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Ontario Masters Graduate Stream

Summary

Ontario’s Master’s Graduate Stream offers a pathway to permanent residency in Ontario for international students who hold a master’s degree from one of the province’s 21 eligible universities, all without requiring a job offer. Candidates must have completed their master’s degree within the last two years, demonstrating language proficiency of CLB 7 or higher, showing ties to the province, and having sufficient settlement funds. The application process involves creating an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile, receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA), submitting required documents, and, upon receiving a provincial nomination, applying for permanent resident status through the federal government. Processing times range from 90 to 120 days, and the application fee is $1,500 CAD. This is the second largest OINP stream after the Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream.

Ontario’s Master’s Graduate Stream: Immigrate without a job offer

Ontario’s Master’s Graduate Stream is a pathway for international students with a master’s degree from an eligible Ontario university to get their PR, even without having a job offer. This program is not an express entry stream, so processing times are longer. And thus, unlike some of the other OINP streams, for the master’s graduate stream in Ontario, the applicants must create an expression of interest in OINP.

 

  • Minimum Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for the OINP Masters Graduate Stream, individuals must have the following criteria and apply with proper proof of documentation:

  • Have completed the requirements to obtain a master’s degree.
    • Have graduated from an existing master’s program from one of the 21 eligible universities in Ontario; 
    • The program of study must have been at least one year in length full-time, or the equivalent amount of part-time studies.
  • Apply within two years of completing the requirements necessary to obtain the master’s degree. For example, if your degree is dated June 1, 2023, you must have registered an EOI, received an Invitation to Apply, and submitted your application on or before June 1, 2025.
  • Residing in Ontario with legal status, not another province, while applying from inside Canada must show legal status and keep that status until receiving a nomination (i.e., study permit, work permit, visitor record) OR apply outside of Canada.
  • Must prove the residency in Ontario. At least 12 months of residency in Ontario in the last two years before the application submission date is required;
  • Intention to live and work in Ontario. Past study, work or travel history plays a vital role in assessing the intention. The OINP assess this through different series of factors; 
  • Must have proof of having a high language proficiency level in English or French of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 or above in all four competencies (speaking, reading, writing, and listening). The applicant must meet the following minimum score requirements for each language ability:

 

Competency

IELTS

CELPIP

TEF

TCF

Listening

6

7

249-279

458-502

Reading

6

7

207-232

453-498

Writing

6

7

310-348

10-11

Speaking

6

7

310-348

10-11

 

  • Possess sufficient funds and/or income to cover settlement costs for themselves and their dependent family members (whether or not the family members are accompanying the applicant). Applicants can meet the settlement funds requirement through one or a combination of the following:
    • Proof of funds as demonstrated by bank statements or statements of accounts showing other investments, such as fixed-term deposits and mutual funds, that can be readily converted to cash.
    • Proof of having annual earnings from ongoing employment in Ontario; and/or 
    • Having a job offer in Ontario.
    • You can also use a combination of your job offer and savings to meet the desired funds requirements e.g. $30,000 salary and $6,000 in savings.
 

Not all applicants who meet the eligibility criteria will receive an ITA. In order to receive an ITA, you must also score enough points on the scoring scale. To calculate your points, use this free calculator.

In 2023, OINP invited 5,734 applicants through the Masters Graduate stream, in 7 different rounds of invtes. The scores ranged from 41-52. So, if you’re in this range, you may have a good chance of success with this program. 

 

VIEW MORE DETAILS

OINP Masters Graduate Stream Application Checklist

1. Summary

  • Mandatory Documents Required:
    • Attestation
    • Identity documents
    • Status documents in Canada
    • Residency in Ontario documents
    • Education documents
    • Language test results
    • Settlement funds requirement documents
    • Resumé
    • Expression of interest selection factors
    • Other optional documents (if applicable)

2. Attestation

  • Complete, sign, and upload the Attestation Form in the Required Documents section on the application submission date.

3. Identity Documents

  • Photograph:
    • Scan of a physical photo, meeting passport/visa requirements.
  • Passport:
    • Scan and upload the personal details page, pages with Canadian visas, and entry stamps.
  • Family Members’ Passports:
    • Scan and upload personal details page for each dependent family member.

4. Status Documents in Canada

  • Scan and upload copies of:
    • Work permits, study permits, temporary resident visas, and other Canadian immigration documents.
    • Implied status documents (if applicable): IRCC acknowledgment letter, IRCC fee receipt, post office mailing receipt.

5. Residency in Ontario Documents

  • Prove one-year residency in Ontario in the last two years through documents like:
    • Phone, hydro, or energy bills.
    • Car or home insurance.
    • Lease or rental agreement.
    • Pay slips from an Ontario employer.

6. Education Documents

  • Degree Documents:
    • If degree granted: scan and upload master’s degree and official transcripts.
    • If degree not yet granted: scan and upload official letter and official transcripts.
  • Other Education Documents (Optional):
    • Include documentation for other degrees, diplomas, or certificates.

7. Language Test Results

  • Upload results of an approved English or French language test (taken within the last two years).
  • English tests: IELTS (General Training), CELPIP (General).
  • French tests: TEF Canada, TCF Canada.

8. Settlement Funds Requirement Documents

  • Options to Demonstrate Funds:
    • Bank statements (last three months).
    • Letter from financial institution for investment accounts.
    • Employment documents (if using ongoing employment in Ontario).
    • Job offer letter (if using job offer in Ontario).
  • Redact credit card numbers before uploading.

9. Resumé

  • Upload the most current resumé detailing work experience, education, contact information.

10. Intention to Reside in Ontario Documents

  • List established ties to Ontario (employment, education, volunteer work, lease agreements, etc.).
  • Provide a statement of intent if no ties exist.

11. Expression of Interest Scoring Factors Documents

  • Work Permit Status in Canada: Upload relevant permits and implied status documents.
  • Earnings History: Notice of Assessment(s) by CRA for the last five years.
  • Highest Level of Education: Degree, diploma, certificate, or Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).
  • Field of Study: Official transcript from Canadian institution.
  • Canadian Education Experience: Credential from eligible Canadian institution.
  • Official Language Ability: Language test results.
  • Regional Immigration: Transcript from Canadian institution for location of study.

 

Important Notes:

  • All documents are mandatory unless otherwise stated.
  • Avoid including non-mandatory documents to prevent application delays.
  • Ensure all scans are clear and complete.
  • Redact sensitive information like credit card numbers before uploading.
  •  

Application Process

Following are the steps to the OINP master’s Graduate stream: 

  1. Create a profile and upload all documents to OINP’s Express of Interest System 
  2. Based on the profile, OINP will score and rank the profile. Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA); and submited your application to OINP within the next 14 days by submitting all necessary documents through Ontario’s e-Filing portal. 
  3. Receive a provincial nomination from the OINP. The OINP may request additional supporting documents while processing the Master’s Graduate Stream application.
  4. Submit a federal application for permanent resident status to IRCC within the six months of receiving the nomination from the OINP.

     

Processing Times and Fees:

The processing times for a Masters Graduate stream application are estimated to be 90 to 120 days. However, some applications may need more time to process if they are more complex or require more documents and/or information. The fee for this stream is similar to Express Entry Streams, set at $1,500 CAD. Application fees can only be refunded if the processing of the application has not started, either (i) if the applicant withdraws his/her application before processing starts or (ii) if the application is returned as being incomplete by the OINP.

 Draw Updates:

 To see a list of all draws, visit this page on OINP’s website, or join our mailing list. 

If you need help in applying for this stream, please get in touch with me [email protected]

 

 

OINP Masters Graduate Stream Eligible Universities

The following Universities are eligible for the Masters Graduate stream:

  1. Algoma University
  2. Brock University
  3. Carleton University
  4. Lakehead University
  5. Laurentian University
  6. McMaster University
  7. Nipissing University
  8. Ontario College of Art & Design University
  9. Queen’s University
  10. Royal Military College of Canada
  11. Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University)
  12. Trent University
  13. University of Guelph
  14. University of Ontario Institute of Technology
  15. University of Ottawa
  16. University of Toronto
  17. University of Waterloo
  18. University of Windsor
  19. Western University
  20. Wilfrid Laurier University
  21. York University

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I’m Rashid Ali, a Licensed Canadian Immigration Consultant, having a designation of RCIC (Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant) from the College of Citizenship & Immigration Consultants of Canada or CICC (Previously known as ICCRC). CICC is the official regulator of immigration consultants in Canada. I’m also a member of the Canadian Association for Professional Immigration Consultants (CAPIC).

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