Ontario is making it easier for foreign nationals to work in its healthcare sector with changes to its Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), including the Express Entry’s Human Capital Priorities and French-Speaking Skilled Worker streams and the Employer Job Offer In-Demand Skills stream.
“Newcomers play a crucial role in growing our economy and building a stronger and more inclusive Ontario for all of us,” said provincial Immigration Minister David Piccini.
“By expanding the current pathways of this program, we are attracting more top-tier talent to Ontario and removing the barriers they face while addressing the human resources challenges in health care.”
Under the changes being made to attract more healthcare workers, the province’s economic immigration program will now exempt nurses who are registered with the College of Nurses of Ontario in designated classes from being required to provide a bachelor’s degree to qualify for the OINP Express Entry Human Capital Priorities and French-Speaking Skilled Worker streams.
Their job must fall under one of the follow National Occupational Classification codes:
- NOC 31300 – Nursing coordinators and supervisors
- NOC 31301 – Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
- NOC 31302 – Nurse practitioners
- NOC 32101 – Licensed practical nurses
This will give internationally-educated nurses additional ways to get a provincial nomination.
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“Registered nurses are crucial members of the care teams within Ontario’s long-term care homes and there is an urgent need for more people to fulfill these roles,” said Ontario Long Term Care Association CEO Donna Duncan.
“Internationally-educated nurses are making a significant contribution and more of these skilled professionals are needed. The regulatory amendments, combined with the College of Nurses’ efforts to modernize and streamline registration, offer internationally-educated nurses a faster path to permanent residency and citizenship and ensure that immigration status will not prevent these valuable professionals from settling in Ontario and strengthening our provincial health care system.”
The OINP is also increasing the number of occupations eligible for the Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream from 22 to 56 in the wake of consultations it has held about the program. This will allow more skilled workers to qualify for the program.
The following jobs are being added for positions outside the Greater Toronto Area:
- NOC 14400 – Shippers and Receivers
- NOC 14402 – Production logistics workers
- NOC 65320 – Dry cleaning, laundry and related occupations
- NOC 74200 – Railway yard and track maintenance workers
- NOC 74203 – Automotive and heavy truck and equipment parts installers and servicers
- NOC 74204 – Utility maintenance workers
- NOC 74205 – Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers
- NOC 75101 – Material handlers
- NOC 75119 – Other trades helpers and labourers
- NOC 75211 – Railway and motor transport labourers
- NOC 75212 – Public works and maintenance labourers
- NOC 85102 – Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers
- NOC 94101 – Foundry workers
- NOC 94102 – Glass forming and finishing machine operators and glass cutters
- NOC 94103 – Concrete, clay and stone forming operators
- NOC 94104 – Inspectors and testers, mineral and metal processing
- NOC 94112 – Rubber processing machine operators and related workers
- NOC 94120 – Sawmill machine operators
- NOC 94121 – Pulp mill, papermaking and finishing machine operators
- NOC 94123 – Lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders
- NOC 94142 – Fish and seafood plant workers
- NOC 94143 – Testers and graders, food and beverage processing
- NOC 94200 – Motor vehicle assemblers, inspectors and testers
- NOC 94202 – Assemblers and inspectors, electrical appliance, apparatus and equipment manufacturing
- NOC 94203 – Assemblers, fabricators and inspectors, industrial electrical motors and transformers
- NOC 94205 – Machine operators and inspectors, electrical apparatus manufacturing
- NOC 94211 – Assemblers and inspectors of other wood products
- NOC 94212 – Plastic products assemblers, finishers and inspectors
- NOC 95100 – Labourers in mineral and metal processing
- NOC 95101 – Labourers in metal fabrication
- NOC 95103 – Labourers in wood, pulp and paper processing
- NOC 95104 – Labourers in rubber and plastic products manufacturing
- NOC 95106 – Labourers in food and beverage processing
- NOC 95107 – Labourers in fish and seafood processing
The following occupation was added for positions located in any location in Ontario:
- NOC 75119 – Other trades helpers and labourers
The changes to Ontario’s economic immigration programs were given the thumbs up by the top exec at the Ontario Retirement Communities Association.
“We need more workers to care for our seniors in the coming decades and this change will help attract internationally-educated nurses to work in Ontario retirement communities,” said CEO Cathy Hecimovich.
Ontario is upping the penalties it will slap on employers, representatives, recruiters, or those who acquire a financial benefit from fraud, raising the minimum penalty from $2,000 to $10,000.
“Under the leadership of Premier Doug Ford, our government is growing our healthcare workforce to make it easier for people to connect to the care they need for years to come,” said Health Minister Sylvia Jones.
Ontario’s Allotment For OINP Nominees Has Doubled Since 2022
“Our bold and innovative changes will continue to break down barriers for internationally trained nurses and make it faster and easier to start providing care to people and families in Ontario.’
Through the OINP, Ontario nominates applicants for permanent residence who have the skills and experience to contribute to the province’s economy. Ottawa then makes the final decision to approve or deny these applications.
In the years from 2022 through to this year, Ontario’s OINP allocation from the federal government has more than doubled from 9,750 to 21,500.
Nadia Todorova, executive director of the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO), sees the changes to economic immigration programs in the province as a positive step.
“RCCAO commends the government of Ontario for improving the OINP to better align recruitment of international construction labourers and skilled trades to Ontario to meet labour market needs and help build our province,” said Todorova.
“The OINP plays a crucial role in attracting, supporting, and welcoming newcomers to our industry, especially as the province anticipates the retirement of thousands of construction workers by the end of the decade.”
