Minimum Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for the OINP Ph.D. Graduate Stream, individuals must:

• Have completed all the requirements to obtain a Ph.D. from one of the 25 eligible Ontario universities, with at least two years of your PhD studies must have been completed while lawfully living in Ontario.
• Have been legally residing in Ontario for at least 12 of the last 24 months before the application submission date. Applicants must provide documentation with their full name and address in Ontario to prove this requirement, such as phone bills, car insurance, hydro/energy bills, leasing documents, etc.
• Possess sufficient funds and/or income to cover the settlement costs for themselves and their dependent family members, regardless of whether the family members are accompanying the applicant or not. Settlement funds can be demonstrated through bank statements, statements of accounts showing other investments, annual earnings from ongoing employment in Ontario, or a job offer in Ontario. If using employment or a job offer to meet the settlement funds requirement, applicants must include an employment contract/job offer letter indicating the position, hours of work, and wage. If currently working in Ontario, two recent pay slips must be provided as proof of funds.
• Submit the application within two years of the date on which the Ph.D. was granted.
• Intend to live and work in Ontario.
• Have legal status (i.e., study permit, work permit, visitor record) if living in Canada at the time of the application. The OINP accepts applications from potential applicants on maintained status when applying.

It’s important to note that meeting the minimum eligibility criteria does not guarantee an invitation to apply (ITA). The OINP Ph.D. Graduate Stream uses a points-based ranking system to invite candidates for nomination. Profiles are ranked based on the OINP points system, and the highest-ranking candidates will receive an ITA to apply for nomination. In order to receive an ITA, you must also score enough points on the scoring scale. To calculate your points, use this free calculator.

Required Supporting Documents:

• To apply for the Ph.D. Graduate Stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), one must scan and upload copies of the following required documents with their application: 
• Attestation: The Attestation Form must be filled out, signed, and uploaded to the Required Documents section of the application. It should be signed on the same day that you submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) to the OINP;
• Identity documents: The scan copy of the photograph and the personal details page of the passport as well as if any family member is included, then a scan copy of their passport’s personal details page as proof of identity;
• Legal status documents in Canada (i.e., study permit, work permit, visitor record);
• Residency in Ontario documents: One must demonstrate residency in Ontario for at least one year within the past two years before applying and must scan and upload documents that show the full name and address in Ontario. These documents may include phone bills, hydro or energy bills, car or home insurance, lease or rental agreements, or pay slips from an Ontario employer;
• Education documents: If the Ph.D. degree has been granted, then require to scan and upload a copy of the Ph.D. degree from an eligible Ontario university and the official transcripts issued by the university. If the Ph.D. degree has not yet been granted, then required to scan and upload an official letter from the Ontario university confirming that degree requirements have been completed, there are no outstanding fees, the scheduled date of degree-granting, and the official transcripts. May include any other education documents, such as other university degrees or occupational certificates, with the application.
• Documents demonstrating that you meet the settlement funds requirement: 
  
  

One may choose a combination of the following options to demonstrate the settlement funds requirement:

• Funds: Scan and upload copies of the most recent bank statements from the last three months to show proof of having sufficient funds. The statements must include the financial institution’s name, account number, account balance, and account holder’s name.
• Spouse/Common-Law Partner’s Funds: Scan and upload copies of his/her spouse or common-law partner’s most recent bank statements from the last three months. The statements must include the financial institution’s name, account number, account balance, and the spouse/common-law partner’s name as the account holder. 
• Additionally, one may be required to scan and upload a letter from your spouse/common-law partner indicating they have access to the funds.

• Investments: You may also scan and upload statements of accounts for investments such as fixed-term deposits or mutual funds. You must also scan and upload a letter from the financial institution confirming that the funds are available and that the assets can be liquidated or redeemed on instructions and their value.

1. Ongoing employment in Ontario;
2. Job offer in Ontario;
3. Resume;
4. Demonstrate the Intention to reside in Ontario through documents such as employment, job offers, volunteer work, lease agreements, professional affiliations, family ties, etc.
5. Any other optional documents (if applicable).

Application Process:

To achieve a permanent residency in Ontario through the Ph.D. Graduate (PG) Stream of Ontario, one must follow the below steps:

1. Create a profile in the OINP e-Filing Portal;
2. Register to an expression of interest (EOI) for the PhD stream;
3. Receive an invitation to apply (ITA). Upon receiving ITA, apply to the PhD stream within 14 days by submitting their application through the OINP e-Filing Portal (filling in forms and uploading required documents);
4. Receive Provincial Nomination;
5. Submit a federal application for permanent resident status to the federal government (IRCC) within the next six months of receiving the nomination from the OINP. 
   
   

Processing Times and Fees:

This stream’s application fee is $1,500 CAD, and the payment can only be made using a credit or debit card (Visa or MasterCard). The processing times for a Ph.D. Graduate stream applications are estimated to be between 90 to 120 days.

Application fees may only be refunded if processing has not yet begun, either if the applicant withdraws their application before processing starts or if the application is refused as incomplete by the OINP, and some applications may need more time to process if they are more complex or require more documents and/or information.

Draw Updates:

So far in 2023, Ontario PhD Graduate Stream has invited candidates with a score of 39 or above. To see a list of all draws, visit this page on OINP’s website.

The Ontario Ph.D. Graduate Stream is a pathway for international students who have completed a Ph.D. program at an eligible university in Ontario to immigrate permanently to Ontario without the requirement of a job offer.

Annex:

List of universities eligible for the Ontario PhD Graduate stream

1. Brock University
2. Carleton University
3. Dominican University College
4. Lakehead University
5. Laurentian University
6. McMaster University
7. Nipissing University
8. Queen’s University
9. Royal Military College of Canada
10. Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University)
11. Saint Paul University (Federated with the University of Ottawa)
12. St. Jerome’s University (Federated with the University of Waterloo)
13. Trent University
14. University of Guelph
15. University of Ontario Institute of Technology
16. University of Ottawa
17. University of St. Michael’s College (Federated with the University of Toronto)
18. University of Toronto
19. University of Trinity College (Federated with the University of Toronto)
20. University of Waterloo
21. University of Windsor
22. Victoria University (Federated with the University of Toronto)
23. Western University
24. Wilfrid Laurier University
25. York University