Ontario Launches REDI Pilot Program to Address Regional Labour Shortages Through Skilled Immigration
The Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) pilot program is a new regional economic immigration pilot that will be launched in Ontario from January 2 to December 31, 2025.
The Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) pilot program is a new regional economic immigration pilot that will be launched in Ontario from January 2 to December 31, 2025. The REDI program aims to bring up to 800 highly skilled immigrants to four rural and northern regions of Ontario: Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, Sarnia-Lambton, and Thunder Bay. Those who are accepted through the new pilot program will receive a provincial nomination from the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), which they can use to apply directly to Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence (PR).What is the purpose of this new program?Applications for the REDI pilot program will be processed via the Employer Job Offer streams of the OINP. 200 extra nominations will be given to each participating area, which will then be distributed via the three job-offer streams offered by the OINP.In sectors of the workforce that are in demand and encourage local growth within designated regions, such as "healthcare, technology, and the skilled trades, which includes construction," the REDI seeks to alleviate labour shortages.
Eligibility
To be considered under this pilot program, newcomers must meet the eligibility requirements of one of the OINP's job offer streams.As part of the eligibility requirements for these streams, immigrants must have a valid work offer from a company in Ontario. Newcomers must have a job offer from a company in one of the designated locations that the pilot program is targeting to be eligible for the REDI pilot program through an OINP job offer stream.For every stream, applicants need to
Intend to reside in Ontario; and
Be licensed or permitted to practice their vocation (if the position is in a regulated occupation).
In Canada, certain occupations are subject to provincial or federal regulation by authorized regulatory bodies and agencies. To fulfil the minimum work experience requirement, eligible applicants in the Foreign Worker Stream must fulfil one of the following conditions:
The candidate must have a current license or permission from the relevant regulatory body in Ontario if the position calls for one; OR
The candidate must have at least two years of work experience (within the past five years) in the same occupation as the National Occupation Classification (NOC) code of the job offer, even if the position does not need a license or permission.
Work experience that qualifies for this stream can be obtained through either full-time or part-time employment.
Context
The OINP Regional Pilot, which concluded in 2020, was followed by the REDI pilot program, which reflects the OINP's strategy of using skilled immigration to address urgent labour needs. Through the OINP's job offer streams, the Regional Pilot distributed over 300 more provincial nominations to the Belleville/Quinte West, Chatham-Kent, and Cornwall participating areas.The OINP deemed the pilot a success in 2020 when it reached its full budget. According to the OINP, Ontario's GDP might rise by up to 100 billion CAD over the next five years if skilled immigrants are allowed to work in fields for which they have received training.
