A total of 1773 Express Entry candidates received invitations to apply for a provincial nomination in the second Ontario Tech Draw held on August 1. The draw selected candidates who had a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System(CRS) score of 435 and who had submitted their Express Entry profiles between August 1, 2018, and August 1, 2019. The candidates were also supposed to have work experience in one of the six targeted occupations for the Ontario Tech Draw.
Ontario launched Tech Draw in July 2019 with an aim to invite candidates with work experience in tech-related occupations. In the two Ontario Tech Draws that have been conducted so far, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has invited a total of 3396 Express Entry candidates.
Ontario has a booming tech sector, with some of the major tech hubs in Canada like Toronto, Ottawa and Waterloo located in the province. Ontario Tech Draws cater to the growing demand for skilled workers in the technology sector of the province.
According to the 2019 CBRE Scoring Tech Talent Report, more than 80,000 tech jobs were created in the last five years in Toronto alone.
Ontario Tech Draw
Ontario selects candidates to be invited to apply for provincial nomination through the Ontario Tech Draw from the federal Express Entry pool. It simply means if a candidate wishes to be invited to apply for a provincial nomination, he/she must first create an Express Entry profile.
In order to be invited through Ontario Tech Draw, the candidate must also have work experience in one of the six targeted occupations. They are:
- Software engineers and designers (NOC 2173)
- Computer programmers and interactive media developers (NOC 2174)
- Computer engineers (NOC 2147)
- Web designers and developers (NOC 2175)
- Database analysts and data administrators (NOC 2172)
- Computer and information systems managers (NOC 0213)
OINP conducts Tech draws through its Human Capital Priorities Stream. A candidate does not need to have a job offer in order to be considered in Tech Draw.
Provincial nominee programs such as the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program provide vast options for Canada migration, especially to those candidates with low CRS scores. While the minimum CRS score required in the latest Express Entry draw was 459, the minimum CRS score requirement was only 435 in the Ontario Tech Draw held on August 1. To know which PNP suits your qualifications and aspirations, you can seek the help of an expert immigration consultant.