Immigrant settlement outside of the greater Toronto area : determinants of desirability

This paper explores barriers and opportunities to immigrant settlement in Ontario's second and third tier cities, and the potential role of Opportunities Ontario: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). The relative desirability of five Ontario cities outside of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is discussed from the point of view of skilled immigrants, through an assessment of four categories of factors which impact immigrants' successful economic and cultural integration into the communities they live in. The results of the study show that some cities are clearly better suited to immigrants' needs that others. The paper also concludes that while Opportunities Ontario's does provide incentives to employers and nominated immigrants outside the GTA, the current scope of 1,000 nominees per year precludes it from having a significant impact on the regionalization of Ontario's immigrant flow.