide clarification or additional information to support your application
- Remember you must provide a certified or notarized translation into English or French if your documents are not in either of Canada’s official languages.
Step 3:
Appointing a representative. See our blogs on the other OINP streams where we detail how to authorize your representative online.
Step 4:
After you Apply: See our other blogs on OINP streams where we give information on what to do after you receive a nomination from OINP and how to use your nomination to apply to IRCC for permanent residence in Ontario, Canada.
OINP PhD GRADUATE STREAM
This is a very similar stream to the Master Graduate stream and does NOT require a job offer.
Who qualifies?
The eligibility criteria are identical to the Masters Graduate stream with one obvious exception:
You must have a PhD from one of the following Ontario educational institutions:
- Brock University
- Carleton University
- Dominican University College
- Lakehead University
- Laurentian University
- McMaster University
- Nipissing University
- Queen’s University
- Royal Military College of Canada
- Ryerson University
- Saint Paul University (Federated with University of Ottawa)
- St. Jerome’s University (Federated with Waterloo University)
- Trent University
- University of Guelph
- University of Ontario Institute of Technology
- University of Ottawa
- University of St. Michael’s College (Federated with University of Toronto)
- University of Toronto
- University of Trinity College (Federated with University of Toronto)
- University of Waterloo
- University of Windsor
- Victoria University (Federated with University of Toronto)
- Western University
- Wilfrid Laurier University
- York University.
How to Apply
The application process is identical to that of the Masters Graduate Stream. The fee is identical at CAD$1,500.
After you Apply
Please see our other blogs on OINP streams to see how to apply to IRCC for permanent residence once you receive a nomination from OINP.
Maxcan Immigration is located in Markham, Ontario in the Greater Toronto Area.