My Express Entry profile has never received an ITA — can OINP still help?
Yes — and this is exactly the situation where an OINP nomination through an Express Entry-linked stream has the most impact. If your CRS score has never been high enough to receive an Invitation to Apply in a general federal Express Entry draw, a provincial nomination from Ontario adds 600 points to your score, making an ITA effectively guaranteed in the next draw.
OINP's Human Capital Priorities stream scans the federal Express Entry pool and sends Notifications of Interest to candidates who meet Ontario's criteria — even if those candidates have not come close to receiving a federal ITA on their own. If you receive an NOI and successfully obtain an OINP nomination, you would then receive an ITA from IRCC through Express Entry and proceed with your federal PR application.
There is no separate action you need to take to be found by OINP in the Express Entry pool — your federal profile must be active and complete, and OINP's system searches it. You should ensure your profile accurately reflects your qualifications, as OINP's search is based on the information in that profile.
If your score is very low due to factors like limited work experience, age, or lower language scores, OINP may not find your profile attractive even if it meets the minimum requirements. Not every candidate in the Express Entry pool will receive an NOI.
Key takeaways
- OINP searches the federal Express Entry pool and can send NOIs to candidates who have not received federal ITAs.
- An OINP nomination adds 600 CRS points, making a subsequent federal ITA virtually certain.
- Your Express Entry profile must be active and accurately completed.
- Not every Express Entry profile will be selected — OINP targets profiles meeting its own criteria.