Human Capital Priorities (HCP) Stream Introduced in Ontario
In Canada, Ontario is the most populated province and it continues to be a very popular destination for new immigrants looking to settle in Canada. Luckily, Ontario has an immigrant nomination program that helps skilled foreign nationals who have work experience obtain permanent residency in Canada, specifically Ontario, and thus contribute to the Canadian economy. It is important to note that the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is quite helpful to any Express Entry candidate as it provides them with the most points out of all Express Entry factors. For instance, a successful candidate may be able to obtain up to 600 additional points from the PNP program. As a result, they may be able to receive an invitation to apply at the next available draw for the Express Entry pool. Additionally, candidates under the Express Entry pool, who have work experience in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) occupations, are now prioritized by the Ontario province under this new initiative that was introduced on June 26, 2017. In this article, I will address the new Stream and how it affects the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) and Express Entry altogether.
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Workers
In order to qualify under this Stream of Human Capital Priorities (HCP), a part of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), candidates must be eligible as ICT workers under Express Entry. As of June 26, Ontario has specifically targeted these types of workers for their province. The province of Ontario is searching for candidates under Express Entry with experience in specific ICT occupations and as a result the candidates are eligible to receive a Notification of Interest (NOI), which was previously called an invitation to apply for provincial nomination. Thankfully, this is even the case if they had scored less than 400 points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).