This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Immigration rules and individual circumstances can change the appropriate strategy.
An Ontario nomination is a major approval, but it is not permanent resident status and it does not, by itself, authorize work in Canada. A nominee must complete the separate federal permanent residence process and maintain lawful temporary status and work authorization until becoming a permanent resident.
This guide follows the post-nomination journey for a candidate nominated under Ontario’s non-Express Entry Workforce Priority Stream.
What documents does Ontario issue after approval?
Ontario generally provides:
- a nomination approval letter;
- a nomination certificate; and
- a work permit support letter, if applicable.
Check the candidate’s name, date of birth, employer, occupation, work location and any employment restrictions immediately. Report an error through the channel identified by OINP rather than submitting an inconsistent federal application.
Record the nomination expiry date and every deadline in the approval package. Save the original electronic files and a complete copy of the submitted OINP application.
What a nomination does—and does not—do
A nomination confirms that Ontario selected the candidate for the provincial nominee pathway. It does not:
- grant permanent residence;
- extend temporary resident status;
- create maintained status;
- authorize the candidate to begin or continue working;
- guarantee a federal work permit; or
- guarantee federal permanent residence approval.
The nominee must continue complying with the conditions of the current permit and must not work after work authorization ends.
Apply for permanent residence through the correct federal pathway
Workforce Priority is a non-Express Entry provincial nominee pathway. The nominee applies online to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada through the Permanent Residence Portal, following the current non-Express Entry PNP instructions.
The federal package generally includes the provincial nomination, electronic forms, civil-status records, passports, police certificates, photographs, fees and the documents in IRCC’s current checklist. IRCC also assesses admissibility, including medical, criminal, security and misrepresentation issues.
Before submission:
- confirm the nomination remains valid;
- use the names and personal history shown in the supporting records;
- disclose refusals, charges, family members and immigration history accurately;
- upload legible translations and certified copies where required;
- validate dates across Ontario and federal filings; and
- retain the complete portal submission and fee receipts.
Submitting the provincial application was not the federal permanent residence application. Use the candidate application process guide to distinguish the two stages.
Apply before the nomination expires
The nomination certificate has a validity period. Submit the federal application within that period unless Ontario gives different written instructions.
If an unavoidable problem may prevent timely filing, contact OINP before expiry and provide evidence. An extension should never be assumed. A federal return for incompleteness can also create expiry risk, so use IRCC’s current checklist and portal instructions.
Can the nominee obtain a work permit?
Possibly. Ontario may issue a work permit support letter where applicable. The nominee uses that letter as part of a separate application to IRCC for an employer-specific work permit under the applicable federal process.
The support letter is not a permit and is not permission to work. IRCC decides the work-permit application. The employer may also have federal compliance steps, including use of the IRCC Employer Portal and payment of the employer compliance fee where the exemption requires them.
Confirm the exemption code, required employer submission, fees, job details and application route under IRCC’s current instructions before filing. The federal offer must remain consistent with the nomination.
Do not confuse the three employer portals
Post-nomination cases can involve systems with similar names:
- the OINP Employer Portal, used for Ontario’s provincial job-offer process;
- the IRCC Employer Portal, used by an employer for certain LMIA-exempt work permits; and
- the Permanent Residence Portal, used for the federal PR application.
An employer’s completed OINP filing does not automatically complete the federal employer-compliance step.
Maintain temporary resident status
Permanent residence processing does not extend a work permit or other temporary status. Track the expiry date on the current document and identify the next application well in advance.
Maintained status may arise when a complete application to extend the existing temporary status is submitted before expiry and the person remains in Canada. Whether the person may continue working—and under which conditions—depends on the application filed and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
Keep:
- the prior permit;
- proof of the extension submission date;
- fee receipt and confirmation;
- a complete copy of the application; and
- evidence that the person remained in Canada, where relevant.
Maintained status is not a new permit and does not necessarily permit travel and re-entry with the same work authority.
Restoration is not maintained status
A person who applies after losing temporary status may be eligible to request restoration within the permitted period, but restoration is discretionary and generally does not authorize work while the request is pending.
Stopping unauthorized work is critical. A nomination or pending permanent residence application does not cure a status violation.
Is a bridging open work permit available?
Some provincial nominees may qualify for a bridging open work permit after submitting a complete federal permanent residence application and receiving the required IRCC acknowledgement, if they meet all current federal criteria.
Eligibility can depend on the nomination, employment restrictions, place of residence, current status and timing. Do not assume that every Ontario nominee qualifies or that a portal submission confirmation is the required acknowledgement of receipt.
Compare the bridging option with an employer-specific permit supported by Ontario. The appropriate route depends on the certificate, current status, employer compliance and federal instructions in force at the time.
Continue meeting nomination conditions
The candidate’s obligation to intend to live in Ontario and comply with nomination conditions continues after nomination. The qualifying job offer and employment facts should not be treated as irrelevant once the certificate is issued.
Report material changes to OINP and IRCC as required, including:
- job loss, resignation or withdrawal of the offer;
- employer closure or change of ownership;
- changes to duties, wage, hours, work location or NOC;
- changes in marital status or family composition;
- passport or contact-information changes;
- criminal charges or admissibility concerns; and
- loss of temporary status or work authorization.
Do not conceal a change to preserve the nomination. Ontario may review, withdraw or cancel a nomination if requirements are no longer met or information was inaccurate.
What if the job changes after nomination?
Seek advice before accepting a promotion, transfer, new location, wage reduction, leave arrangement or different employer. Even a positive employment change can alter the position that supported the nomination or the conditions of an employer-specific work permit.
Compare the proposed change with:
- the signed job offer;
- employer and candidate OINP submissions;
- nomination certificate and approval letter;
- work permit support letter;
- current work permit conditions; and
- federal permanent residence application.
The employer and candidate remain responsible for accurate, timely reporting. The employer guide explains the original employer-side obligations.
Federal processing after submission
IRCC first checks completeness. If the application passes the completeness review, IRCC may issue an acknowledgement of receipt and continue assessing eligibility and admissibility.
The applicant may later receive requests for biometrics, medical examinations, police certificates, updated forms, additional records or an interview. Respond through the specified channel by the deadline and keep copies.
Processing times are estimates, not guarantees. Continue maintaining status, updating contact details and reporting material changes throughout processing.
Family members and changes in circumstances
Declare all family members as IRCC requires, including non-accompanying family members. Undeclared family members can create serious future consequences.
Marriage, separation, divorce, birth, death or a change in accompanying status should be reported promptly. New family members may need forms, fees, medical examinations and admissibility documents.
Permanent residence approval and confirmation
If IRCC approves the application, candidates in Canada generally complete the permanent residence confirmation process and receive an electronic Confirmation of Permanent Residence. Follow IRCC’s instructions and do not represent yourself as a permanent resident before confirmation is complete.
After confirmation, update government records as appropriate, apply for a permanent resident card and continue respecting the permanent resident residency obligation.
Post-nomination document checklist
Keep a single controlled file containing:
- nomination approval letter and certificate;
- work permit support letter, if issued;
- OINP employer and candidate submissions;
- signed job offer and current employment evidence;
- passport, permits and status-extension records;
- IRCC Employer Portal offer number and fee receipt, if applicable;
- work-permit application and decision;
- federal PR forms, uploads and fee receipts;
- acknowledgement of receipt and IRCC correspondence;
- police, medical and biometrics records;
- copies of every change notification; and
- permanent residence confirmation documents.
Calendar nomination, passport, permit, language, police-certificate and document expiry dates.
Common post-nomination risks
Common problems include:
- assuming the nomination authorizes work;
- missing the nomination or permit expiry date;
- using the wrong federal portal or work-permit route;
- failing to complete employer compliance steps;
- working outside permit conditions;
- confusing restoration with maintained status;
- filing an incomplete federal PR application;
- failing to disclose family or immigration history;
- allowing job details to conflict across filings; and
- failing to report a material change.
The strongest transition plan treats nomination, work authorization, temporary status and permanent residence as four related but legally separate issues.
How Immergity Immigration can help
Immergity Immigration Inc. assists Ontario nominees and employers with post-nomination strategy, work permit applications, status planning, federal non-Express Entry PNP applications, change reporting and consistency review.
See work permit services or Provincial Nominee Program services.
Official sources
This article was reviewed against official Ontario and IRCC information on September 4, 2026. Confirm the current instructions before filing.