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. A provincial nomination in itself does not represent legal status in Canada. Until nominees obtain permanent resident status, they require proper authorization to be in Canada.

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.