Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
About the Entrepreneur Stream
The following steps are required to participate in the Entrepreneur Stream:
Register an online Expression of Interest (EOI).
- Your online EOI is entered into the selection pool and ranked by score. Periodically, the ministry will draw registrants from the EOI selection pool and invite them to apply to the OINP Entrepreneur Stream.
- If you are invited to apply, you can submit a complete application and application fee to the OINP.
- If your application is approved, you will sign a Performance Agreement outlining the commitments you have made in your EOI to invest and create jobs in Ontario. You will be issued a temporary work permit support letter to apply for a temporary work permit from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in order to establish your business in Ontario. Please note: IRCC retains the authority to issue temporary work permits.
- If you meet the commitments of your Performance Agreement, you may be eligible to be nominated by the OINP for permanent resident status.
- Successful nominees must apply to IRCC for permanent resident status within six months of being nominated by OINP.
For more information on the Entrepreneur Stream, including EOI factors and scoring, please refer to the Program Guide: Entrepreneur Stream.
Are you eligible?
You may be eligible for this program if you have a viable business activity that will bring significant economic benefit to Ontario. If approved, you and your business partner (if applicable) may apply for a temporary work permit in order to establish your business. Once your business has been successfully established, you and your business partner (if applicable) may be eligible for nomination by the OINP.
You must meet all eligibility criteria in order to apply to the Entrepreneur Stream. If you are applying with a business partner, your business partner must also meet the eligibility criteria.
To be eligible, you and your business partner must meet five factors.
Experience
- At least three years of full-time business experience in the last five years.
- Your experience must be as a business owner OR as a senior manager (business management).
Net Worth
- If your proposed business will be located within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA – includes the City of Toronto, Durham, Halton, York and Peel regions), you must have a minimum net worth of $1,500,000 CDN.
- If your proposed business will be located outside of the GTA, you must have a minimum net worth of $800,000 CDN.
- If your proposed business will be in the ICT/Digital Communications sector (regardless of your proposed business location), you must have a minimum net worth of $800,000 CDN.
Personal Investment Funds
- If your proposed business will be located within the GTA, you must make a minimum personal investment of $1,000,000 CDN and have a minimum equity ownership of 33.3 per cent.
- If your proposed business will be located outside of the GTA, you must make a minimum personal investment of $500,000 CDN and have a minimum equity ownership of 33.3 per cent.
- If your proposed business will be in the ICT/Digital Communications sector (regardless of where you set up the business), you must make a minimum personal investment of $500,000 CDN and have a minimum equity ownership of 33.3 per cent.
Job Creation
- You must create at least two permanent full-time jobs for Canadian citizens/ permanent residents.
Business-Related Visit
- If you plan to purchase an existing business, you must make at least one business-related visit to Ontario in the last year prior to the date you submitted your EOI.
You must meet the minimum requirements for all of these factors to be eligible to apply for the Entrepreneur Stream. If you are applying with a business partner who is also seeking nomination, your partner must also meet all the minimum requirements for each factor.
Ref. OINP Website
