Immigration Corner | What is a 'notice of interest'?

Dear Miss Powell,

My daughter is in the express entry pool and she said she received an expression of interest from the province of Ontario. What does that mean? Is that what you call the provincial nominee? Does that mean she will now have enough points and will get permanent residence? Waiting for your urgent response.

AD

Dear AD,

Congratulations! Your daughter is one step closer to receiving permanent residence in Canada. Some provinces scout the express entry pool for suitable candidates and invite then to apply to be nominated for permanent residence. This invitation to apply is called 'notice of interest' (NOI).

Each province has their own way of selecting individuals whom they wish to nominate for permanent residence. The province usually evaluates the applicant’s connection to the province, labour demands and the complete profile of the candidate. Ontario is one of the provinces that examines the credentials of an applicant who is already in the Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) express entry pool to find suitable candidates to grant a notice of interest.

How to apply

The NOI is the first of a few steps toward permanent residence of Canada and is merely an invitation by the province to apply to be considered for provincial nominee. It is not the actual nomination. Your daughter would need to confirm that she is interested and that she is committed to living and contributing to the province of Ontario.

When an NOI is granted, the applicant is directed to submit an online application directly to the province. Applicants are given 45 days from date of the offer of NOI, to submit the application via Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program e-Filing Portal.

The province requires applicants to create an online profile and submit information about the applicant’s skills, work experience, language ability, education and other information which would prove that the applicant is committed to and able to contribute to the province. The fee for submission depends on the category under which your daughter was qualified and range from (CAD $,500 to $3,500)

This application must be done accurately and honestly. Your application should accurately reflect the same information provided in the express entry profile. Misrepresentation carries serious penalties.

Once the application is submitted, the province will analyse the application and decide whether to grant a provincial nominee. If a provincial nominee is granted, then the applicant should update the express entry profile accordingly. A provincial nominee means that 600 additional points will be given under the express entry system. Therefore, an individual could receive an invitation from the federal government to apply for permanent residence in the next round of invitations. That is another step towards ultimately being granted permanent residence of Canada.

Categories of Selection

Ontario has many streams under which an individual may apply for provincial nominee. The most popular of all the streams is under the express entry category based on the Ontario's Human Capital Priorities Stream. This category is mostly utilised by international applicants who receive an expression of interest (EOI) from the province of Ontario via the express entry system.

The province changes its rules depending on demand. Therefore, individuals would need to examine the province’s website to see which stream is open at the time of the application. Individuals may apply under streams such as the Human Capital Priorities Stream, French-speaking Skilled Worker Stream, Skilled Trades Stream, Ontario's Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream, Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills Stream; Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream; Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream; Entrepreneur Stream; Corporate Stream; Masters Graduate and PhD Graduates Stream.

The Canadian Immigration system is changed on a regular basis and with this being an election year, I strongly recommend that individuals speak directly with an authorised Canadian immigration lawyer to assist and to make the application process less complicated and a smooth one.

Deidre S. Powell is an immigration lawyer, mediator and notary public with office in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Submit your questions and comments to info@deidrepowell.com or call 613.695.8777/ 876.922.4092. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.