OINP Employer Requirements: What Your Employer Has to Disclose, and How Fast

Oct 4

6 min read

by Carolyn Watson, RCIC-IRB

Under the redesigned Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program, your employer has their own eligibility criteria to meet and a 14-day submission deadline of their own. Here’s what the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream asks of them, and why some employers say no.

Your employer just told you they’ll "look into it next week." Your work permit has eight months left on it, and every week they wait is a week you don’t have an Expression of Interest.

That delay costs more than most people realize. The longer you’re in the pool, the better your chances of being drawn. And getting into the pool requires your employer to act first. They submit the job offer. You create the Expression of Interest after that. If they take two months to get organized, that’s two months you weren’t available.

Then, when the Invitation to Apply arrives, your employer has 14 days to submit their portion. Not 14 business days. Fourteen calendar days. If they’re supporting multiple employees through the OINP, that’s potentially dozens of submissions hitting the same deadline, through the same portal, in the same two-week window.

This is where applications stall. The candidate was eligible. The paperwork was right. The employer didn’t fully understand what was being asked of them, or how tight the window actually is.

What Are the OINP Employer Requirements?

To support an application under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream, an employer must have been in business for three years with the work location in Ontario, a clean record under Ontario’s employment and health and safety legislation, minimum annual revenue of $1,000,000 in the GTA or $500,000 outside it, at least five Canadian or permanent resident employees in the GTA or three outside it, and demonstrated recruitment effort. They must also meet their own 14-day submission deadline once you receive an Invitation to Apply.

Employer participation in the OINP isn’t new. It’s been part of the process for a while now. But it continues to catch employers off guard, because the scope of what they’re required to show goes well beyond confirming your job title and salary.

Under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream, your employer must independently meet all of the following:

Three years of operations, work location in Ontario.
A clean compliance record. No violations under the Employment Standards Act or the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The province verifies this directly.
Revenue disclosure. Minimum annual revenue, based on region:
- $1,000,000 in the GTA
- $500,000 outside the GTA
- $250,000 in some remote regions

This is the requirement that gives employers pause. Opening their books to a provincial immigration program isn’t something most business owners anticipated when they agreed to support an employee’s application. For an employer who has never been through this, it can feel disproportionate to what they thought was a reference-letter-level ask.

Minimum Canadian or PR employees on staff. At least 5 in the GTA, at least 3 outside the GTA.

Demonstrated recruitment effort. Typically through a Labour Market Impact Assessment or a qualifying exempt work permit such as a Post-Graduation Work Permit or spousal open work permit.

Many established employers meet these criteria without difficulty. But meeting them and being prepared to document them on a 14-day deadline are two different things.

Why Some Employers Decline to Support an OINP Application

Some employers decline to participate, and it isn’t always because they don’t value the employee.

The disclosure feels disproportionate. A business owner who agreed to "help with an immigration application" may not have anticipated a provincial review of their revenue, compliance history, and workforce composition. For a small or mid-sized business, that level of transparency can feel like more than they signed up for.

The administrative burden is real. Their own portal submission, their own documentation, a 14-day turnaround, multiplied across every employee drawn in the same round.

The commitment raises questions. You must maintain employment with the job offer employer through to permanent residence, which can stretch 18 months or longer. Some employers worry about what that looks like if the business changes or the role evolves.

These are practical concerns, not unreasonable ones. Understanding them puts you in a better position to have the conversation.

How to Prepare Your Employer for the OINP Process

The candidates who will move through the new OINP process most smoothly are the ones who show up prepared, who understand what the process asks of their employer, and who make it easy for the employer to say yes.

That means having the conversation early, well before you want to submit your Expression of Interest. It means being direct about what’s involved: financial disclosure, compliance verification, a 14-day submission window, and a commitment that runs through to PR. Employers respond better to honesty about the scope than to surprises halfway through.

If your employer has supported OINP applications before, they already know the process. What you’re asking for is their time and their willingness to do it again. And if the answer is no, that’s information you need sooner rather than later.

How Much Time Do You Need on Your Work Permit?

The clock isn’t only running on the 14-day submission window. It’s running on your work permit, on your time in the pool, and on processing.

Before I start an OINP process with a client, I want to see roughly 12 months left on their work permit. From the moment your employer submits the job offer to the point where you hold a provincial nomination, you’re looking at 6 months minimum, and federal processing comes after that. Six months of runway isn’t enough to work with.

There is a work permit available to nominees, but it only helps once the nomination is in hand, and getting there takes time. It isn’t a safety net for a permit that’s nearly expired.

That’s why employer readiness matters long before the Invitation to Apply arrives. Every week your employer spends getting organized is a week you’re not in the pool, eligible for an ITA. And once the invitation lands, 14 days doesn’t always leave room to bring an unprepared employer up to speed.

The process rewards candidates who treat this like a project with a timeline. Knowing your employer’s eligibility, having their buy-in, and making sure they understand the deadlines before you enter the pool is the difference between an application that moves and one that stalls at the employer stage.

I’m Carolyn Watson, RCIC-IRB, founder of CEW Immigration Consulting Inc. I work with OINP candidates and their employers through every stage of this process, from verifying employer eligibility to preparing documentation before the deadlines start. If you want to know where you stand, book a consultation.

General information only, not legal or immigration advice. For advice on your situation, consult an RCIC licensed by the CICC or a lawyer licensed with a provincial law society.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the employer requirements for the OINP?

Under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream, an employer must have been in operation for three years with the work location in Ontario, hold a clean record under the Employment Standards Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act, meet regional revenue minimums, employ a minimum number of Canadians or permanent residents, and show recruitment effort.

How much revenue does an employer need to support an OINP application?

Minimum annual revenue is $1,000,000 for employers in the GTA, $500,000 for employers outside the GTA, and $250,000 in some remote regions. The employer discloses this directly to the province as part of their portion of the application.

How long does an employer have to submit their part of an OINP application?

Fourteen calendar days from the Invitation to Apply, not 14 business days. Employers supporting several candidates drawn in the same round face all of those submissions inside the same two-week window.

Does my employer need an LMIA for the OINP?

Not necessarily. Recruitment effort is typically demonstrated through a Labour Market Impact Assessment or through a qualifying LMIA-exempt work permit, such as a Post-Graduation Work Permit or a spousal open work permit.

Can an employer refuse to support an OINP application?

Yes. Employer participation is voluntary, and some decline because of the financial disclosure involved, the administrative work on a 14-day deadline, or the length of the commitment. Finding this out early gives you time to consider other options.

How much time do I need left on my work permit to start an OINP application?

Roughly 12 months is a workable starting point. Getting from job offer submission to a provincial nomination takes a minimum of about six months, with federal processing after that. Six months of remaining status is generally too tight.

Do I have to stay with the same employer after I’m nominated?

Yes. You must maintain employment with the employer named in the job offer through to permanent residence, a period that can run 18 months or longer from the start of the process.