OINP: Expression of Interest – PhD Graduate Stream – Applicant Checklist

On this page

  1. Summary
  2. Attestation
  3. Identity documents
  4. Status documents in Canada
  5. Residency in Ontario documents
  6. Education documents
  7. Documents to demonstrate that you meet the settlement funds requirement
  8. Resumé
  9. Intention to reside in Ontario documents
  10. Expression of interest scoring factors documents

Summary

When applying to the PhD Graduate Stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) you need to scan and upload copies of the following mandatory documents with your application:

  • attestation
  • identity documents
  • status documents in Canada
  • residency in Ontario documents
  • education documents
  • documents to demonstrate that you meet the settlement funds requirement
  • resumé
  • expression of interest selection factors
  • other optional documents (if applicable)

Important: All documents are mandatory unless otherwise stated. Please do not include additional, non-mandatory documents as this will delay the processing of your application.

Attestation

The Attestation Form  must be completed, signed, and uploaded in the Required Documents section of the application. The Attestation Form should be signed on the same date that you submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) to the OINP.

Identity documents

1. Photograph

You must upload a photograph of yourself with your application. The photograph must:

  • be a scan of a physical photo
  • meet passport or visa requirements

We will not accept a photograph:

  • of the personal details page of your passport
  • that is not clear or is of low quality

2. Passport

You must scan and upload a copy of the personal details page of your passport and all pages that contain Canadian visas and entry stamps.

3. Your family members’ passports

If you have included family members in your application, you need to also scan and upload copies of the personal details page from the passport of each dependent family member. A dependent family member can include your spouse or common law-partner, your children under the age of 22 and their children.

Status documents in Canada

You must scan and upload copies of current and previous status documents given to you by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) or the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Documents may include:

  • work permits
  • study permits
  • temporary resident visas
  • any other Canadian immigration document

If you currently have implied status, scan and upload a copy of either:

  • the letter from IRCC acknowledging that they received your application to extend your status or
  • the IRCC fee receipt, and/or
  • the post office mailing receipt you received when you applied to extend your status (if applicable)

Residency in Ontario documents

To show that you have legally lived in Ontario for at least one year in the last two years before you apply, you need to scan and upload documents with your full name and address in Ontario. These may include:

  • phone bills
  • hydro or energy bills
  • car or home insurance
  • lease or rental agreement
  • pay slips from an Ontario employer

Education documents

Degree documents

If your PhD degree has been granted, you must scan and upload a copy of:

  • your PhD degree granted from an eligible Ontario university
  • your official transcripts issued by the university that granted your degree

If your PhD degree has not yet been granted, you must scan and upload a copy of:

  • your official letter (on institution letterhead) from the Ontario university which will be granting your degree confirming that:
    • degree requirements have been successfully completed
    • there are no outstanding fees to be paid and
    • the scheduled date on which your degree will be granted
  • your official transcripts issued by the university that will be granting your degree

Other education documents (optional)

If you have any other documentation to support your education, such as other university degrees, college diplomas or occupational certificates, include them with your application.

Documents to demonstrate that you meet the settlement funds requirement

Based on how you select to meet the settlement fund requirement, you must scan and upload specific documents as follows.

Note: You can also choose a combination of any of the following options.

Funds

To show that you have available funds to meet or exceed the minimum necessary settlement fund requirement:

  • Scan and upload copies of your most recent bank statements showing the last three months of activity. The bank statements must state:
    • name of the financial institution
    • account number
    • balance in the account
    • indicate you as the account holder and/or
    • Scan and upload copies of the most recent bank statements belonging to your spouse or common-law partner showing the last three months of activity. The bank statements must state:
      • name of the financial institution
      • account number
      • balance in the account
      • account holder’s name
    • You must also scan and upload a letter from your spouse or common-law partner indicating that you have access to the funds and/or
    • Scan and upload statements of accounts for investments such as fixed term deposits and/or mutual funds.
    • You also need to scan and upload a letter from the financial institution. The letter must confirm that the funds are available and the investments can be liquidated or redeemed on instructions and at what value.

Please carefully check your financial documents and black out any credit card numbers so they are not visible. Failure to redact your documents will delay the processing of your application.

Ongoing employment in Ontario

To show that you have current employment in Ontario to meet the settlement fund requirement, you must scan and upload copies of:

  • your two most recent pay slips
  • your original job offer on company letterhead, signed by the employer and include:
    • occupation title
    • duties and responsibilities
    • hours of work
    • wage
    • employment start date

Job offer in Ontario

To show that you have a valid job offer from an Ontario employer to meet the settlement fund requirement, you must scan and upload a copy of:

  • your job offer letter on company letterhead, signed by the employer and include:
    • occupation title
    • duties and responsibilities
    • hours of work
    • wage
    • employment start date

Resumé

You must scan and upload a copy of your most current resumé with your application.

The resumé should outline your current and past work experience, as well as your education and include your current residential address, email address and phone number.

Intention to reside in Ontario documents

To demonstrate your intention to reside in Ontario, you must list your established ties to Ontario. Ties to Ontario can include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • current and/or previous employment in Ontario
  • job offers or jobs applied to/interviewed for in Ontario
  • education in Ontario
  • volunteer work in Ontario
  • lease agreements for a residence in Ontario or property ownership
  • professional networks and affiliations
  • family ties
  • social connections or personal relationships
  • previous visits to Ontario

If you do not have ties to Ontario, you may provide a statement of intent that you wish to reside in Ontario.

Please carefully check your financial documents and black out any credit card numbers so they are not visible. Failure to redact your documents will delay the processing of your application.

Expression of interest scoring factors documents

If you are invited to apply, you will be required to scan and upload specific documents to support each scoring factor for which you received points.

Scoring factors are not the same as stream criteria. You must meet all stream criteria and provide the mandatory documents noted above. If you are claiming points for scoring factors in your expression of interest, you must upload the documents noted below.

Work Permit Status in Canada

If applicable, you must scan and upload copies of current and previous status documents given to you by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) or the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Documents may include:

  • work permits
  • study permits
  • If you currently have implied status, scan and upload a copy of either:
    • the letter from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada acknowledging that they received your application to extend your status or
    • the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada fee receipt, and/or
    • the post office mailing receipt you received when you applied to extend your status (if applicable)

Earnings history

  • Notice of Assessment(s) issued by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) in the last five years

T4 slips alone will not be accepted. You must have earned at least $40,000 in a single calendar year (as reflected on a single Notice of Assessment issued in the last five years) to receive points for this factor. Combined earnings over multiple calendar years will not be accepted.

Highest level of education

  • degree, diploma, certificate (if obtained in Canada), or an Educational Credential Assessment

If you completed your studies outside of Canada, you need to obtain an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report that proves your education is equivalent to a Canadian credential.

The assessment must be done by one of the following organizations, designated by IRCC.

Each organization charges a different fee and has different processing times. Please check the website of each ECA organization to choose the one that is best for you.

You must provide the OINP with an electronic copy of the ECA report when you submit your online application. The report cannot be more than five years old at the time you submit your application.

How to authorize the OINP to confirm your ECA results

We must be able to confirm your ECA results with the organization that completed it. This means you must authorize the organization to share the results with us (the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program) electronically.

It is not enough to authorize the organization to share the results of your assessment with IRCC for the purposes of your application to the OINP.

Do not request a duplicate paper copy from your ECA organization to be mailed out to the OINP.

Follow these steps to authorize the OINP to access your ECA results:

For the other organizations not listed above, no additional steps are required.

Please contact the ECA organization directly if you have any specific questions about the process for getting an ECA or how to authorize and share your ECA results with the OINP.

Field of study

  • official transcript from your Canadian degree, diploma or certificate

Canadian education experience

Credential must be for a post-secondary education credential from an eligible Canadian institution that takes at least one year to complete on a full-time basis.

Full-time study is determined by your college or university. Generally, it means a minimum of 15 hours of instruction per week during the academic year (two semesters), including any period of training in the workplace that is part of your studies.

Official language ability and knowledge of official languages

  • language test(s) obtained within the last two years from an approved language testing service (IELTS, CELPIP, TEF Canada, TCF Canada)

Regional immigration: location of study

  • official transcript from your Canadian degree, diploma or certificate

Please ensure you remove/black out any credit card number(s) and/or social insurance numbers on all documents.