On June 26, 2026, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) announced Phase 1 of its program redesign. The amendments to Ontario Regulation 422/17 came into
Ontario Redesigns the OINP: All Previous Streams Replaced by the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream
On June 26, 2026, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) announced Phase 1 of its program redesign. The amendments to Ontario Regulation 422/17 came into force on June 25, 2026. For anyone planning to immigrate through Ontario, the provincial nominee route has changed fundamentally.
Streams That Were Closed
All eight existing streams were removed:
- Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker
- Employer Job Offer: International Student
- Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills
- Masters Graduate
- PhD Graduate
- Express Entry Human Capital Priorities
- Express Entry French-speaking Skilled Worker
- Express Entry Skilled Trades
The New Stream: Ontario Workforce Priority
The Ontario Workforce Priority (OWP) stream has pathways for job offers in all NOC TEER categories and for self-employed physicians. According to Ontario’s published criteria:
- TEER 0–3: a full-time, permanent job offer, work experience requirements, CLB 6 (CLB 5 for certain occupations) and a post-secondary degree or diploma.
- TEER 4–5: a full-time, permanent job offer, 9 months of cumulative experience in the last 2 years, CLB 4 and a secondary school diploma or equivalent.
- Self-employed physicians: no job offer required, but they must be in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and eligible to bill OHIP.
- Lower revenue requirements apply to employers in less-populated census divisions.
What Happened to Existing Profiles?
- No new expressions of interest (EOIs) are accepted and no invitations are issued under the former streams.
- EOIs that did not lead to an invitation are withdrawn automatically. Candidates may register a new OWP EOI.
- Applications submitted after an invitation under a former stream are assessed under the rules in effect when they were submitted.
Later Updates
Ontario published the OWP eligibility criteria on July 20, 2026 and opened the OWP EOI portal on August 4, 2026. In October 2026, it began awarding 10 points to registrants who earned $80,000 or more in a single year within the past 5 years. Ontario describes this as the first of a two-phase redesign.
Next Steps for Candidates
- Check whether your job offer and occupation meet the OWP requirements.
- Prepare your language test results and education documents.
- Ask your employer whether it is ready to submit a new job offer.
To review your eligibility under Ontario’s new stream, complete our online assessment or contact our office to book a consultation.
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