Ontario Offers Special Priority to 500 Skilled Migrants Per Annum

Ontario is launching a new programme aimed at encouraging immigrants whose skills are in greatest demand to move to there.

The Provincial Nominee Program will allow up to 500 applicants a year to enjoy processing times of three to six months for immigration to Ontario. In normal circumstances a wait of two years or more is possible for full approval.

Ontario joins British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and Yukon, all of which already have provincial nominee programs.

Mike Colle, Ontario’s citizenship and immigration minister, offered a shortage of midwives of an example of how the Provincial Nominee Program will be good for both Ontario and for would-be immigrants. “Right now,” said Colle, “I can’t get them (midwives) in under the federal system because they don’t have all of these PhDs after their name”.

Mr Colle said that priority processing could include investors, those who could alleviate skilled labour shortages, and high achieving students. He noted, however, that while other provinces have used the programs to attract immigrants, Ontario has no shortage of immigrants. Over 50 percent of Canada’s immigrants settle in Ontario and 27 percent of Ontario residents were born outside Canada. The programme is designed to attract immigrants who can fulfil specific needs and shortages.

“Certain employers need a key person perhaps to fill a void in their company, and they can’t fill it in Ontario so they would nominate or ask the government to nominate a specific person to come here and they would guarantee them the job.”

Colle said the goal for Ontario is to have a defined, pronounced role in immigration and to match needs to immigration.

“Our goal is ultimately to be much like Quebec,” he said. Quebec is able to establish its own immigration requirements through the Canada-Quebec Accord on immigration. Ontario unequivocally wants more immigration — we think immigration is a central part of our economic and social future,” he added.