- Who starts
- Employer files through the Employer Portal
- EOI window
- About 30 days after employer files
- Application window
- About 17 days after invitation
- Nomination
- Decided by Ontario
- Permanent residence
- Decided by IRCC
- Express Entry route
- TEER 0 to 3 and physicians (+600 CRS)
- Physicians
- Skip the employer stage
- EOI system status
- Not reopened yet as of Aug 2026
Stage 1: Employer files the job offer
No deadline, but nothing starts until this is doneYour employer submits the job offer through Ontario's Employer Portal and passes their own eligibility checks. You cannot register anything before this happens, and employer preparation is the most common cause of delay.
- Employer registers on the Employer Portal
- Employer eligibility verified; years in business, revenue, staffing, premises
- Job offer details submitted: occupation, NOC, wage, hours, work location
- You receive confirmation and a reference to use in your own registration
Before stage one: what to have ready
Both of your deadlines, 30 days and 17 days, are too short to obtain anything that takes weeks. The applicants who move smoothly are the ones who treated the waiting period as the preparation window.
Have these before the clock starts
- Language results. Booking to receiving takes weeks; results are valid two years. This is the single most common cause of a missed window.
- An ECA for any foreign credential, and check the date, because it must be under five years old at the time of application, not at the time you ordered it.
- Reference letters describing duties that match the NOC on your job offer. Chase these while your former managers still answer emails.
- CRA Notices of Assessment for the last five years, with any outstanding returns filed.
- Your employer's readiness, years in business, revenue, premises and recruitment evidence. Ask early, because you cannot fix this in 30 days.
The five stages in detail
Stage 1: Employer files the job offer
No deadline, but nothing starts until this is done
Your employer submits the job offer through Ontario's Employer Portal and passes their own eligibility checks. You cannot register anything before this happens, and employer preparation is the most common cause of delay.
- Employer registers on the Employer Portal
- Employer eligibility verified; years in business, revenue, staffing, premises
- Job offer details submitted: occupation, NOC, wage, hours, work location
- You receive confirmation and a reference to use in your own registration
Stage 2: You register your Expression of Interest
≈ 30 days from the employer filing
You create your EOI profile and declare every scoring factor. Your score is calculated here, and the clock is short; this window assumes your documents already exist.
- Create your OINP e-Filing Portal account
- Declare all 11 scoring factors truthfully
- Enter your Express Entry profile number if using that route
- Submit before the window closes, a missed window means starting over
Stage 3: Ontario runs a draw and invites
Timing set by Ontario, not by you
Candidates in the pool are ranked by score and invited from the top down. Draws may target specific pathways. If you are not invited, your EOI stays in the pool until it expires.
- Ontario announces a round and a minimum score
- Invitations issued to candidates at or above the cut off
- Not invited? Your profile remains eligible for later rounds
- You can update your EOI if your circumstances improve
Stage 4: You apply for nomination
≈ 17 days from the invitation
The full application, with documents proving every factor you claimed. This is where most refusals happen, not on score, but on evidence.
- Upload identity, status, language, education and employment documents
- Provide reference letters matching the NOC duties on the job offer
- Pay the application fee
- Respond promptly to any request for additional documents
Stage 5: You apply to IRCC for permanent residence
60 days (Express Entry) or up to 6 months (paper)
Ontario's nomination is a recommendation. The federal government decides permanent residence and runs its own medical, security and admissibility checks.
- Accept the nomination in your Express Entry profile, CRS jumps by 600
- Receive an Invitation to Apply at the next federal draw
- Submit the PR application with medicals and police certificates
- Or use the paper based route if you don't qualify for a federal program
If you're a self employed physician
Your process is shorter by one entire stage. There is no employer and no job offer, so nothing needs to be filed on your behalf; you register your own Expression of Interest directly. Everything from stage three onward is identical, and you can use the Express Entry route. Score the physician pathway →
Where applications actually fail
Refusals cluster around evidence and eligibility, not points. In rough order of frequency:
- Documents that don't match the claim. Reference letters describing duties from a different NOC than the job offer is the classic version.
- An expired language test or ECA.Both have hard shelf lives, and both are usually obtained months before they're needed.
- Employer ineligibility. Discovered late, and unfixable within the window.
- Status lapsing mid process. Permit renewals and the EOI window collide more often than you would expect.
- Missing the window.Thirty days sounds generous until day twenty-two, when the ECA still hasn't arrived.
Application process FAQ
What applicants ask about order, deadlines and documents.
How do I apply to the OINP?
In five stages. Your employer files the job offer through Ontario's Employer Portal first. You then register an Expression of Interest within roughly 30 days. If Ontario invites you in a draw, you submit a full nomination application within about 17 days. Once nominated, you apply separately to IRCC for permanent residence, through Express Entry or the paper based route.
Can I start my OINP application before my employer does anything?
No. Under the Workforce Priority stream the employer files first, and your EOI registration window opens only after that. You can and should prepare in advance, including language testing, an ECA, reference letters and tax documents, but you cannot register.
How long do I have to submit my Expression of Interest?
About 30 days from when your employer files the job offer. This is a hard window; if it closes, the process restarts. It assumes your supporting documents already exist, which is why preparation before the employer files matters so much.
How long do I have after receiving an invitation?
Roughly 17 days to submit the complete nomination application with all supporting documents. Seventeen days is not enough time to obtain a language test, order an ECA or chase reference letters; those need to be done beforehand.
What documents do I need for an OINP application?
Passport and identity documents, proof of current status in Canada, language test results under two years old, education credentials with an ECA if foreign, employment reference letters matching your NOC duties, CRA Notices of Assessment, and your job offer documentation. Every scoring factor you claimed must be evidenced.
Does a nomination guarantee permanent residence?
No. A nomination is Ontario's recommendation. IRCC makes the final decision and conducts its own medical, criminality and security checks. Through Express Entry a nomination adds 600 CRS points, which effectively guarantees an invitation to apply, but the PR decision remains federal.
What happens if I'm not invited in a draw?
Your Expression of Interest stays in the pool until it expires and is considered in later rounds. You can update it if your circumstances improve, such as a new language result or a longer period in the position, for example, and the updated score applies to subsequent draws.
Can I apply to the OINP from outside Canada?
Yes, provided you meet every requirement including an eligible Ontario job offer. Be aware that you score zero on Ontario work experience, legal status and tax history (36 of 130 points that are simply unavailable from abroad.