Version Française
OINP - Ontario Express Entry - Skilled Trades (ST) Stream
One of the 3 PNP streams of Ontario aligned with Express Entry that will get you an additional 600 points
Home > Permanent Residence > Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) > Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) > OINP - Skilled Trades (ST) Stream
The guide below takes a deep look into one of the streams of Ontario's Provincial Nominee Program (OINP), the Skilled Trades (ST) stream. The guide will go through an overview of the stream, its eligibility requirements, how it works, the documentation needed, its cost and processing times.
Overview of the Skilled Trades (ST) stream
|
The Skilled Trades (ST) stream is one of Ontario's PNP streams that is aligned with Express Entry, which means that a candidate needs a valid Express Entry profile to be eligible to the stream.
Ontario, through this stream, chooses its future newcomers to the province under a set of specific requirements. |
The OINP goes through all the candidates already in the Express Entry pool, and sends Notifications of Interest (equivalent to invitations to apply) to the ones whose profile corresponds best to their needs.
The ST stream has minimum eligibility requirements, however, Ontario does not send Notifications of Interest to every candidate that meets these minimum criteria. In fact, Ontario conducts periodic ST draws, and each draw has its own criteria (in addition to the minimum criteria), such as a minimum CRS score, etc. More information is available in the draw history section of this guide.
If nominated, a candidate will receive an additional 600 CRS points in their Express Entry profile, thus guaranteeing an Invitation to Apply.
The ST stream has minimum eligibility requirements, however, Ontario does not send Notifications of Interest to every candidate that meets these minimum criteria. In fact, Ontario conducts periodic ST draws, and each draw has its own criteria (in addition to the minimum criteria), such as a minimum CRS score, etc. More information is available in the draw history section of this guide.
If nominated, a candidate will receive an additional 600 CRS points in their Express Entry profile, thus guaranteeing an Invitation to Apply.
Eligibility Requirements
As said earlier, meeting these minimum eligibility requirements does not necessarily mean that you will receive a Notification of Interest from the OINP. These are other sets of criteria that are specific to each draw (criteria are not disclosed until after the draw happens).
There are 8 categories of eligibility requirements under the Skilled Trades (ST) stream, summarized below:
1. Work experience
To qualify, candidates need to have, in the last 2 years from the date of submitting the application to the OINP, minimum 1 year of cumulative, paid, full-time (or part-time equivalent) work experience in one of the following NOC codes. The work experience must have been obtained in Ontario.
There is no need to hold a valid job offer per the minimum criteria of this stream.
There are 8 categories of eligibility requirements under the Skilled Trades (ST) stream, summarized below:
1. Work experience
To qualify, candidates need to have, in the last 2 years from the date of submitting the application to the OINP, minimum 1 year of cumulative, paid, full-time (or part-time equivalent) work experience in one of the following NOC codes. The work experience must have been obtained in Ontario.
There is no need to hold a valid job offer per the minimum criteria of this stream.
Group 633 - Butchers and bakers
| NOC Code | Occupation Name |
|---|---|
| 6331 | Butchers, meat cutters and fishmongers - retail and wholesale |
| 6332 | Bakers |
Group 72 - Industrial, electrical and construction trades
| NOC Code | Occupation Name |
|---|---|
| 7201 | Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations |
| 7202 | Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations |
| 7203 | Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades |
| 7204 | Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades |
| 7205 | Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers |
| 7231 | Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors |
| 7232 | Tool and die makers |
| 7233 | Sheet metal workers |
| 7234 | Boilermakers |
| 7235 | Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters |
| 7236 | Ironworkers |
| 7237 | Welders and related machine operators |
| 7241 | Electricians (except industrial and power system) |
| 7242 | Industrial electricians |
| 7243 | Power system electricians |
| 7244 | Electrical power line and cable workers |
| 7245 | Telecommunications line and cable workers |
| 7246 | Telecommunications installation and repair workers |
| 7247 | Cable television service and maintenance technicians |
| 7251 | Plumbers |
| 7252 | Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers |
| 7253 | Gas fitters |
| 7271 | Carpenters |
| 7272 | Cabinetmakers |
| 7281 | Bricklayers |
| 7282 | Concrete finishers |
| 7283 | Tilesetters |
| 7284 | Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers |
| 7291 | Roofers and shinglers |
| 7292 | Glaziers |
| 7293 | Insulators |
| 7294 | Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) |
| 7295 | Floor covering installers |
Group 73 - Maintenance and equipment operations trade
| NOC Code | Occupation Name |
|---|---|
| 7301 | Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades |
| 7302 | Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews |
| 7303 | Supervisors, printing and related occupations |
| 7304 | Supervisors, railway transport operations |
| 7305 | Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators |
| 7311 | Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics |
| 7312 | Heavy-duty equipment mechanics |
| 7313 | Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics |
| 7314 | Railway carmen/women |
| 7315 | Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors |
| 7316 | Machine fitters |
| 7318 | Elevator constructors and mechanics |
| 7321 | Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers |
| 7322 | Motor vehicle body repairers |
| 7331 | Oil and solid fuel heating mechanics |
| 7332 | Appliance servicers and repairers |
| 7333 | Electrical mechanics |
| 7334 | Motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle and other related mechanics |
| 7335 | Other small engine and small equipment repairers |
| 7361 | Railway and yard locomotive engineers |
| 7362 | Railway conductors and brakemen/women |
| 7371 | Crane operators |
| 7372 | Drillers and blasters - surface mining, quarrying and construction |
| 7373 | Water well drillers |
| 7381 | Printing press operators |
| 7384 | Other trades and related occupations, n.e.c. |
Group 82 - Supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production
| NOC Code | Occupation Name |
|---|---|
| 8211 | Supervisors, logging and forestry |
| 8221 | Supervisors, mining and quarrying |
| 8222 | Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services |
| 8231 | Underground production and development miners |
| 8232 | Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers |
| 8241 | Logging machinery operators |
| 8252 | Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers |
| 8255 | Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services |
| 8261 | Fishing masters and officers |
| 8262 | Fishermen/women |
2. Valid certificate or licence
If your work experience in Ontario is in a regulated trade, you need to hold a valid certificate or licence delivered by the appropriate authorities. Even if you are no longer working in the trade, you still need to have the certificate or licence at the time of application.
3. Residence in Ontario
This stream requires that you live in Ontario and hold a valid Work Permit.
4. Language
You need to score at least CLB5 in either French or English to qualify. You can learn more about the Canadian Language Benchmarks and the authorized language tests in this section.
5. Settlement funds
You need to own a minimum amount of liquid funds when you apply for this stream. The amount is based on the settlement funds required under Express Entry, and depend on the number of family members (accompanying you or not). You can find the amounts required here.
However, the requirements are a little different from Express Entry. There are two main cases of discrepancies:
- If you qualify under the federal Canadian Experience Class (Express Entry), you do not need to provide proof of funds under Express Entry. However, you will have to under the ST stream.
- If you are allowed to work in Ontario and have a job offer, you do not need to provide proof of funds under Express Entry. However, under the ST stream, you need to count the annual wages of your job offer towards your settlement funds. For example, if the salary from your job offer is 28,000$, and your required settlement funds are 32,000$, then you need to only provide proof of owning 4,000$ (the difference between 32,000$ and 28,000$) of liquid funds.
5. Intent to settle in Ontario
OINP will assess this through a series of factors, such as past studies, work, or tourism in the province, having family members or personal relationships residing in Ontario, etc.
You can find more information on this in the Required Documents section of this guide.
7. Legal status in Canada
When applying from inside Canada, you need to have the appropriate legal documentation to prove you are in the country legally, either a Work Permit, a Study Permit, etc.
8. Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program
You need to qualify to the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) federal program to be eligible to the ST stream. To understand the eligibility criteria of this federal program, click here on CEC.
This point is easily settled as you cannot enter the Express Entry pool (and receive a Notification of Interest under the ST stream) without first being eligible to the federal program.
Application Process Summary
For a better understanding of the process, below is a list of the steps involved in obtaining Permanent Residence through the Skilled Trades (ST) stream. Candidates must:
You can check out our 10-step guide for Express Entry for more detailed information and advice.
- Meet the eligibility requirements of the federal CEC program.
- Generate their Express Entry profile, and specify their interest in the province by selecting "Ontario" or “All Provinces and Territories”.
- Qualify for the minimum ST stream eligibility requirements.
- Obtain a Notification of Interest directly in their Express Entry profile.
- Apply to the ST stream within 45 days of receiving the Notification of Interest, by submitting their application through the OINP e-Filing Portal (filling in forms and uploading required documents).
- Accept the Ontario provincial nomination (after the OINP processes their application) within 30 days of receiving it on their Express Entry profile.
- Obtain an additional 600 CRS points in the Express Entry profile, and receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
- Apply for permanent residence through your Express Entry profile.
You can check out our 10-step guide for Express Entry for more detailed information and advice.
Required Supporting Documents
After receiving your Notification of Interest through your Express Entry profile, you will have 45 calendar days to submit a full application to the OINP, including supporting documentation.
All required documents must be uploaded online, and you will need to create a profile on the OINP e-Filing Portal to do so. Specific requirements for documents are explained in detail here.
For the intent to reside in Ontario, you need to list all ties that you have to the province, including family, friends, prior studies, prior or current work experience, prior visit, etc. Remember to add any document that could support the claims you are making.
As you must already be living in the province to apply to this stream, this section should not be a problem. Make sure not to talk about any other province and explain why you want to stay in Ontario.
All required documents must be uploaded online, and you will need to create a profile on the OINP e-Filing Portal to do so. Specific requirements for documents are explained in detail here.
For the intent to reside in Ontario, you need to list all ties that you have to the province, including family, friends, prior studies, prior or current work experience, prior visit, etc. Remember to add any document that could support the claims you are making.
As you must already be living in the province to apply to this stream, this section should not be a problem. Make sure not to talk about any other province and explain why you want to stay in Ontario.
Application Fees
The fee for the Skilled Trades stream is quite expensive, the most expensive in all other Provincial Nominee Programs. It is set at 1,500 CAD. It can only be paid by a credit or debit card (Visa or MasterCard).
Application fees can only be refunded if the processing of the application has not started, either (i) if the applicant withdraws his/her application before processing starts, or (ii) if the application is refused as being incomplete by the OINP.
Application fees can only be refunded if the processing of the application has not started, either (i) if the applicant withdraws his/her application before processing starts, or (ii) if the application is refused as being incomplete by the OINP.
Processing Times
As of June 28, 2022, the processing times for a Skilled Trades stream application are estimated to be between 70 to 100 days. However, some applications may need more time to be processed if more complex or necessitate more documents and/or information.
Draw History
You can check out our awesome Live PNP Monitor to see the latest news and draw history on the Skilled Trades stream, as well as for all the other PNP streams.
Do I have to stay in the Province?
This is a tricky question and there are multiple situations that can happen. You can learn more about this subject on our dedicated article: Can I move to another province?
Does the Stream have In-Demand Jobs?
Some streams target specific NOC codes, meaning that if you have experience in those in-demand jobs, you either (i) have more chances to be invited or (ii) that you can be eligible to the stream. In the case of the Skilled Trades stream, there is no in-demand list. You can find out about the other provinces' in-demand jobs in our in-demand NOC codes article.
