Opportunities Ontario: Nominees – What’s next
Have you been nominated through the Opportunities Ontario: Provincial Nominee Program? Here is some important information you should know.
Applying for permanent residence
Successful nominees must apply to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for permanent resident status within 6 months of being nominated by Opportunities Ontario: Provincial Nominee Program.
Effective December 1, 2011, all provincial nominees must submit their permanent residence applications to CIC's Centralized Intake Office (CIO) in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
To allow for a transition period, CIC will continue to accept applications at visa offices until March 31, 2012. After March 31, 2012 Ontario nominees must submit their permanent residence applications to CIO in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
For more details on this new federal government process Ontario’s provincial nominees can visit CIC’s website or contact our office. Provincial Nominees should always consult the federal government’s website for the latest updates with regards to permanent residence application process.
Temporary work permits
Ontario nominees can apply for a temporary work permit while their permanent residence application is being processed overseas. A provincial nomination does not guarantee approval of a temporary work permit application. CIC is responsible for the issuance of temporary work permits. If granted, the temporary work permit will allow a nominee to travel to Ontario to begin working for his/her employer sooner. Ontario nominees are exempt from the Labour Market Opinion (LMO) process. To learn more about the LMO process visit the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada website.
Opportunities Ontario will support temporary work permit applications of nominees. Opportunities Ontario recommends that nominees check with their nearest visa office to learn about temporary work permit requirements, which may apply to their situation, such as a medical examination.
Learn more
On the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website, you will find:
- Application Forms for Provincial Nominees
- Information about CIC processing times
- A list of visa offices
- The CIC fee schedule
- CIC contact information
You can also visit our Questions and Answers page for more information about Opportunities Ontario.
Welcome to Ontario!
Once you have received your Provincial Nomination Certificate, you may contact Opportunities Ontario at 416-327-0374 or toll-free at 1-866-214-6820 (within North America only) to obtain your welcome package. This package contains important information about housing, employment, schools, transit, health services and other settlement information. The welcome package cannot be used to gain entry to Canada and is an information package only.
The welcome package is only one source of information about settling in Ontario. Additional information can be found in the After You Arrive section of this website, and in these publications:
- Welcome to Ontario Guide (PDF)
- First Days Guide: A Newcomers’ Guide
to Their First Two Weeks in Ontario (PDF)
For information on your first days in Ontario, please click here.
For information on finding housing and finding a place to live in Ontario, please click here.
For information on studying in Ontario, please click here.
For information on general health care and health care services offered by the Government of Ontario, please click here.
