Ontario PNP Changes for Express Entry Streams
January 31, 2025 Amritpal Kaur
Ontario has made important changes to its immigration programs, especially for physicians. These updates, effective from January 27, 2025, aim to make it easier for self-employed physicians to immigrate to Ontario.
Here’s what’s new:
1. Self-Employment Counts as Work Experience
Before, if you were self-employed, it didn’t count as work experience for Ontario’s Express Entry streams. Now, self-employed people, especially physicians, can use their self-employment as work experience for specific job categories, including:
Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
Specialists in surgery
General practitioners and family physicians
This change helps more self-employed physicians qualify for the program.
2. No Job Offer Needed for Physicians
For the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream, applicants usually needed a job offer from an Ontario employer. But now, physicians under certain NOC codes (like family physicians and specialists) no longer need a job offer. They just need to meet these requirements:
Be registered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and in good standing.
Be eligible to receive payment for publicly funded health services.
This change helps physicians come to Ontario without needing a job offer, making it easier to fill healthcare gaps.
3. Good News for Self-Employed Physicians
The ability to count self-employment as valid work experience is especially beneficial for self-employed physicians. It gives them a clearer path to permanent residency in Ontario and helps attract skilled healthcare professionals to the province.
Need Help with Your Ontario Immigration Application?
If you're applying for the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), especially as a self-employed physician, we’re here to help guide you through the process.
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Email: info@zandbimmigration.ca | amritpal@zandbimmigration.ca
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