Government of Ontario announcement on the suspension and return of all applications to the Express Entry: Skilled Trades Stream
You can find the link press release here.
Express Entry: Skilled Trades Stream – Suspension and Return of Applications
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has conducted a review of the OINP’s Express Entry: Skilled Trades Stream (Skilled Trades Stream) and has identified systemic compliance and enforcement concerns relating to the stream.
In particular, the review identified systemic misrepresentation and/or fraud relating to Skilled Trades Stream eligibility criteria. These issues affect the ability of the director appointed under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015 (Director) to determine whether applicants meet eligibility criteria.
As currently structured, the Skilled Trades Stream is vulnerable to systemic misrepresentation and/or fraud. This vulnerability undermines the Skilled Trades Stream’s ability to meet the immediate labour market needs of the province, taking into account Ontario’s limited nomination allocation. As a result, the Director:
- has suspended receiving Skilled Trades Stream applications
- will return all outstanding Skilled Trades Stream applications
in accordance with section 7 of Ontario Regulation 421/17 (Approvals under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program and Other Matters).
Applications that are returned will have their application fees refunded.
Applicants who remain interested in the program and meet the eligibility criteria for one of the other OINP’s streams may submit a new Expression of Interest (EOI) to be considered for future draws.