Opportunities Ontario: General Category
Opportunities Ontario helps employers who are having difficulty finding the skilled workers they need. It also allows investors to bring in key employees on a permanent basis. Through the program, employers and investors can recruit foreign workers in any managerial, professional or skilled trades occupation (see the NOC 0, A or B categories).
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Who can be recruited
Employers and investors may recruit qualified employees for approved positions through the General Category, whether they are abroad or in Canada with legal status (as temporary foreign workers or visitors). All prospective nominees who are visiting or residing in Canada will be required to provide documentation of their status with their application forms. Employers will need to indicate on their application forms whether they are recruiting foreign workers from abroad or foreign workers who are in Canada with legal status.
About the process
Opportunities Ontario is an employer-driven program with a two-step application process:
Step 1: Employers submit a Pre-screen Application to Opportunities Ontario requesting positions for which the employer would like to recruit a foreign national. Applications will be processed on a first-come-first-served basis.
Opportunities Ontario: Provincial Nominee Program is designed in part to assist employers who are having difficulty recruiting qualified, skilled workers in Ontario. Applications from employers who are seeking positions for foreign workers residing abroad, or foreign workers who are visiting Canada, will receive priority processing if those employers have tried to recruit Canadian citizens or permanent residents located in Ontario for those positions before applying to the program.
Step 2: The individuals who have been recruited submit a nominee application package to the Opportunities Ontario program. Applications will be processed on a first-come-first-served basis.
About categories
Employers use the General Category when they want to recruit foreign workers. The International Student With Job Offer Stream within the International Student Category, also described on this website, is used to recruit international students.
Learn more
Employers interested in Opportunities Ontario can find more information about employer eligibility criteria, and how to apply, by visiting the Employer section of our website.
Investors can find more information in the Investors section of our website.
Foreign Workers interested in Opportunities Ontario can find more information in the Foreign Workers section of our website.
