Applying as an International Student with a Job Offer

Who can apply as an international student?

In order to apply to Opportunities Ontario as an international student, students must:

• Have completed at least half of their studies in Canada, and have graduated or will soon be graduating from an eligible publicly funded Canadian college or university (students must send proof of graduation with their application).
• Have completed a minimum of a two-year diploma or degree program, while studying on a full-time basis. One-year post-graduate degree programs and certificate programs, which require a previous degree or diploma (which may have been obtained abroad), are also eligible.
• Have a job offer in a managerial, professional or skilled trades occupation (NOC 0, A or B). The job offer does not have to be related to the field of study.
• Have a job offer that is permanent and full-time and meets the entry level wage for the occupation, rather than the prevailing wage required for applicants in the General Category.
• Apply within two years of the date on which they received their degree or diploma, or in the alternative, during the last semester of completing their degree or diploma (in which case they will have to provide transcripts which indicate that they will be graduating at the end of the semester).
• Have legal status, if the prospective international student nominee is in Canada.
• Have received their employer’s approval letter, Joint Verification form signed by their prospective employer, and Pre-screen Position form.

International students do not need to have any previous work experience. Eligible international students may apply for an approved position from within Canada or from overseas.

Important

International students subsidized through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) grants or home country scholarship with return obligations will not be eligible for Opportunities Ontario unless such obligations have been fulfilled.

What documents do I need to submit?

Once your prospective employer has submitted the Employer Pre-Screen Application Form and has been approved by Opportunities Ontario, your prospective employer will send you the employer’s approval letter, Joint Verification form signed by your prospective employer, and Pre-screen Position form. You can then visit the Forms and Guides page of this website to complete and download the nominee application form.

You will need to submit the following original documents provided by your employer:

• Employer Pre-Screen Approved Position Form.
• Joint Verification Form
• Job offer which will indicate your prospective occupation title and wage for the full-time, permanent position being offered.

You will also need to submit the following supporting documents, along with your application, to demonstrate that you meet Opportunities Ontario eligibility criteria and to confirm your identity, family situation and work experience (if any):

• A copy of your birth certificate.
• A copy of all the pages of your passport. All prospective nominees should ensure that their passports will be valid for at least two years from the time that they submit their nominee application.
• Copy of each dependant’s passport page which shows his/her photo and personal information.
• A copy of your work permit, study permit, temporary resident visa, and/or any other Canadian immigration document or entry stamp you have received. If these documents are inside your copied passport, you do not need to make additional copies.
• A copy of relevant university degree(s), college diploma(s), transcripts and/or occupational certificates. Provide transcripts if you are applying in last semester before graduation. You must provide a copy of your degree or diploma upon receiving it.
• A copy of your resumé.
• Proof of membership and/or registration in a regulated occupation if you intend to work in an occupation that requires registration or certification in Ontario.

Is there a deadline for applications?

As a prospective nominee, you have 60 days after the date of issue of the Employer Pre-screen Approved Position Form to submit a completed application to Opportunities Ontario. If the nominee application is not received in connection with a position after 60 days, Opportunities Ontario may reassign the nominee position.

If a prospective nominee cannot submit a completed application within 60 days, either the nominee or the approved employer may, in writing to Opportunities Ontario, request an extension of 30 days, providing reasons for the extension request. Approval of the extension is discretionary and no further extension will be granted.

Opportunities Ontario has two processing targets:

• Complete employer application packages will be processed within 90 days, on a first-come-first-served basis.
• Complete nominee application packages will be processed within 90 days, on a first-come-first-served basis.

What does my employer need to know?

Employers who want to recruit an international student for a position must indicate this on the pre-screen application form. There are three key differences between prospective nominees in the International Student Category and those in the General Category:

• The job offer for international students must meet the entry level wage for the occupation, rather than the prevailing wage required for other applicants.
• Unlike foreign workers, international students do not require previous work experience.
• The fee charged for international students is lower than the fee charged for foreign workers applying under the General Category.

What is the fee?

Opportunities Ontario will charge a non-refundable nominee application processing fee of $1,500 for all international students.

What happens after I am approved?

A Provincial Nomination Certificate will be issued for all successful nominees. Successful nominees must then apply to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for permanent residence. A successful provincial nomination replaces the selection component under other immigration classes (such as the Federal Skilled Worker Class, and the Family Class). Provincial nominees will receive priority processing from CIC.

For more information, please visit our Nominees: What’s next section of our website.