A candidate with CRS 529 received an OINP (Ontario) invitation and wondered whether to accept it or hold out for a direct federal ITA that felt imminent.
Members' reasoning for accepting:
- You can't predict draws; you can bank a nomination. The dominant advice: accept, 'because you can't predict the future.' A nomination in hand beats a cutoff you hope falls your way.
- The math is decisive. A provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points — 529 + 600 = 1129 — which guarantees an ITA at the following draws. Waiting, by contrast, leaves you exposed to cutoff swings.
- Mind the clocks. Two time limits came up: the OINP invitation itself stays open on your profile for a limited period, and if you're in Canada on temporary status, how much runway your permit has left matters — a nomination-backed application may be worth more than waiting if status is running short.
- On living in Ontario: members were enthusiastic about Ontario itself as a destination, and noted French ability is an added advantage. (A provincial nomination is premised on intending to settle in the nominating province — factor that in honestly rather than treating the nomination as location-free.)
Practical takeaway: at 529 — strong but not cutoff-proof — the group's clear call was to take the certain +600 rather than gamble on draw movements, while watching both the invitation expiry and your own status clock.