How much work experience do I need for OINP?

Work experience requirements in OINP vary by stream. For the Ontario Workforce Priority stream's Express Entry-linked pathway (which replaced the former Human Capital Priorities stream), the federal Express Entry requirements apply as a baseline: generally one year of continuous full-time (or equivalent part-time) paid skilled work experience in the past ten years. Self-employment typically does not count under federal program rules.

For the Canadian Experience Class stream (which feeds into OINP's Express Entry pools), the requirement is specifically one year of skilled work experience in Canada. Experience gained abroad under certain conditions may qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program but not the Canadian Experience Class.

Under OINP's former Employer Job Offer streams, the experience requirement related to having held the offered occupation (or a closely related one) and meeting the NOC's typical educational and experiential requirements. A job-offer pathway focuses on the offer itself, so work experience is assessed in the context of whether you can credibly perform the offered role.

The former graduate streams (Masters, Doctoral) had lighter or no work experience requirements, recognising that recent graduates may not yet have substantial employment history; graduates now apply through the Ontario Workforce Priority stream. The key factor there is the academic credential and enrollment at an eligible Ontario institution.