The most desired province in Canada, Ontario, invited 486 Express Entry candidates to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence on February 13.

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) issued invitations, also known as Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to eligible immigration candidates.

Those who qualified for Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities (HCP) Stream needed a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score between 467 and 471. A total of 10 different National Occupation Classifications (NOCs) were targeted in the latest draw.

After receiving their NOI candidates have 45 days to submit the application. Those who do not meet this deadline will not be considered for a provincial nomination.

Candidates did not need to have a job offer to be invited, however, they did need to have work experience in the following occupations:

• Financial managers, NOC 0111
• Other administrative services managers, NOC 0114
• Advertising, marketing and public relations managers, NOC 0124
• Corporate sales managers, NOC 0601
• Retail and wholesale trade managers, NOC 0621
• Managers in customer and personal services, n.e.c., NOC 0651
• Financial auditors and accountants, NOC 1111
• Other financial officers, NOC 1114
• Professional occupations in business management consulting, NOC 1122
• Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses, NOC 3012

Through this dedicated approach, we’re helping to make it easier for businesses to recruit top talent from around the world,” the OINP webpage says.

The OINP engaged with stakeholders across the province through a survey and face-to-face consultations. This helped them choose priority occupations for the draw.

If candidates who were invited in this draw receive a provincial nomination from Ontario, they will be awarded an additional 600 points toward their overall CRS score, which would effectively guarantee them an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence in a subsequent Express Entry draw.

In order to be considered for a provincial nomination through the HCP stream, the first step is to submit a profile in the Express Entry pool.