The General Category, also known as the Employer Category or the International Skilled Workers with a Job Offer Stream, allows Ontario employers to hire foreign workers for skilled positions that have been approved (NOC Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B). These workers may be based in Canada or abroad at the time of application.
Both the employer and the foreign national must request an application in this category to demonstrate that the eligibility criteria have been met. To have the vacancy they want to fill accepted, employers must first send a Pre-screen Application to the OINP. If this application is accepted, the employer must then send a Nominee Application to the OINP for the foreign worker they choose to hire.