Ontario communities desperately need immigrants, launches Regional Immigration Pilot

Ontario is one of the best provinces to migrate to Canada. It has a great health insurance program, wonderful cities, useful resources, talented minds, and surreal natural beauty. However, its labor market is not going through a good phase- Ontario is in dire need of skilled labor to boost its economy. And therefore, it’s necessary that Ontario fills the labor gaps. Due to the problem of scarcity of labor, Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade of Ontario has recently written to the federal government to give Ontario control over the selection of a number of economic immigrants. As a result, the Ontario Government has decided to launch a Regional Immigration Pilot program for a period of two years to attract skilled immigrants and thus, help businesses in rural communities. Chatham-Kent, Belleville/Quinte West, and Cornwall are the three communities of Ontario which are chosen recently for Regional Immigration Pilot. These communities are facing an acute shortage of labor due to an aging population and low birth rate. With a very good infrastructure, these three communities have the ability to attract newcomers. Chatham-Kent already has a vision of economic prosperity by 2035. And, inviting skilled workers is a part of this vision. These three communities are selected based on their particular labor needs and the ability to help integrate newcomers into the local community. The Regional Immigration pilot is a part of the well-known Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). This pilot program will give a favorable chance to the communities to fill their labor shortages and create more jobs. Furthermore, it will also create a pathway for immigrants to become permanent residents. It is believed that Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program will allocate nearly 150 nominations for the new Regional Immigration Pilot. OINP will nominate through its Employer Job Offer Category which has three immigration streams- Foreign worker stream, In-Demand skills stream, and International student stream. Employer Job Offer category of OINP allows foreign workers to get nominated to apply for permanent residence in Canada. It is specially designed for those candidates who already have a permanent job offer. 

Additional Points:

• OINP will allocate around 150 nominations for the Rural and Immigration pilot through its Employer Job Offer category.
• For the year 2020, New manufacturing National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes will be added to the In-Demand Skills stream of the Employer Job Offer category.
• The skilled workers nominated through Regional and Immigration Pilot must have a job offer.

A huge number of immigrants prefer to settle in Toronto. Only 20 percent of newcomers settle in the other parts of the province of Ontario. To boost the local economy of rural communities, it’s imperative to have growth in economic immigration. Therefore, the launch of a new Regional Immigration program will certainly aid to have economic development in small communities. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs