Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program applicants should now review the Ontario Workforce Priority stream because Ontario says that stream has launched and all other OINP streams are closed.
The Ontario Workforce Priority stream provides pathways for eligible foreign workers with qualifying Ontario job offers and for eligible self-employed physicians. Ontario says the stream covers job offers in all National Occupational Classification, or NOC, TEER categories.
The OINP is Ontario’s economic immigration program. It works with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC, to nominate people whose skills and experience are needed in the province. Ontario issues the nomination, but IRCC makes the final decision on the permanent residence application.
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Current Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program status
As of October 24, 2026, the Ontario Workforce Priority stream is the OINP’s active stream. Ontario’s program page says the new stream has launched and that all other streams are closed.
The closed streams are Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker, Employer Job Offer: International Student, Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills, Master’s Graduate, PhD Graduate, Express Entry Human Capital Priorities, Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker and Express Entry Skilled Trades.
Ontario says regulatory changes came into force on June 25, 2026, removing the former eight streams and introducing the Ontario Workforce Priority stream. The expression of interest, or EOI, portal opened on August 4, 2026.
Ontario also said that EOIs and job offers registered under former streams that had not resulted in an invitation would be automatically withdrawn as the systems were updated. Applications submitted after invitations under former streams continue to be assessed under the rules in effect when those applications were submitted.
Ontario’s 2026 nomination allocation is 14,119 nominations. An allocation is the number of nominations Ontario may issue; it does not guarantee an invitation or nomination for every eligible candidate.
Who can use the Ontario Workforce Priority stream?
The stream has two broad routes: applicants with an Ontario job offer and eligible self-employed physicians.
For Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program job-offer applicants, the position must generally be full-time and permanent, urgently necessary to the employer’s business, unaffected by a labour dispute and paid at or above the required wage level for its Ontario location.
The employer must begin the process through the OINP Employer Portal. A worker cannot independently create a job-offer EOI: the employer must first submit the job offer and provide the resulting job offer identification number.
Work experience requirements by TEER category
| Job-offer category | Main work experience requirement |
|---|---|
| TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 | Six months of consecutive paid full-time experience in the offered position during the previous 12 months; or, for an eligible recent Ontario graduate, three months of consecutive paid full-time experience; or two years of cumulative paid full-time experience in the same NOC occupation during the previous five years. A required licence or authorization can also satisfy the work-experience requirement in qualifying cases. |
| TEER 4 or 5 | Nine months of cumulative paid full-time experience in the offered position during the previous two years. |
For the three-month recent-graduate option, the applicant must have graduated from an eligible Ontario institution within the previous three years with a post-secondary degree or diploma that took at least two years to complete on a full-time basis, an Ontario College Graduate Certificate, a master’s degree or a PhD.
Some occupations have special rules and alternative criteria. For example, certain related NOC occupations may be accepted for the two-year alternative, and applicants in regulated occupations may rely on a mandatory licence or authorization where the stream rules allow it.
Language and education requirements
Language requirements depend on the TEER category and occupation.
TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 positions generally require Canadian Language Benchmark, or CLB, 6 in all four abilities. Certain listed skilled trades require CLB 5. A qualifying recent Ontario credential may remove the language-test requirement for some TEER 0 to 3 applications.
TEER 4 and 5 positions generally require CLB 4 in reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Accepted tests include IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, PTE Core, TEF Canada and TCF Canada. IELTS Academic, IELTS One Skill Retake and PTE Academic are not accepted for this stream.
For TEER 0 to 3 positions, applicants generally need a post-secondary degree or diploma of at least one academic year, or an equivalent credential. Listed skilled trades and certain occupations, including nurse aides, have different education rules. TEER 4 and 5 applicants generally need a Canadian secondary school diploma or equivalent. Applicants educated outside Canada may need an Educational Credential Assessment.
Employer requirements
For the job-offer route, the employer must have been actively operating for at least three years before submitting its application, have a business premises in Ontario where the applicant will work, comply with applicable Ontario workplace requirements and meet revenue and staffing requirements based on the job location.
Ontario provides lower gross annual revenue requirements for employers in rural communities. For this program, Ontario defines a rural community as a community located in a census division with a population of less than 150,000.
If the applicant is living outside Canada or working outside Ontario, the employer must demonstrate that it made sufficient efforts to recruit a Canadian citizen or permanent resident before offering the position.
Self-employed physician pathway
Eligible self-employed physicians may apply without an Ontario job offer.
They must be members in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, hold a certificate of registration in an eligible class—independent, academic or provisional—and be eligible to receive payment for publicly funded health services through the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.
Self-employed physicians do not need to meet the regular job-offer applicant and employer requirements. They may choose the Express Entry-linked nomination option if they also meet the federal Express Entry requirements.
How the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program application process works
The employer registers its business in the OINP Employer Portal and submits the job offer.
The candidate uses the job offer identification number to register an EOI within 30 calendar days of the employer submitting the job offer.
Ontario ranks candidates in the selection pool and may issue invitations on a general or targeted basis.
After an invitation, the employer must submit its application for approval of the employment position within 14 calendar days.
The candidate must submit the OINP application and pay the fee within 17 calendar days of the invitation. For job-offer applications, the candidate cannot submit until the employer has submitted its employment-position application.
Self-employed physicians do not follow the employer job-offer steps, but must submit their application and pay within 17 calendar days of an invitation.
An EOI is not an application and does not guarantee an invitation. Candidates invited to apply must prove the information used to calculate their EOI score and meet all stream requirements when they submit the application.
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program fees and the permanent residence stage
The Ontario Workforce Priority application fee is $1,500 if the job offer or medical practice is outside the Greater Toronto Area. It is $2,000 if the job offer or medical practice is within the GTA, including Toronto, Durham, Halton, Peel and York.
Successful applicants receive a nomination approval letter, nomination certificate and, where applicable, a work permit support letter. They must apply to IRCC for permanent residence within six months of being notified of the nomination.
An Express Entry-linked nomination is available under this stream for job-offer applicants in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupations and for self-employed physicians, provided the applicant qualifies for a federal Express Entry program and maintains a valid Express Entry profile. An accepted provincial nomination adds 600 Comprehensive Ranking System points.
Applicants who qualify for the Ontario stream but do not qualify for a federal Express Entry program may use the non-Express Entry provincial nominee process where the nomination is issued through that process. IRCC makes the final permanent residence decision, and a provincial nomination does not guarantee permanent residence.
What applicants should check before registering
Confirm that the employer is willing and able to participate in the Employer Portal.
Match the job duties and NOC code to the actual offered position.
Check the required work experience, language and education standard for the position’s TEER category and occupation.
Prepare documents supporting every EOI scoring factor claimed.
Check licence requirements before applying for a regulated occupation.
Use the current OINP document checklist and observe all invitation deadlines.
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program remains subject to program updates. Invitation activity can depend on Ontario’s nomination allocation and labour-market priorities. Candidates should verify the official stream page and application instructions immediately before registering or applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current active Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program stream?
Ontario’s current main pathway is the Ontario Workforce Priority stream. Ontario says its former OINP streams are closed.
Can I apply to the Ontario Workforce Priority stream without a job offer?
Most applicants need a qualifying full-time and permanent Ontario job offer. Eligible self-employed physicians may apply without a job offer if they meet the physician-specific requirements.
How much is the OINP application fee?
The fee is $1,500 for applications tied to a job offer or medical practice outside the Greater Toronto Area and $2,000 within the GTA.
How long do I have to apply after receiving an OINP invitation?
The candidate must submit the application and pay the fee within 17 calendar days of the invitation. The employer must submit its employment-position approval application within 14 calendar days.
Does an Ontario nomination guarantee permanent residence?
No. Ontario issues the nomination, but IRCC makes the final decision on the permanent residence application.
Fact-Checked: Checked against current Ontario OINP pages, the 2026 OINP updates page, Ontario Regulation 422/17 and current IRCC provincial nominee guidance on October 24, 2026.
Disclaimer: Immigration requirements and program availability can change. Applicants should confirm the current official OINP and IRCC instructions before submitting an expression of interest or application.
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