A candidate with a CRS of 467 under NOC 0124 (Marketing Manager), a role they believed was mainly in demand in Ontario, asked whether they should apply to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) separately from Express Entry, and whether doing so offered any advantage.
What the thread clarified:- You cannot apply directly to OINP's Express Entry-linked stream — you must first be invited. There's no way to submit an unsolicited application to this stream.
- Having an Express Entry profile is what makes you visible to Ontario for invitation. If Ontario needs candidates matching your profile (occupation, CRS, etc.), they will send an invitation based on your existing Express Entry profile — you don't apply to OINP proactively for this stream.
The practical takeaway: keep your Express Entry profile active and accurate, since that's what makes you eligible to be invited by Ontario (or any province) — there's no separate proactive OINP application for this pathway, only responding to an invitation if one comes.