Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program: the Ontario Workforce Priority stream.

How the OINP works and what is open now

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is Ontario's economic immigration program, run in partnership with the Government of Canada. Ontario assesses candidates against its own stream requirements and, if they qualify, issues a provincial nomination. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) then decides the permanent-residence application, including medical, criminality and security admissibility.

The 2026 redesign at a glance

• June 25, 2026: amendments to O. Reg. 422/17 came into force (made by amending regulation O. Reg. 204/26). The eight former streams were removed and the Ontario Workforce Priority stream was created. Ontario announced the change on June 26.
• July 20, 2026: Ontario published the new stream's eligibility criteria.
• August 4, 2026: the EOI portal opened for job offers in all TEER categories and for self-employed physicians.
• October 5, 2026: the Canadian earnings history scoring factor was updated (posted October 7).
• October 14, 2026: a new round of the Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) initiative launched, running to the end of 2027 (posted October 16).

Ontario's updates page calls the June 2026 change Phase 1 of the OINP redesign, and the program page says more changes are coming. Nothing further is an available pathway until Ontario officially launches it.

Transition from the former streams

EOIs and job offers under the former streams that had not resulted in an invitation were withdrawn automatically; they did not carry into the new system. Affected candidates need a new job offer from the employer and a new EOI under the new stream. Employers that were already registered do not need to register again, but they must submit a new job offer. Applications submitted after an invitation under a former stream continue to be assessed under the requirements in force when they were submitted.

Applicant requirements at a glance

Eligibility and EOI score are separate. Ontario states that scoring factors are not the same as stream criteria: a high score cannot make up for a missing job-offer, work-experience, education, language, licence or employer requirement.

All work experience must be paid and full-time (or, for the 2-year option, the permitted part-time equivalent). Only experience completed by the date the application is submitted counts.

Work experience for TEER 0–3 job offers

The applicant needs one of the following:

• Six months with the employer: at least 6 consecutive months of paid, full-time work in the position the employer is asking Ontario to approve (same occupation, employer and work location), within the 12 months before the application. Full-time here means at least 30 paid hours a week and at least 780 paid hours in the 12-month period.
• Two years in the same occupation: at least 2 years of cumulative, paid, full-time work in the same NOC occupation within the last 5 years, with any employer: at least 3,120 paid hours at 30 or more hours a week. Part-time equivalent counts: either 15 or more hours a week in one job for 3,120 hours over 4 years, or 30 or more hours a week across more than one job for 3,120 hours over 2 years.
• Licensed occupations: holding the Ontario or federal licence or authorization that the position requires can satisfy the work-experience requirement.

Ontario accepts specified related experience for the 2-year option: engineering experience in NOC sub-major group 213 for a job offer in sub-major group 223; pharmacist experience (NOC 31120) for a job offer in NOC 33103; and nursing experience (NOC 32101 or 31301) for a job offer in NOC 33102.

Breaks in employment are allowed as long as the required total is met. Standard paid vacation, regular sick leave and similar short paid leave generally do not interrupt full-time work; extended leave does.

Recent Ontario graduates: when three months is enough

This shorter option applies only to a TEER 0–3 job offer. It replaces the work-experience requirement only; every other applicant, job-offer and employer requirement still applies.

Three calendar months alone are not enough. Gaps, unpaid work, a different position, employer or location, or fewer than 30 paid hours in a week can take the applicant outside this option. The credential, proof of completion, job offer, payroll records and employer letter should all match the dates claimed.

Work experience for TEER 4–5 job offers

At least 9 months of cumulative, paid, full-time work in the position named in the job offer, within the 2 years before the application. Full-time here means at least 30 paid hours a week and at least 1,170 paid hours.

Language

Test results must be dated within 2 years before the application. Ontario accepts IELTS General Training, CELPIP General and PTE Core for English, and TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French. Academic versions and one-skill retakes are not accepted.

The listed skilled trades, which use the CLB 5 language level and the secondary-school education rule, are: NOC major groups 72 (except sub-major group 726), 73, 82, 83 and 93 (except aircraft assemblers and inspectors in sub-major group 932), minor group 6320 (cooks, butchers and bakers) and unit group 62200 (chefs).

Education

• TEER 0–3, not a listed trade: a post-secondary degree or diploma from a program of at least one full-time academic year (equivalent part-time study can qualify).
• TEER 0–3, listed skilled trade: a Canadian secondary school diploma or equivalent.
• NOC 33102 (nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates): an Ontario college certificate from a program of at least one full-time year, or equivalent.
• Positions that require a licence: the applicant must hold it (this route is not available for NOC 73300 and 73301).
• TEER 4–5: a Canadian secondary school diploma or equivalent.

Foreign credentials need an educational credential assessment (ECA) report that is less than 5 years old on the application date, from a designated organization (such as WES, ICAS, IQAS, University of Toronto CES, BCIT ICES, MCC or PEBC).

Other applicant requirements

• Any licence or authorization the position requires must be held at the time of application and kept throughout the nomination period.
• Applicants in Canada must have legal status (for example as a visitor, student or worker) when they apply. Maintained status is accepted.
• The applicant must intend to live and work in Ontario. Ontario looks at ties such as work, job applications, study, volunteering, property, visits and family or professional networks.
• Every scoring factor claimed in the EOI must be supported by documents at the application stage.
• Applications submitted by self-appointed (unauthorized) representatives are invalid and will be withdrawn.

Self-employed physicians

Physicians can apply without a job offer if they:

• are members in good standing of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) with a certificate of registration for independent practice, academic practice or a provisional certificate; and
• are eligible to bill for publicly funded health services under the Health Insurance Act (an OHIP billing number).

The other applicant and employer requirements do not apply. Physicians holding only a postgraduate education licence are not eligible under this pathway, but may qualify with an Ontario job offer. Physicians contact the OINP to register an EOI, and the hourly-wage scoring factor does not apply to them. They may opt for the Express Entry route.

The job offer must qualify before the score matters

The job-offer pathways cover occupations in every NOC TEER category, but Ontario must approve both the employer and the specific employment position.

Only the base wage counts. Piece work, bonuses, commissions, vacation pay and non-financial benefits are not included. Ontario uses regional wage data first, then Ontario-wide data, then historic or national data where regional figures are not available. Changes to duties, wage, hours or the term of employment must be reported to the OINP immediately.

The employer is assessed separately

A candidate can meet every personal requirement and still be refused if the business or the position is not approved.

The 14 census divisions for the $500,000 tier are: Ottawa, Waterloo, Hamilton, Simcoe, Middlesex, Niagara, Essex, Wellington, Greater Sudbury, Frontenac, Brant, Peterborough, Hastings and Thunder Bay (district). The legal census-division boundary controls, not a city name or mailing address. For example, London is in Middlesex, Kitchener and Cambridge are in Waterloo, Kingston is in Frontenac and Barrie is in Simcoe, but the exact work address should always be checked against the boundary.

A full-time employee for this count works at least 30 hours a week. If the employee works at several sites, Ontario uses the report-to-work location: where the immediate supervisor or manager works, or the administrative office that assigns the work.

Other employer requirements

• At least three years of active business before the application.
• Business premises in Ontario where the employee will work.
• No outstanding orders under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 or the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• For NOC 73300 and 73301: a valid CVOR certificate with an Excellent or Satisfactory safety rating, shown by a Level 1 CVOR abstract.
• The Ontario Public Service and its entities cannot be the employer. Other public bodies not staffed by Ontario Public Service employees may be eligible.

Recruitment

The employer must try to recruit a Canadian citizen or permanent resident unless the candidate is already authorized to work in Ontario, or the employer holds a positive labour market impact assessment (LMIA) for the same NOC and position. Where recruitment is required:

• at least two recruitment methods (for example Job Bank, print media, general or specialist job sites, the employer's careers page or job fairs);
• advertisements publicly accessible for at least four weeks before the offer is made, with the details Ontario specifies (business name and address, duties, skills, work city, contact information, posting and closing dates, and the wage if posted);
• recruitment by the employer itself or by agencies or specialists with domestic recruiting expertise.

How expressions of interest are scored

Registering an EOI is free and does not guarantee an invitation. Ontario ranks the pool either on a general basis (everyone registered) or on a targeted basis (only candidates with specific labour-market or human-capital attributes) and invites the highest-ranked candidates.

Adding the top value of each factor gives 132 points for job-offer candidates and 117 for self-employed physicians, who do not receive wage points. Ontario publishes the points for each factor but does not state a total; these maximums are our calculation.

Employment and labour market

Canadian earnings history (updated October 5, 2026)

Points are based on Canadian earnings in a single year, shown on a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Notice of Assessment issued within the last 5 years. Earnings from different years are not added together, and the future salary in the job offer is not used.

On October 5, 2026, Ontario updated this factor so that $80,000 or more in a single year now earns 10 points. The change was applied automatically to existing EOIs; registrants do not need to log in or change anything. These points count only in the Ontario EOI and do not change an Express Entry CRS score.

Education and language

A foreign credential needs an ECA to be scored. If both an English and a French test are submitted, the higher result is used for the ability factor.

Regionalization

These regions are for scoring only. They are not the same as the employer revenue tiers or the application-fee boundary.

To estimate a score, use our OINP points calculator.

The REDI initiative

The Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) initiative is a partnership between the OINP and selected communities outside the Greater Toronto Area. Ontario sets aside nomination spaces for partner communities that have shown a critical need for newcomer workers, including in health care and the skilled trades. It began as a pilot in 2020 and was expanded in 2025.

On October 14, 2026, Ontario launched a new round that runs to the end of 2027. The six partner communities for 2026–2027 are:

• Greater Sudbury
• Kenora District
• Nipissing District
• Rainy River District
• Renfrew County
• Thunder Bay

Boundaries follow Statistics Canada census divisions. There is no separate REDI application: candidates must meet the regular OINP requirements, which now means the Ontario Workforce Priority stream. REDI is aimed at skilled foreign workers who want to live and work in a participating community. Ontario has not published how REDI nomination spaces will be applied to individual invitations.

Process, deadlines and fees

In the job-offer pathways, the employer starts the process. The windows after an invitation are short, so both files should be ready in advance.

1. Employer submits the job offerThe employer registers in the OINP Employer Portal and submits a job offer for the position, even if the candidate already holds it. Ontario emails the job offer ID to the candidate.
2. Candidate registers the EOI within 30 daysIn the e-Filing Portal, the candidate selects the pathway the employer used and enters the job offer ID within 30 calendar days of the job offer submission. Otherwise the offer expires and the employer must submit a new one.
3. The EOI waits in the poolAn EOI stays valid for 12 months or until an invitation, whichever comes first. Personal details can be updated until then, but the NOC and hourly wage cannot; if they change, the employer must withdraw the offer and submit a new one, and the candidate must register a new EOI.
4. Ontario may issue an invitationSelection depends on the score and on any targeting criteria Ontario uses for that round.
5. Employer applies within 14 daysThe employer submits the application for approval of the employment position within 14 calendar days of the invitation. If it misses the deadline, the job offer is withdrawn and the EOI is removed.
6. Candidate applies within 17 daysThe candidate submits the nomination application and pays the fee within 17 calendar days of the invitation, and only after the employer has submitted its application.
7. Ontario assesses both filesOntario reviews the candidate, the employer, the position and the documents before deciding whether to nominate.

Ontario application fee

The fee is paid only after an invitation, by Visa, Visa Debit, Mastercard or Mastercard Debit. It is non-refundable once Ontario starts processing a complete application. IRCC's federal fees are separate.

Other rules to know

• Refunds. The fee is refunded if the application is incomplete (Ontario returns it, with no internal review) or is withdrawn before processing starts. It is not refunded for an unsuccessful application.
• Representatives. Using a paid representative is optional. The applicant appoints the representative through the OINP representatives page and keeps access and control. A self-appointed representative's application is treated as invalid and returned, and the fee is refunded. A representative must not sign the applicant consent form.
• Report changes. Tell the OINP about changes to contact details, immigration status (such as a work permit expiry or change) and family (marriage, common-law relationship, birth, custody, separation, divorce, death). Failing to report them can affect the outcome.
• An IRCC invitation while Ontario is processing. The OINP file can then no longer be nominated. The applicant must either reject the IRCC invitation (and ask the OINP by webform to continue, with a screenshot of the rejection) or withdraw the OINP application.
• Internal review. After a refusal, a request must be made through the e-Filing Portal within 30 calendar days of the notice of decision. It must identify an error that would have changed the outcome, generally cannot add new information, and the reviewer's decision is final. Email, mail, fax and in-person requests are not accepted.

Prepare both files before an invitation

Ontario's official checklist (updated October 9, 2026) controls. Documents not in English or French need a copy of the original plus a notarized translation. Files must be clear, scanned and no larger than 10 MB each. Dates, duties, wages and status must match across the employer's and the applicant's files.

Common problems

After nomination

A provincial nomination is not permanent residence. Ontario sends a nomination approval letter, a nomination certificate and, for job-offer nominees, a work permit support letter. IRCC decides the permanent-residence application.

Nomination conditions apply until IRCC's decision, and Ontario's Post-Nomination Verification Unit carries out follow-up checks. A nomination can be cancelled if the conditions are not met. If the employment ends, the person needs a new EOI to pursue the stream again. Ontario also reduced the time to respond to an administrative monetary penalty or ban notice from 60 to 30 days in June 2026.

For the federal stage, see our guides to the Express Entry PNP process and the non-Express Entry PNP process.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Ontario: Ontario Workforce Priority stream (updated October 6, 2026)
• Ontario: 2026 OINP updates
• Ontario: OINP employer guide (updated September 29, 2026)
• Ontario: OINP application process
• Ontario: Applicant checklist for the Ontario Workforce Priority stream
• Ontario: Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) initiative
• Ontario: How to use the OINP Employer Portal
• Ontario: Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
• Ontario: Contraventions of the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015 and how to report suspected fraud
• Ontario Immigration Act, 2015
• O. Reg. 422/17 (General)
• O. Reg. 204/26 (amending regulation, in force June 25, 2026)
• IRCC: Provincial Nominee Program through Express Entry
• IRCC: Provincial Nominee Program outside Express Entry

This page is general information about Canadian immigration law and policy as of the date above. It is not legal advice for your situation. Programs, forms and fees change often; check the official sources before you apply.