WATERLOO – Attracting international students to Ontario and keeping them here in high-value jobs is a benefit to the provincial economy.

Now more international students than ever will have a chance to become permanent Ontario residents as a result of changes to the province’s Pilot Provincial Nominee Program.

Previously, only graduates of Ontario post-secondary institutions could be considered. Now the program is open to international students Canada-wide. The students need to be graduates of a publicly funded Canadian college or university and have a job offer in Ontario. 

In addition, the government has made it easier for employers outside the Greater Toronto Area to take part in the program. Application forms and information on the eligibility criteria for employers is available at www.ontarioimmigration.ca or by calling 1-866-214-6820.

“There’s a global competition for talent,” said Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Michael Chan. “International students are highly skilled, have Canadian credentials and are familiar with Canadian society. Our province will benefit from their talents for years to come.”

Under Ontario’s Pilot Provincial Nominee Program, employers can hire skilled workers – including international students – to fill jobs where labour is in short supply. Multinational investors can bring in key employees who will contribute to the long-term success of their investment.

Successful nominees will receive permission to work in Ontario and will be nominated by the provincial government to have their application for permanent residency fast-tracked by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

“The Pilot Provincial Nominee Program is helping to spread the benefits of immigration across the province,” said Leeanna Pendergast, MPP for Kitchener – Conestoga.  “The program will assist employers in the Kitchener-Waterloo region and across the province to capitalize on the skills and experience of Ontario’s newcomers.”

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Contacts:
Daphne Shih, Minister's Office, (416) 325-3460
Michel Payen-Dumont, Communications Branch, (416) 314-7010

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