OINP Entrepreneur stream is a pathway for business persons outside Canada who aim to either establish a new business or buy an existing one in the province of Ontario. You can apply to the Entrepreneur stream and settle in Ontario once your business is established. This blog includes:
- OINP Entrepreneur stream: Overview
- Expression of Interest for Entrepreneur stream
- General Business requirements
- Requirements for buying a business in Ontario
- Eligibility requirements for Stage 1
- Eligibility requirements for Stage 2
- OINP Entrepreneur draws
- Documents required
- Processing time and fee
- List of Ineligible business
OINP Entrepreneur Stream: Overview
The OINP Entrepreneur stream includes two stages:
STAGE 1
- Register an EOI or OINP Expression of Interest
- Get an ITA or Invitation to Apply and apply online
- Appear in an interview
- Sign a performance agreement if your application and interview is successful
STAGE 2
- Temporary work permit support letter is issued so that you can apply for it.
- Establish your business within 20 months or 1 year 8 months from arriving in Ontario. Submit a final business report
- Your business report will be assessed. If you meet all the requirements, you will be required to submit all the documents to demonstrate your eligibility for provincial nomination for permanent residency.
Expression of Interest for Entrepreneur stream
Just like OINP Employer Job Offer streams, Masters Graduate stream, and PhD graduate stream, the OINP Entrepreneur stream too requires you to register an Expression of Interest. The Expression of Interest system gives you points as per the information you provide to it. Once you get an ITA in the OINP draws, you will then be allowed to apply to the Ontario Entrepreneur stream.
Registering an Expression of Interest has no fee. The EOI system for the Entrepreneur stream consists of 200 points that are divided into two sections:
- Self-declared score- this section is of maximum 126 points and is further divided into three sections.
- Human Capital Factors: 80 points
- Investment factors: 46 points
- Score for business concepts- this section is of maximum 74 points
Your Expression of Interest must score at least 37 points in the business concept section to be placed in the OINP selection pool.
The scoring factors for the OINP Entrepreneur stream are tabulated below.
Self Declared score: 126 points
Human Capital Factors: 80 points
|
Factors |
Score |
|---|---|
|
If you have business ownership experience: 24-47 months 48-59 months |
13 points 19 points |
|
60 months and more |
25 points |
|
Maximum Points available: |
25 |
|
If you are an experience business manager: 24-47 months 48-59 months 60 months and more |
13 points 19 points 25 points |
|
Maximum Points available: |
25 |
|
Additional points for specific experience: 1 year of specific experience 2 years of specific experience 3 years of specific experience |
15 points 25 points 35 points |
|
Maximum points available: |
35 |
|
Academic qualifications: Without post-secondary education Post-secondary degree or diploma of 2 years Post secondary degree or diploma of 3 years or longer |
0 points 05 points 10 points |
|
Maximum points available: |
10 |
|
Language Proficiency: CLB 3 or lower CLB 4 CLB 5 or above |
0 points 05 points 10 points |
|
Maximum points available: |
10 |
Investment factors: 46 points
|
Factors |
Score |
|---|---|
|
Personal Net worth for business within the GTA Lower than $800,000 $800000 – $2,499,999 $2500000 or higher |
Ineligible 05 points 10 points |
|
Maximum points available: |
10 |
|
Personal Net worth for business within the GTA Lower than $400,000 $400,000 to $999,9999 $100,0000 and more |
Ineligible 10 points 15 points |
|
Maximum points available: |
15 points |
|
Amount invested in the business if within the GTA: Lower than $600,000 $6,00,000 to $1,499,999 $1,500,000 to $2,999,999 $3,000,000 and more |
Ineligible 10 15 20 |
|
Maximum points available |
20 |
|
Amount Invested in business if outside the GTA or in the ICT/Digital Communications sector:
Lower than $200,000 $200,000 to 499,999 $500,000 to $799,999 $800,000 and more |
Ineligible 15 20 25 |
|
Maximum points available |
25 |
|
Visit to Ontario related to business No visits Having visited Ontario for business |
0 points 06 points |
|
Maximum Points available: |
6 |
|
Total Self-declare score: |
25+35+10+10+15+25+06=126 |
Scoring factors for Business Concepts : 74 points
|
Factors |
Score |
|---|---|
|
Business Model: Unclear or unsatisfactory Fair or satisfactory Good |
0 07 points 15 points |
|
Maximum points available |
15 |
|
Market Research: Unsatisfactory research Fair or satisfactory research Good Research |
0 points 07 points 15 points |
|
Maximum points available |
15 |
|
Economic benefit and key sector: Unclear Fair or satisfactory Good |
0 points 05 points 10 points |
|
Maximum points available |
10 |
|
Investment Allocation: Unclear or unsatisfactory Fair or satisfactory Good |
0 points 05 points 10 points |
|
Maximum points available |
10 |
|
Location of Business: Census Metropolitan Area with a population of 175,000 or more Census Metropolitan Area with a population of 100,000-175,000 Census Metropolitan Area with a population of 100,000 or below |
0 05 points 10 points |
|
Maximum points available |
10 |
|
Job Creation: 1 for outside the GTA and 2 for inside the GTA 3-4 jobs 5 or more jobs |
03 points 05 points 07 points |
|
Maximum points available |
7 |
|
NOC codes of Jobs created: No jobs in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 1 Job in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 2 or more jobs in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 |
0 05 points 07 points |
|
Maximum points available |
7 |
|
Total Maximum Score for OINP Entrepreneur stream |
200 points |
While registering your Expression of Interest for the entrepreneur stream, you must keep in mind the following things:
- Your business concept will be reviewed and scored only if you meet the eligibility requirements for the stream.
- You must score at least 37 points out of 74 to enter the OINP selection pool for entrepreneurs.
- Your ITA or Invitation to Apply in the OINP draws depends on your rank. Higher your EOI score, higher your rank and better your chances of getting an ITA.
- Your EOI will be valid for a year.
OINP Entrepreneur Stream: General Requirements for Business
Along with the mandatory eligibility criteria, you must also satisfy general business requirements to be eligible for the OINP Entrepreneur stream. They are:
- The purpose of your business must be to generate profit through active income earned by sales of goods or services.
- The business must comply with all legal and regulatory requirements. It must comply with Ontario labour and employment standards laws.
- Your business must not be project based or seasonal. It must be permanent
- The business must be situated in Ontario
- Any investors in your business must either be Schedule I, Schedule II bank or institutional investors.
Requirements for buying a business in Ontario
You must satisfy the following requirements if you want to buy a business in Ontario and be eligible for Canada PR through the OINP Entrepreneur stream.
- You must make a business related visit to Ontario within a year or 12 months from registering an EOI
- The business you aim to buy must have been continuously in operation under the same owner for at least previous 5 years
- The business ownership must be entirely transferred to you or your business partner
- The previous owner cannot hold any shares of the business
- You must have used at least 10% of your personal investment in either improving or expanding the business in Ontario
- The previous business owner must not be a current or former OINP business stream nominee.
OINP Entrepreneur Stream requirements for Stage 1
To be eligible for applying to the Ontario Entrepreneur stream, you must meet the following requirements.
Requirements for Business Experience
- You must have a full-time business experience of at least 2 years or 24 months within the last 5 years or 60 months.
- Your experience can either be as a business owner or a senior manager in business management.
- If you are experienced as a business owner, you must have had an active role in the business and must own at least 1/3rd of it.
- If you are an experienced senior manager in business management, you must have shouldered decision-making responsibilities in business and managed its daily operations either wholly or partially.
Mandatory Net worth
To be eligible for the OINP Entrepreneur stream, you must have a minimum net worth. Your net worth does not include the net worth of your spouse. All of your assets must have been acquired legally and must be verifiable.
- If your business will be situated within the Greater Toronto Area (Toronto, Durham, Halton, York, and Peel), you must have a minimum net worth of $800,000 Canadian Dollars.
- If your business will be situated outside the GTA, you must possess a minimum net worth of $400,000 Canadian Dollars.
Mandatory Personal Investment
The applicant must invest from his/her personal net worth.
- If your business will be located within the GTA, you must invest at least $600,000 Canadian Dollars
- If your business will be situated outside the GTA, you must invest at least $200,000 CAD
- Additionally, you must also control at least 1/3rd of the equity in business
- If your business belongs in the information and communication technology or digital communications sector, you must have a personal investment of $200,000 CAD.
- Passive investments such as mutual funds, polled fund securities are not eligible for investment. However they are considered for net worth.
Active Involvement in the business
To be eligible for the OINP Entrepreneur stream, you must actively participate in managing the business.
Purpose of Capital Investment
You must invest capital in your business with an intention and motive to generate profits rather than for capital gains, interests, or dividends.
Creating Jobs through your business
To be eligible for the OINP Entrepreneur stream, you must be able to create jobs in Ontario for Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
- The jobs must:
- Pay median wage for the position
- Be filled continuously for 10 months before submitting the final business report
- Still exist at the time of final business report and provincial nomination
- If your business will be located inside the GTA, you must give full-time and permanent jobs to at least 2 Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
If your business will be located outside the GTA, you must give a job to at least one Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
OINP Entrepreneur Stream requirements for Stage 2
Following are the list of mandatory requirements after you apply for the OINP Entrepreneur stream. This is the stage when a temporary work permit support letter has been issued to you. You are now required to establish your business within 20 months and submit a final report.
- You must receive a temporary work permit within a year of getting approval at phase 1.
- You must have scored CLB 4 in all the four fields of speaking, listening, writing, and reading. OINP accepts CELPIP-G and IELTS for English proficiency test, and TEF and TCF for French proficiency. The language test must not be older than 2 years.
- You must stay in Ontario 75% of the time and utilitze it to establish and run your business.
- You must be actively involved in managing the day-day activities of the business.
- You must meet all the requirements of the performance agreement which is created on the basis of information and business plan provided in the Expression of Interest.
OINP Entrepreneur draws
All the draws for the OINP entrepreneur stream are tabulated below.
OINP Entrepreneur draws in 2023
|
Date of Draw |
ITAs issued |
EOI Score Range |
|---|---|---|
|
27.01.2023 |
10 |
137-162 |
OINP Entrepreneur draws in 2022
|
Date of Draw |
ITAs issued |
EOI Score Range |
|---|---|---|
|
22.12.2022 |
14 |
140-173 |
|
16.08.2022 |
30 |
138-160 |
|
15.07.2022 |
33 |
146-174 |
|
04.03.2022 |
21 |
152-169 |
OINP Entrepreneur draws in 2021
|
Date of Draw |
ITAs issued |
EOI Score Range |
|---|---|---|
|
27.10.2021 |
20 |
147-174 |
|
26.08.2021 |
20 |
142-200 |
OINP Entrepreneur draws in 2020
|
Date of Draw |
ITAs issued |
EOI Score Range |
|---|---|---|
|
15.12.2020 |
19 |
140-200 |
|
26.10.2020 |
21 |
142-200 |
|
26.08.2020 |
21 |
144-200 |
|
24.06.2020 |
24 |
134-200 |
|
22.04.2020 |
26 |
132-200 |
|
26.02.2020 |
20 |
136-200 |
OINP Entrepreneur draws in 2019
|
Date of Draw |
ITAs issued |
EOI Score Range |
|---|---|---|
|
02.12.2019 |
16 |
118 |
|
20.09.2019 |
15 |
127 |
|
05.04.2019 |
22 |
112 |
|
17.01.2019 |
13 |
115 |
OINP Entrepreneur draws in 2018
|
Date of Draw |
ITAs issued |
EOI Score Range |
|---|---|---|
|
23.11.2018 |
15 |
112 |
|
23.10.2018 |
18 |
110 |
|
21.09.2018 |
16 |
117 |
|
24.08.2018 |
21 |
110 |
|
14.05.2018 |
10 |
127 |
|
16.04.2018 |
13 |
132 |
|
14.03.2018 |
10 |
135 |
|
06.02.2018 |
13 |
137 |
Documents required for the OINP Entrepreneur stream
You will require the following documents while applying for the Entrepreneur stream.
- Updated Resume: You must provide your latest resume that includes your education, qualifications, business, and work experience.
- To demonstrate your work experience as a senior business manager, you will need to provide:
- Employer reference letters printed on the business letterhead. It should include business address and contact details. It must clearly mention the position you held and its duration. The reference letter must be signed by the responsible supervisor.
- Organizational charts from all the organizations you worked as a senior manager. The chart must mention your designation and reporting structure, along with the size of the organization.
- You must also provide copy of the last two pay-slips from your current employment.
- Copies of all the work contracts in the last 5 years.
- To demonstrate your work experience as a business owner you must provide:
- Employment reference letters
- License of business registration for all the businesses you owned in the last 5 years
- Registration with the taxation authorities for all the organisations you owned in the last 5 years
- Proof of shareholding for all the businesses you owned in the last 5 years
- List of all the employees who worked for you along with their salaries, number of paid hours, and proof of salary payment for atleast a year within the last 5 years.
- Copy of income tax returns for your business for at least 2 years in the last 5 years.
- Copies of financial statements and bank statements for at least 2 years in the last 5 years.
- If required you must also be able to upload the copies of articles of incorporation for your business.
- To gain EOI points for specific work experience as a business manager, you must provide:
- Reference letter that highlights your impact on high-growth activities of the business
- Reference letter to demonstrate your experience in export trade in the last 5 years
- Reference letter that highlights your experience acquired in the field of your business.
- Inorder to gain EOI points for specific work experience as a business owner, you must upload:
- Financial statements for at least 2 continuous years that show an increase in revenue of minimum 20% or higher
- Financial statements, vendor agreements, reference letters to highlight your experience in exporting atleast 20% of the goods or services to a foreign market.
- To support your transferable skills, upload documents that highlight your experience in the same or relevant industry to your proposed business.
- To be eligible for the OINP Entrepreneur stream you will also need to upload documents to demonstrate your investment for the business:
- Copy of the third-party verification report for your legally acquired funds and net worth
- If you are buying a business in Ontario, you must also upload copies of documents to prove business related visits to the province. These might include boarding passes, summary of meetings, photos of meeting notes, email correspondence with Ontario business contracts, etc.
- Copy of your business plan in accordance with the investment and job creation information in your Expression of Interest.
- ECA or Educational Credential Assessment report. The report must not be older than 5 years
- Language test report. This report must not be older than 2 years.
- Copy of your photograph
- Copy of your entire passport
OINP Entrepreneur stream processing time and fee
The application fee for Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program or OINP Entrepreneur stream is $3500.
The processing time for the business application is less than 30 days. However, this depends on the documents provided and the complexity of the application submitted. If your application is supported by complete paperwork and a clear business plan, it will be processed faster.
List of businesses ineligible for OINP Entrepreneur stream
The following businesses are ineligible under the OINP business stream if situated within the GTA..
- Bed and Breakfast businesses
- Franchises in Ontario
- Gas stations.
Following businesses are ineligible outside the Greater Toronto Area
- Businesses involved in the production, distribution, or sales of pornography, and other sexually explicit content, products or services.
- Tire recycling
- Holding companies
- Pawnbrokers
- Automated car-wash business
- Scrap metal recycling
- Pay day loan and relevant businesses
- Business owned by a former OINP Entrepreneur stream nominee
