The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is designed to support employers in Ontario by facilitating the immigration of managerial, professional, skilled foreign workers, and international students to meet their human resource needs. Ontario, being Canada's most populous province and home to cities like Toronto, operates the OINP in partnership with the federal immigration department, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The program has three main categories, each with various streams:

**1. Human Capital Category:**
   This category is for individuals who have the skills, education, and work experience to contribute to Ontario's economy and labor market. It includes the following streams:

   - Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream
   - Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream
   - Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream
   - Masters Graduate Stream
   - PhD Graduate Stream

**2. Employer Job Offer Category:**
   This category is for individuals who have a full-time indeterminate job offer from an Ontario employer. It includes the following streams:

   - Foreign Worker Stream
   - International Student Stream
   - In-Demand Skills Stream
   - Regional Immigration Pilot

**3. Business Category:**
   This category is directed at applicants with a successful business background and includes the Entrepreneur Stream.

The Entrepreneur Stream is unique as it operates on an Expression of Interest (EOI) arrangement, where candidates cannot apply directly but must wait to be selected and invited to apply. It does not require a valid Express Entry profile, so candidates do not need to meet the requirements of any federal program.

The OINP conducts periodic draws through its Expression of Interest arrangement, inviting candidates to apply for nomination under specific streams. The program's processing times vary depending on the stream but generally range between 60-90 days for most streams, with the Express Entry Skilled Trades applications processed within 30-60 days.

At the federal level, IRCC processes provincial non-Express Entry nominee applications within 15-19 months, while Express Entry streams typically have a processing time of around 6 months.

For the most up-to-date information on the OINP, candidates should visit the official OINP website or contact OINP authorities.

Additionally, Ontario recently announced a temporary public policy to offer a pathway to permanent residence for eligible, out-of-status construction workers in the Greater Toronto Area, which can provide opportunities for certain workers in the region.