A student asked whether studying in Ontario unlocks any OINP stream beyond the Human Capital Priorities (HCP) stream that sends NOIs by CRS range. The thread produced a mixed but useful picture:
- Ontario has a Masters Graduate stream. Members pointed to a separate OINP program for people who completed a master's at an Ontario university — check the OINP website for whether your program (including whether an MBA counts) qualifies. This stream historically didn't require a job offer.
- HCP is CRS-range driven. The stream the poster knew — Ontario issuing notifications of interest to Express Entry candidates within certain CRS bands — remains the main high-volume route, but you can't control when Ontario draws.
- The contrarian take: Ontario may not be the best place to study for PR. Several members argued that studying outside Ontario and BC puts you in a better position, naming Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia as provinces with friendlier post-study nomination paths.
- Occupation skill level matters by province. One concrete difference cited: NOC C (lower-skilled) occupations were eligible for nomination in some provinces but not in Ontario — relevant if your likely post-study job isn't NOC 0/A/B.
Historical note: stream names, NOC skill-level codes (pre-TEER), and provincial criteria in this thread are time-bound — verify current OINP and other provincial streams before choosing where to study.