Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To support the processing of applications submitted to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program in accordance with program objectives and legislative requirements.

Duties / Responsibilities :

Position works within the unit responsible for processing applications to the program and delivery of service to OINP clients.

Job Duties include:
• Review applications submitted to the program for completeness; confirm all mandatory documents have been provided and all mandatory fields in the online application have been completed.
• Authenticate personal information and applicant credentials by conducting verifications against government/non-government databases; verify that individuals representing applicants are authorized under the Ontario Immigration Act.
• Prepare and issue program correspondence to acknowledge receipt of a complete application, to obtain missing information or to notify the applicant of the reasons for determining the application is incomplete.
• Review applications at closure to confirm all required data has been entered into the case management system; prepare and issue approval letters, work permit support letters and certificates of nomination.
• Record the verification of information and documentation in the case management system to ensure program accountability; including the issuance of, and response to, program correspondence.
• Identify and resolve problems with individual applications; refer complex, contentious and/or sensitive issues to team lead or manager to discuss appropriate course of action.
• Contribute to working groups and project teams to assess/evaluate established operational procedures and develop and implement new/revised procedures, guidelines and directives; and to identify trends in applications submitted to the program to recommend changes to instructions and guidance to applicants.
• Prepare statistical reports from the analysis of applicant data in the case management system and create spreadsheets for reporting purposes (internally and to the federal government); and to support decision making and program record-keeping.
• Deliver customer service by providing information on program criteria and procedures, resolving/referring IT problems reported by individual applicants, and providing updates on the status of individual applications; communicate through various methods including email, phone and in-person.
• Conduct searches in the federal immigration database to identify prospective candidates and issue invitations to apply to the program.
• Conduct due diligence in the review and authentication process to identify irregularities in documents submitted to the program, unusual trends across multiple applications or other indicators of potential fraud or misrepresentation.
• Support the development and delivery of staff training and orientation programs; and information initiatives relevant to the intake and closure of application files.

Staffing and Licensing :

• Requires a Criminal Review and Judicial Matters security clearance; advanced oral and written French language skills

Knowledge :

Job requires knowledge of:
• The mandate of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program to determine that applications submitted to the program are complete and to provide general program and application specific information to the public, applicants and their representatives.
• The interpretation and application of the Ontario Immigration Act and its regulations; and related federal legislation (e.g. Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA)), the Canada Ontario Agreement on Provincial Nominees, and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) to conduct completeness checks at intake, close out an application post decision, respond to program inquiries and maintain program records.
• Case management operating systems; the Microsoft Suite of applications (particularly Word and Excel); and other spreadsheet programs to record case notes, produce program reports/materials/templates, and develop and maintain tracking systems.

Skills :

• Job requires analytical and problem-solving skills to: review applications for completeness and to authenticate documentation and information; to identify and resolve problems with individual applications; to respond to inquiries and resolve complaints from the public, clients and their representatives; to clarify complex and difficult problems raised by clients and stakeholders; to evaluate established operational procedures and policies, in consideration of staff and user experiences; to support the development and implementation of new/enhanced procedures; and, to analyze, evaluate and compile program statistics and other data on program performance to support reporting and decision-making.
• Job requires oral communication and interpersonal skills: to assist applicants by explaining program criteria and procedures; to request additional or missing information; to provide courteous and professional client service; to support training and orientation of program staff; and to discuss contentious and complex files and inquiries with colleagues, team leads and managers.
• Job requires written communication skills to prepare letters (primarily pre-established format) with details regarding the specifics of each application (e.g. missing documentation); and to prepare reports on program performance and draft operational guidelines.
• Job requires organizational skills to prioritize and plan individual work load to complete assigned work within established targets and deadlines.
• Job requires critical thinking to: identify and escalate contentious issues to team leads and manager; ensure unusual situations are addressed in alignment with program objectives and procedures; and detect irregularities in documents submitted to the program, unusual trends across multiple applications or other indicators of potential contraventions of provincial legislation, fraud or misrepresentation.

Freedom of Action :

Job works in accordance with ministry and government policies, guidelines and directives, established application administration processes, systems and procedures, and corporate financial and administrative policies and procedures. Job requires independently determining whether:

• immigration legislation and regulation, as well as program's legislative authority and criteria apply to a particular situation and client
• applications need to be prioritized or flagged based on their characteristics, client's history with the program and program's objectives within broadly defined set of guidelines (this includes files in various queues in processing)
• applications need to be risk managed (e.g., if there are outstanding verification checks) based on their parameters and move forward/delayed to/ in assessment decision
• documents submitted meet program criteria and seem genuine
• applicant is genuine and forthcoming with information
• application or a situation needs to be escalated to team leads or program manager because of new information, nature of the application or issues it may touch upon
• existing program practices need to be amended in light of changing trends, IT solutions or requirements.
• Job requires independently verifying information on file. This includes supporting program inquiries and investigations into specific clients or client types. Job provides analysis to clients when determining and informing clients of applicability of immigration legislation, regulations and program criteria to their situation. Job requires identifying trends in applications, resolving client complaints, and problem-solving situations where clear application of existing practice or process may not be readily available. Job requires assessing supporting documents submitted to the program and detecting fraudulent documents. Job requires reviewing and recommending methods to improve/ streamline processes. Job requires determining responses to operational problems, advising clients on program criteria and administration procedures, liaising with other government and non-government agencies regarding client's applications, program criteria. Job requires setting priorities for own activities while adhering to deadlines.
• Work is subject to review or monitoring by the manager through case-specific consultations, review reports and issue-specific consultations. Work with and under other members of the OINP team, including team leads, coordinators and officers. Job refers to manager very unusual or sensitive cases.