Since 25 June 2026, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has had one open stream: the Workforce Priority stream. Eight streams used by international students and workers, including International Student, Masters Graduate, PhD Graduate and the three Express Entry streams, are closed. To be nominated now you need a full-time, permanent job offer from a qualifying Ontario employer, a place in the Expression of Interest (EOI) pool and an invitation to apply. This guide explains who qualifies, what it costs, how EOIs are scored and what Ontario has not yet said.
Key Takeaways
- The Workforce Priority stream is the only open OINP stream. Its EOI portal opened on 4 August 2026.
- A job offer is compulsory (self-employed physicians are the exception). The employer submits it first, then you register an EOI within 30 calendar days.
- The EOI is free. After an invitation the fee is CAD 1,500 outside the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and CAD 2,000 inside it.
- Ontario's 2026 allocation is 14,119 nominations, but no stream split and no Workforce Priority invitation rounds are published yet, so there are no minimum scores to aim for.
- Ontario calls this the first of two phases of redesign, so the rules may change again.
What Changed on 25 June 2026
Ontario amended Ontario Regulation 422/17 with effect from 25 June 2026 and announced the change on 26 June. The amendment removed eight streams: Employer Job Offer (Foreign Worker, International Student and In-Demand Skills), Masters Graduate, PhD Graduate, and the Express Entry streams for Human Capital Priorities, French-Speaking Skilled Worker and Skilled Trades. It created the Workforce Priority stream. The OINP page says all other streams are closed and more changes are coming soon.
If you were in a closed stream, no new EOIs or invitations are issued under it. Existing EOIs and job offers that did not lead to an invitation are withdrawn automatically over the following weeks, and Ontario says it tells those candidates directly. If you already received an invitation under a former stream, your application is assessed under the rules in force when you submitted it. Employers do not need to register again, but they must submit a new job offer and a new application.
Ontario announced a 2026 allocation of 14,119 nominations on 6 February 2026. Its pages do not say how many are meant for the Workforce Priority stream. For the wider picture, see our Provincial Nominee Programs guide and the Ontario OINP overview.
Who Can Apply: Language, Education and Experience
The requirements depend on the TEER category of the job offer. TEER is the second digit of the five-digit NOC 2021 code, explained in our NOC and TEER guide.
| Requirement | TEER 0 to 3 | TEER 4 or 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Language (lowest of four skills) | CLB 6, or CLB 5 for listed trades | CLB 4 |
| Education | Post-secondary credential of at least one academic year full time (Canadian high school for listed trades) | Canadian high school diploma or equivalent |
| Experience (any one) | 6 months consecutive full time (780 hours) in the offered position in the last 12 months; or 3 months for recent Ontario graduates; or 2 years cumulative full time in the same NOC in the last 5 years; or the licence the occupation requires | 9 months cumulative full time (1,170 hours) in the same position in the last 2 years |
Language tests must be within the last 2 years: IELTS General Training, CELPIP General, PTE Core, TEF Canada or TCF Canada. Academic versions of IELTS and PTE are not accepted. TEER 0 to 3 candidates with an eligible Ontario post-secondary credential from the last 3 years do not need a test result. A credential from outside Canada needs an Educational Credential Assessment under 5 years old from a designated organisation, see our ECA guide and CLB guide.
You must show that you intend to live and work in Ontario. If you apply from inside Canada you need valid status as a visitor, student or worker, and maintained status is accepted. Self-employed physicians with an OHIP billing number and good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario do not need a job offer.
What the Employer Must Meet
The stream is employer driven. Ontario's employer guide sets these conditions:
- Business: active for at least 3 years with premises in Ontario, with minimum revenue of CAD 1,000,000 in the GTA, CAD 500,000 in listed census divisions and CAD 250,000 elsewhere.
- Staff: at least 5 full-time citizen or permanent resident employees at the work location in the GTA, or 3 outside it.
- Job: full time (30 or more hours a week, 1,560 hours a year), permanent with no end date, and urgently necessary.
- Wage: at or above the regional median wage level on Job Bank. The low wage level applies only to recent Ontario graduates in TEER 0 to 3.
- Recruitment: two or more methods for at least four weeks, unless the worker is already authorised to work in Ontario or a positive LMIA exists for the same NOC and position. Recruitment by immigration representatives does not count.
- Compliance: no outstanding Employment Standards Act or Occupational Health and Safety Act orders. Ontario Public Service employers are not eligible.
How the Process Works
Employer submits the job offer
The employer uses the Employer Portal and receives a job offer ID.
You register an EOI
Do this within 30 calendar days of the job offer submission. There is no fee, and registering is not an application.
Ontario invites you
Invitations to apply are sent through the e-Filing Portal to selected EOIs.
Employer applies in 14 days, you apply in 17
You cannot submit before the employer does. If the employer misses its deadline, the offer is withdrawn and your EOI is removed. If you miss yours, the EOI is removed and cannot be reinstated.
Pay the fee
CAD 1,500 outside the GTA or CAD 2,000 in the GTA (City of Toronto, Durham, Halton, Peel and York). Only Visa, Visa Debit, Mastercard and Mastercard Debit are accepted. It is refundable if the application is incomplete or withdrawn before processing starts, and not refunded once processing begins or if the application is unsuccessful.
Nomination and PR application
A nominee receives an approval letter, a nomination certificate and a work permit support letter, then has 6 months to apply to IRCC for permanent residence.
Candidates in TEER 0 to 3, and physicians, can use the Express Entry option instead. You must meet the minimum criteria of a federal Express Entry stream and keep a valid profile. You have 30 days to accept the nomination, receive 600 CRS points and then have 60 days to submit your PR application. If the profile lapses, you restart with a new EOI. Our CRS changes guide covers the federal side.
How Your EOI Is Scored
Ontario ranks EOIs on the points below. On 5 to 7 October 2026 it also added points for Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) earnings to existing EOIs automatically.
| Factor | Points |
|---|---|
| TEER of the job offer | TEER 0 or 1: 9; TEER 2 or 3: 6; TEER 4 or 5: 0 |
| Broad occupational category (first NOC digit) | 3: 10; 7: 8; 2: 6; 0, 1, 4, 8 or 9: 4; 5 or 6: 2 |
| Hourly wage | CAD 40 or more: 15; 35 to 39.99: 12; 30 to 34.99: 10; 25 to 29.99: 8; 20 to 24.99: 5; under 20: 0 |
| Ontario experience in the offered position | Over 24 months: 18; 13 to 24 months: 15; 6 to 12 months: 12 |
| CRA earnings in one year of the last 5 | CAD 80,000 or more: 10; 70,000 to 79,999: 8; 50,000 to 69,999: 6; 30,000 to 49,999: 4 |
| Current permit | Work permit: 10; study permit: 5 |
| Education | Doctorate or professional degree (medicine, dentistry, veterinary, optometry): 10; master's: 8; bachelor's: 6; college or trade: 5 |
| Canadian credentials | More than one: 10; one: 5 |
| Language (lowest CLB) | 9 or higher: 15; 8: 12; 7: 8; 6: 4; 5 or lower: 0 |
| Official languages | English and French at CLB 6 or higher: 10; one official language: 5 |
| Region of the job | Northern Ontario: 15; Eastern, Central (outside the GTA) and Southwestern: 10; GTA excluding Toronto: 5; Toronto: 0 |
The CRA earnings points use a Notice of Assessment. Wage and region carry large weights in the table.
What This Means for Indian Students and Workers
- Graduates of Ontario colleges and universities: there is no student stream now. Your route is a job offer plus the Workforce Priority EOI. Recent Ontario graduates (finished within 3 years) need only 3 months in the offered position, can be paid at the low wage level in TEER 0 to 3, and may skip the language test.
- Workers on employer-specific permits: your employer must pass the business tests above and use the portal.
- Check your test type: candidates who sat IELTS Academic for a study permit must take a General Training test, or another accepted test, unless they qualify for the exemption.
Do not pay for a job offer
Job offers are central to this stream, which makes them a target for fraud. Never pay anyone to arrange one. Check the employer against the conditions above and keep the offer, contract and payslips consistent.
What Is Not Known Yet
- Minimum scores and round sizes. The OINP invitations page lists no Workforce Priority rounds yet.
- Processing time. The pages state none.
- The stream split. The 14,119 allocation is not broken down by stream.
- The second phase. Ontario has not said what it will change or when.
See the Workforce Priority Stream Reference
Our reference page sets out requirements, scoring and documents in one place. Related: all provincial nominee programs.
Workforce Priority StreamFrequently Asked Questions
Is the Ontario International Student stream still open?
No. It closed on 25 June 2026 with seven other streams. The Workforce Priority stream is the only open OINP stream.
Do I need a job offer?
Yes, except for self-employed physicians. The employer must submit the job offer in the Employer Portal first, and you register an EOI within 30 calendar days.
What does the stream cost?
The EOI is free. After an invitation, the fee is CAD 1,500 outside the GTA and CAD 2,000 in the GTA. It is not refunded once processing begins.
Can I combine an Ontario nomination with Express Entry?
Candidates in TEER 0 to 3 and physicians can use the Express Entry option. A nomination adds 600 CRS points, and you then have 60 days to submit your PR application.
What score do I need to be invited?
Ontario has not published one. The OINP invitations page lists no Workforce Priority rounds yet, so any figure you see elsewhere is a guess.
Sources
- Ontario Workforce Priority stream: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-workforce-priority-stream
- 2026 Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program updates: https://www.ontario.ca/page/2026-ontario-immigrant-nominee-program-updates
- Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP): https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-immigrant-nominee-program-oinp
- OINP application process: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-immigrant-nominee-program-oinp-application-process
- OINP streams: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-immigrant-nominee-program-streams
- OINP employer guide: https://www.ontario.ca/page/oinp-employer-guide
- OINP employer job offer streams employer guide: https://www.ontario.ca/page/oinp-employer-job-offer-streams-employer-guide
- OINP invitations to apply: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-immigrant-nominee-program-oinp-invitations-apply
Figures are as shown on these pages on 6 November 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.