On May 9, 2016, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (“OINP”) announced that the Province of Ontario had received a sufficient number of OINP applications to meet its 2016 federal allocation. As a result, it has placed a temporary pause on the intake of applications under what it refers to as “select, high-volume” OINP streams. However, it claims that other lower-volume OINP streams continue to be available.
The OINP announcement confirms the following facts:
- The OINP stopped sending Notifications of Interest for the Human Capital Priorities (Express Entry) Stream on February 16, 2016.
- The OINP temporarily paused the intake of new applications for the following high-volume OINP streams at 5:00 pm EDT on May 9, 2016: (1) Employer Pre-Screen, (2)International Student – Masters Graduate Stream, (3) International Student – PhD Graduate Stream.
- All applications for the Employer Pre-Screen and International Students (both Masters Graduate and PhD Graduate) streams sent after 5:00 pm EDT on May 9, 2016, will not be processed and will be returned to the applicant along with the unprocessed payment.
- The OINP will continue to accept nominee applications under the Foreign Worker and International Student with a Job Offer Streams, in connection with any Employer Pre-Screen application that was filed before the above cutoff date, once that Employer Pre-Screen application has been adjudicated. These applicants will have 60 days from the date of the Employer Pre-Screen approval letter to apply under either of these streams.
- The OINP continues to accept and process applications for the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream and the Corporate Stream. The OINP also continues to accept Expressions of Interest for the Entrepreneur Stream.
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