2022 OINP Entrepreneur Stream updates

OINP entrepreneur stream guide

The Entrepreneur Stream is an immigration stream under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).

This stream is for entrepreneurs from other countries who intend to start a new business or purchase an existing business in Ontario.

It provides an entrepreneur (and one foreign national business partner) the chance to apply for permanent residence once their business has been set up in Ontario.

If selected, you will then need to apply to the federal government via Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). They will determine who is eligible to submit a permanent residency application.

What is the processing time for OINP?

• Business Category
  • Processing Time:
    • EOI Assessment: Less than 30 days
    • Application: Depends on how complex the application is
• Masters and PhD Category: 30-60 days
• Employer Job Offer Category
  • The following three programs exist under the Employer Job Offer Category:
    • Foreign worker stream: for skilled workers: 60-90 days
    • International students: for recent graduates of Ontario post-secondary institutions: 90-100 days
    • In-demand skills stream: for intermediate skilled workers in certain sectors, such as agriculture, construction, trucking and personal support workers: 60-90 days

What is a good EOI score in OINP?

The EOI is comprised of two components, for a maximum EOI score of 200 points:

self-declared score (maximum 126 points)
business concept score (maximum 74 points)
The attestation that stream criteria are or will be satisfied is also included in the EOI.

Your company concept will be evaluated and scored by OINP. To be included in the EOI selection pool, your business proposal must receive at least 37 out of a possible 74 points (50%) in the scoring system.

The most recent OINP entrepreneur stream draw:

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) sent out 30 invitations to apply for the Entrepreneur Stream on August 16, 2022. Expressions of interest must have been sent by August 8, 2022, in order to be considered for this cycle. Expressions of interest that scored between 138 and 160 received invitations to apply.

How do I get a notification of interest (NOI) in Ontario?

OINP regularly searches candidates from the IRCC’s Express Entry pool.

If you’ve identified, an NOI will be sent to your IRCC online account.

* Receiving an NOI does not guarantee that you qualify for one of the streams. *

If you meet the requirements for the Ontario Express Entry stream for which your NOI was issued, you may submit an online application to the OINP after receiving an NOI. After getting the NOI, you have 45 calendar days to submit your application.

*Note: Not all applicants that satisfy Ontario’s stream requirements will be given a NOI.*

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