A recent audit by Ontario’s Auditor General Shelley Spence has highlighted significant gaps in the province’s immigrant nominee program, revealing that only 37% of nominees with job offers intended to settle outside the Greater Toronto Area between 2019 and 2023. The report emphasizes the program’s failure to effectively distribute immigrants across different regions, particularly in Northern Ontario, which attracted only 3% of job applicants. While the government has implemented some initiatives to encourage settlement outside the GTA, the audit recommends developing a comprehensive strategy and better monitoring systems to match immigration with regional labour market needs.
