The OINP Masters Graduate Stream is one of the nine pathways of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program. It offers provincial nomination to eligible international students with a master’s degree from a valid university in Ontario. After becoming a provincial nominee, you can apply for Canada PR through the Provincial Nominee Pathway within 180 days or 6 months.
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Overview
- Eligibility requirements
- OINP Masters Graduate Stream score calculator
- Documents Checklist
- Step-by-Step Process
- List of eligible Universities in Ontario
- Processing Time and Fee
- Latest draws for Master’s Graduate Stream
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Eligibility Requirements for the OINP Masters Graduate Stream
To be eligible for the OINP Master’s Graduate, international students must have completed the course and qualify for a Master’s degree from a valid university in Ontario.
Additionally, they should get an Invitation to Apply in the OINP draws to become eligible to apply for provincial nomination through this category.
All eligibility requirements are given below in detail.
| Eligibility factors | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Expression of Interest (EOI) | An Expression of Interest is a compulsory pre-application. While creating an EOI the OINP will ask you about your personal details, education and language proficiency, work experience, and many important details. An EOI is free and does not need any documents. Based on the information in your EOI, the OINP scores you out of 75 points. |
| Invitation to Apply | You must be Invited to Apply in the latest OINP draws. Without an ITA, you cannot apply to the OINP Masters Graduate stream. |
| Academic Proficiency | You must be eligible to get a master’s degree. Must have earned a master’s degree from an eligible university in Ontario. The degree is valid only if: It is a full-time course for at least one academic year. A full-time academic course is 15 hours of instruction per week throughout the academic year. This includes any workplace training as part of your studies. Part-time course will qualify only if the instruction hours are equal to those in one academic year. You must have completed your master’s when you apply to the OINP Masters Graduate Stream. You can apply to this stream while still studying only under two conditions. If you are studying to get mandatory authorization or a license for a regulated occupation in Ontario You are a full-time student in Ontario Apply to the OINP Masters Graduate stream within two years of completing your master’s program. For instance, if you received your degree on July 1, 2021, you can apply to the Masters Graduate stream till July 1, 2023. Note: You will be ineligible to apply if you are enrolled in a master’s program through a grant or a scholarship that requires you to return to your home country upon completion of the program. You will be eligible only after you have fulfilled the conditions of your scholarship and successfully demonstrate an intention to permanently reside in Ontario. |
| Language Proficiency | You must have at least CLB 7 in all four fields of listening, speaking, writing, and reading. To demonstrate your language ability you must take language tests. OINP accepts CELPIP-G, PTE-Core, and IELTS for English, and TCF and TEF for French. The language test score is valid for two years. |
| Settle in Ontario | You should be able to prove that you aim to settle in the province of Ontario. This can be proved by: Leasing or owning a property in Ontario Appearing for job interviews Working in Ontario, or having prior work experience in the province Studying in Ontario Having a social circle such as family members, friends, and professional connections in the province |
| Status in Canada at the time of application | You cannot apply to the OINP Masters graduate stream from a Canadian territory or province other than Ontario. You must either be living outside Canada, or in Ontario on a valid study/work permit at the time of applying to the OINP stream. |
| Living in Ontario | Must have lived in Ontario for at least a year within the last two years. Your one-year stay does not need to be continuous and can be cumulative. |
| Residency at the time of Application | While applying to the Ontario Masters Graduate stream, you should either be outside Canada or in Ontario. If you are applying from within Ontario, you must have a valid study/work/visitor visa. |
Settlement Funds for Ontario Masters Graduate Stream
Applicants should be financially stable and have enough resources to support themselves and their family after settling in Canada.
The funds you require to be eligible for the OINP Masters Graduate stream depend upon the number of family members.
| Number of accompanying family members | Settlement funds required |
|---|---|
| 1 | $14,690 |
| 2 | $18,288 |
| 3 | $22,483 |
| 4 | $27,297 |
| 5 | $30,690 |
| 6 | $34,917 |
| 7 | $38,875 |
| Each additional member | $3958 |
You can fulfill the settlement funds requirement through the following ways:
- An employment offer in Ontario
- Availability of funds demonstrated through your bank statements, and other account statements showing forms of investments such as mutual funds, fixed term deposits, etc.
- Yearly earnings from ongoing employment in Ontario
Hence, if you are the only member of the family, you will need $14690 to be eligible to apply to OINP. You can meet this requirement through the wages of your job offer, funds in your bank account, or annual earnings from your job in Ontario.
OINP Masters Graduate Stream Score Calculator
The EOI system will score you based on the information you provide while registering your interest. The scoring factors for the Master’s Graduate stream are tabulated below. You will be scored out of 75 points.
| Academic field – 12 points | |
| Credential in STEM courses such as Computer Science, Health, Engineering, Maths Degrees in Trades, agriculture, natural sciences, management, architecture, construction, mechanics and repair, etc. | 12 points 12 points |
| Degree in Business and administration, social sciences, academics, law, transport services, etc. | 06 points |
| Degree in Arts and humanities | 0 Points |
| Academic Level – 10 points | |
| PhD Degree | 10 |
| Master’s degree | 08 |
| Bachelors or equivalent | 06 |
| Graduate diploma or certification | 06 |
| Undergraduate diploma | 05 |
| Trade or Apprenticeship certificate | 05 points |
| Lower level certificate | 00 |
| Canadian Education – 10 points | |
| If you have more than one Canadian degree or credential | 10 points |
| If you have only one Canadian degree or credential | 05 points |
| Language Proficiency – 10 points | |
| CLB 9 and above | 10 points |
| CLB 8 | 06 points |
| CLB 7 | 04 points |
| CLB 6 or lower | 0 points |
| Proficiency in Official languages – 10 points | |
| If you are proficient in both English and French | 10 points |
| If you are proficient in either English or French | 05 points |
| Location of Study – 10 points | |
| Northern Ontario | 10 points |
| Outside Greater Toronto Area excluding Northern Ontario | 08 points |
| Inside GTA | 03 points |
| Toronto | 0 points |
| Permit Status – 10 points | |
| With a study or work permit | 10 points |
| Without a study or work permit | 0 points |
| Canadian Earning history – 03 points | |
| If you earn more than $40k annually | 03 points |
| If you earn less than $40k in a year | 00 points |
| Maximum Points available | 75 points |
Documents Checklist for Masters Graduate Stream
You must have the following documents while applying to the OINP through the Masters Graduate Stream:
- A signed Application Consent Form by the principal applicant
- A scanned copy of a passport-sized photograph.
- Copy of the personal information page of your passport.
- Language test report. Your test results must not be older than 2 years.
- Official master’s degree from a valid university in Ontario along with official transcripts. If you do not have the degree yet, upload a copy of the official letter from Ontario University that will grant you the master’s degree. The letter must confirm that you have completed the course and there is no outstanding fee.
- Copy of Work permit, study permit, or any other current and previous status document from IRCC or the CBSA. If you have an implied status, you must submit:
- An acknowledgment letter from IRCC stating that they have received your request to extend your status or IRCC fee receipt
- To substantiate your points for field of study, and location of study, upload a copy of your Canadian credential or degree. You will also be required to submit your transcript.
- To support your points for your Canadian earning history, you must upload a copy of a Notice of Assessment (NOAs) issued by the Canada Revenue Agency, within the last 5 years.
- In order to prove that you stayed in Ontario for at least a year in the past 24 months, you will also need to provide documents such as phone bills, rent agreements, payslips from an Ontario employer, etc.
- Documents to demonstrate your settlement funds. These include copies of your latest bank account statements that have three months’ activities.
- Documents to prove that you aim to settle in Ontario.
- Your latest resume that includes your work experience, education, contact number, current residential, and email addresses.
Note: All documents must be in English or French. If any document is in a foreign language, it must be translated by a verified translator.
Step-by-Step Application Process
Before applying to the OINP Masters Graduate stream, create an Expression of Interest (EOI). Based on the EOI, the OINP will assign a score. If eligible, you will get an ITA in the latest OINP draw.
A step-by-step guide from nomination to Canada immigration is discussed below.
- The first and foremost step is to register your Expression of Interest (EOI) in applying for provincial nomination through the OINP Masters Graduate Stream.
- Your EOI will be scored according to the information you provide while registering it.
- Once you get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in the OINP draws, you must apply to the Ontario Masters Graduate stream within 14 days of getting the ITA.
- Once your application is approved, you will get a nomination letter and a provincial nomination certificate from the OINP
- Apply to the IRCC for Canada PR through the PNP program within 6 months of being nominated.
- Get a COPR or Confirmation of Permanent Residence once your PR application is approved by the IRCC.
List of Universities in Ontario for Ontario Masters Graduate Stream
You must get your degree from one of the 30 universities in Ontario to be eligible for the Masters Graduate stream.
- Algoma University
- Brescia University College (Affiliated with the University of Western Ontario)
- Brock University
- Carleton University
- Dominican University College
- Huron University College (Affiliated with the University of Western Ontario)
- King’s University College at the University of Western Ontario
- Lakehead University
- Laurentian University
- McMaster University
- Nipissing University
- Ontario College of Art & Design University
- Queen’s University
- Royal Military College of Canada
- Ryerson University
- Saint Paul University (Federated with the University of Ottawa)
- St. Jerome’s University (Federated with the University of Waterloo)
- Trent University
- University of Guelph
- University of Ontario Institute of Technology
- University of Ottawa
- University of St. Michael’s College (Federated with the University of Toronto)
- University of Toronto
- University of Trinity College (Federated with the University of Toronto)
- University of Waterloo
- University of Windsor
- Victoria University (Federated with the University of Toronto)
- Western University
- Wilfrid Laurier University
- York University
Processing Time and Fee for the OINP Masters Graduate Stream
The processing time for the Ontario PNP Masters Graduate Stream is 30-60 days. Submitting a completed application decreases the application processing time.
While applying for this pathway, you will need to pay a non-refundable fee of $1500 (Canadian Dollars)
OINP Draws for the Masters Graduate Stream – 2024
The latest OINP draw for the Masters Graduate stream was on the 19th of March, 2024. All the latest draws are given in the table below.
| Date of Draw | EOI Score | ITAs issued |
|---|---|---|
| 19.03.2024 | 52 and higher | 1370 |
| 24.01.2024 | 50 and above | 1344 |
If you are a foreign student with a Master’s degree from Ontario, the OINP Masters Graduate Program is the best pathway for you.
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