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🇨🇦 2026 OINP Redesign • Former Foreign Worker Stream Closed • Workforce Priority

OINP Foreign Worker Stream 2026: Former Stream Closed, Current Pathway Explained

The former Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream closed on May 30, 2026. This updated guide explains the historical rules for existing applicants and the current Ontario Workforce Priority Stream for new foreign-worker applicants.

1. OINP Foreign Worker Stream 2026 Status: The Former Stream Is Closed

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream was a provincial nomination pathway for foreign workers with qualifying permanent, full-time Ontario job offers. However, Ontario redesigned the OINP in June 2026. The former eight-stream structure was removed and Ontario introduced the Workforce Priority Stream. Ontario's official document checklist states that the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream closed on May 30, 2026. The former stream should therefore no longer be presented as a current route for new applicants. Existing applications submitted under the former framework continue to be assessed under the eligibility requirements that were in effect when the application was submitted. New applicants with Ontario job offers should instead evaluate the current Workforce Priority Stream.

Key Framework Highlights:
  • FORMER STREAM STATUS: Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream closed on May 30, 2026.
  • The former stream's EOI and draw rules are historical and should not be used to calculate eligibility for a new 2026 application.
  • Ontario's current Workforce Priority Stream replaced the former employer job-offer framework.
  • Current Workforce Priority job-offer pathways cover NOC TEER 0 through TEER 5 rather than limiting applicants to TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3.
  • The new system is employer-led: the employer begins by submitting the job offer through the Ontario Employer Portal before the candidate registers an EOI.
  • Existing applications submitted under the former stream remain governed by the rules applicable at the time of application.
Required Action Checklist:
  • ✓Determine whether your application was submitted before the former stream closed.
  • ✓If you already received an invitation under the old stream, use the rules attached to that invitation and application date.
  • ✓If you are a new applicant, review the current Workforce Priority Stream instead.
  • ✓Do not use the old Foreign Worker EOI scoring grid as a current 2026 calculator.
  • ✓Check Ontario's latest program update before beginning an employer-led EOI process.

2. Current Ontario Workforce Priority Stream: What New Foreign Workers Use in 2026

The Ontario Workforce Priority Stream is Ontario's current employer-backed pathway for eligible foreign workers with qualifying job offers. Ontario states that the stream can cover eligible job offers in any NOC occupation, with separate rules depending on whether the position falls in TEER 0-3 or TEER 4-5. There is also a separate self-employed physician category that does not require a conventional job offer. For an ordinary foreign worker, the employer must first register through Ontario's Employer Portal and submit the job offer. The candidate then uses the job-offer ID to register an Expression of Interest. An invitation is required before the candidate can submit the provincial nomination application.

Key Framework Highlights:
  • The current Workforce Priority Stream is not limited to high-skilled TEER 0-3 occupations.
  • TEER 4-5 applicants now have their own pathway with lower minimum language and education thresholds.
  • A qualifying job offer must generally be full-time, permanent and urgently necessary to the employer's business.
  • The applicant must intend to live and work in Ontario.
  • Where the occupation requires a mandatory Ontario or Canadian licence or authorization, the applicant must hold the required authorization at application and maintain it through the nomination period.
  • Self-employed professionals without a legal employer-employee relationship are generally not eligible, except for the specifically recognized self-employed physician category.
Current PathwayJob OfferOccupation ScopeCore Work-Experience FrameworkLanguageEducation
Workforce Priority TEER 0-3Required; full-time and permanent Ontario positionNOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3Several routes: 6 months consecutive in the job-offer position in the previous 12 months; 3 months for qualifying recent Ontario graduates; 2 years cumulative in the NOC within 5 years; or qualifying mandatory licence/authorizationGenerally CLB 6 in all four abilities; CLB 5 applies to listed skilled-trade occupationsPostsecondary degree or diploma, with occupation-specific alternatives and exceptions
Workforce Priority TEER 4-5Required; full-time and permanent Ontario positionNOC TEER 4 or 5At least 9 months cumulative paid full-time experience in the job-offer position within the previous 2 yearsCLB 4 in all four abilitiesCanadian secondary-school diploma or equivalent, subject to occupational exceptions
Self-employed PhysicianNo conventional employer job offerEligible physician practicePhysician-specific practice and Ontario licensing requirementsPhysician-specific requirementsMedical education and Ontario registration requirements

3. Current Work-Experience Rules: 6 Months, Recent Graduate, 2-Year and TEER 4-5 Routes

The original Foreign Worker page incorrectly reduced Ontario's current work-experience requirement to a universal two-year rule. The current Workforce Priority Stream has multiple qualifying routes for TEER 0-3 positions. A candidate may qualify through six months of consecutive paid full-time experience in the exact job-offer position during the previous 12 months, through a shorter three-month route available to qualifying recent Ontario graduates, through two years of cumulative paid full-time experience in the same NOC within the previous five years, or through a mandatory licence or other authorization where the occupation qualifies for that exception. TEER 4-5 positions use a separate nine-month cumulative requirement in the job-offer position within the previous two years.

Key Framework Highlights:
  • For TEER 0-3, the 2-year rule is only one qualifying route; it is not the universal minimum.
  • Six months means consecutive paid full-time employment in the offered job position during the 12 months before application.
  • Ontario defines full-time experience for the six-month TEER 0-3 route as at least 30 paid hours per week, with the required equivalent hours over the relevant period.
  • A qualifying recent Ontario graduate can use the three-month route if the Ontario education and graduation conditions are met.
  • The TEER 4-5 route requires 9 months cumulative paid full-time experience in the offered job position over the previous 2 years.
  • Licensed workers may have an experience exemption where the occupation requires a mandatory licence or authorization.
Current RouteMinimum ExperienceKey Conditions
TEER 0-3: Job-offer-position route6 months consecutive paid full-timeMust be in the same employment position, employer and location reflected in the approved job offer and gained in the 12 months before application.
TEER 0-3: Recent Ontario graduate route3 months consecutive paid full-timeApplicant must be a qualifying recent Ontario graduate and experience must be in the job-offer position within the previous 12 months.
TEER 0-3: NOC experience route2 years cumulative paid full-timeExperience must generally be in the same NOC as the offered position and must have been gained within the previous 5 years. Specific related-NOC exceptions exist for certain occupations.
TEER 0-3: Licence/authorization routeExperience may be exemptedApplicant must hold the mandatory licence or authorization required by Ontario or Canadian law for the offered position.
TEER 4-59 months cumulative paid full-timeMust be in the job-offer employment position and gained within the previous 2 years.

4. Ontario Job Offer and Wage Requirements in 2026

The job offer is central to the current Workforce Priority Stream. Ontario requires the position to be full-time and permanent and urgently necessary to the employer's business. The offered wage must satisfy the wage rules for the occupation and employment region. In general, Ontario uses the Government of Canada Job Bank wage level for the occupation and region. The normal standard is at least the median wage level. A specific exception allows a recent Ontario graduate in a TEER 0-3 occupation to qualify where the position meets the applicable low wage level instead. If the applicant is already working for the employer in the offered position, the offered wage must also be at least the wage the employer currently pays that employee in that position.

Key Framework Highlights:
  • The original statement 'must meet or exceed the median wage' is incomplete because Ontario created a recent-Ontario-graduate exception for TEER 0-3 positions.
  • The wage comparison is tied to the occupation and geographic employment region, not simply to a province-wide median.
  • The relevant Job Bank wage information is the information applicable on the date of the employer application.
  • Employers should preserve evidence showing how the offered wage was established.
  • The job offer must also satisfy the occupation, permanence, full-time and business-necessity requirements.
Job Offer RequirementCurrent 2026 Rule
Employment typeFull-time and permanent Ontario position.
Business necessityPosition must be urgently necessary to the employer's business.
Wage standardGenerally at least the median wage level for the occupation and Ontario employment region shown by the Government of Canada Job Bank on the date of application.
Recent Ontario graduate exceptionFor a recent Ontario graduate applying through the TEER 0-3 pathway, the position can meet the applicable low wage level instead of the normal median wage requirement.
Current employee protectionIf the candidate already works for the employer in the offered position, the wage must be at least the wage currently paid in that position and must otherwise satisfy the applicable program wage requirement.
Collective agreementThe standard Job Bank wage-level rule does not apply in the same way where the position is covered by a collective agreement; the applicable collective wage rules must be reviewed.
CompensationBase hourly wage is the relevant measure. Piecework, bonuses, commissions, vacation pay and non-financial compensation are not counted as the offered hourly wage for the program's wage calculation.

5. Employer Eligibility: Business History, Revenue, Staff and Recruitment

The current Workforce Priority Stream retains substantial employer-side eligibility requirements. The employer must have been actively operating for at least three years before submitting the application, have Ontario business premises where the nominee will work, have no outstanding orders under the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 or the Occupational Health and Safety Act, satisfy the location-based revenue and Canadian-permanent-resident/full-time employee requirements, and meet the recruitment requirement where the foreign worker is currently living outside Canada or working outside Ontario. Ontario's 2026 redesign also introduced more flexible revenue treatment for rural communities.

Key Framework Highlights:
  • The employer must have been actively operating for at least three years before submitting the application.
  • The employer must have Ontario business premises where the nominee will work.
  • The employer must have no outstanding orders under the specified Ontario employment and occupational-safety legislation.
  • Government employers other than Ontario Public Service entities may be eligible if they separately satisfy OINP requirements; Ontario Public Service entities do not currently participate as OINP employers.
  • Recruitment evidence is specifically relevant where the worker lives outside Canada or works outside Ontario.
  • The employer must submit the required employment-position application through the Ontario Employer Portal.
Employer LocationGeneral Revenue FrameworkMinimum Qualifying EmployeesImportant Note
GTA$1,000,000 gross annual revenue5 full-time Canadian citizens or permanent residentsApplies to the relevant employer location supporting the position.
Specified higher-revenue locations outside GTA$500,000 gross annual revenue3 full-time Canadian citizens or permanent residentsLocation is determined under Ontario's current program definitions.
Other eligible Ontario locations$250,000 gross annual revenue3 full-time Canadian citizens or permanent residentsThis lower threshold was part of the 2026 redesign.
Rural communityLower gross-revenue requirements may apply under the rural provisionsLocation-specific rules continue to applyOntario defines a rural community for this purpose using the population threshold in the program rules.

6. Current EOI Scoring and Employer-Led Application Workflow

The current Workforce Priority EOI system is materially different from the former Foreign Worker EOI grid. Once the employer submits the job offer, the employee receives a job-offer ID and must register an EOI within 30 calendar days. Ontario can rank candidates either generally or on a targeted basis and then invite the highest-ranking candidates. Current EOI factors include hourly wage, Ontario work experience, Canadian earnings history, legal status, education, official-language ability and regional location. The EOI score is a ranking mechanism, not a substitute for meeting mandatory stream eligibility.

Current EOI FactorMaximum / Scoring StructureExamples of Current Scoring
Hourly wage15 points maximum$40/hour or more = 15; $35-$39.99 = 12; $30-$34.99 = 10; $25-$29.99 = 8; $20-$24.99 = 5; under $20 = 0.
Ontario work experience in job-offer position18 points maximumOver 24 months = 18; 13-24 months = 15; 6-12 months = 12; less than 6 months/not working in position = 0.
Canadian earnings history8 points maximumBased on CRA Notice of Assessment in the previous 5 years: $70,000+ = 8; $50,000-$69,999 = 6; $30,000-$49,999 = 4; below $30,000 = 0.
Legal status in Canada10 points maximumValid work permit = 10; valid study permit = 5; no valid work/study permit = 0.
Highest education10 points maximumDoctorate or specified professional degree = 10; master's = 8; several degree/diploma categories score 5 or 6 depending on credential.
Official languages10 points maximumTwo official languages = 10; one official language = 5.
Regional location15 points maximumNorthern Ontario = 15; Eastern, Central outside GTA and Southwestern Ontario = 10; GTA excluding Toronto = 5; Toronto = 0.
Required Action Checklist:
  • ✓Employer submits the job offer through the Employer Portal.
  • ✓Candidate receives the job-offer ID.
  • ✓Candidate registers the EOI within 30 calendar days of the employer's job-offer submission.
  • ✓Wait for Ontario to conduct a general or targeted selection and issue an invitation.
  • ✓After invitation, employer submits approval-of-employment-position application within 14 calendar days.
  • ✓Candidate prepares the nomination application during the same period but cannot submit it until after the employer submits its application.
  • ✓Candidate submits the nomination application and fee within 17 calendar days of the invitation.
  • ✓Support every EOI scoring factor with the documents Ontario requests.

7. Nomination, Express Entry, Work Permits and Permanent Residence

If Ontario approves the Workforce Priority application, the nominee receives a nomination approval letter, nomination certificate and, where applicable, a work-permit support letter. Ontario states that the nominee must then apply to IRCC for permanent residence within six months. TEER 0-3 job-offer applicants and eligible self-employed physicians can elect Express Entry nomination if they meet the federal Express Entry eligibility requirements and maintain a valid Express Entry profile. After accepting an eligible provincial nomination in Express Entry, IRCC awards 600 additional CRS points. TEER 4-5 applicants do not become Express Entry eligible merely because Ontario nominates them; federal Express Entry eligibility remains a separate federal requirement.

Key Framework Highlights:
  • The Ontario nomination is not the final permanent-residence decision; IRCC makes the federal PR decision.
  • If an Express Entry nomination is accepted, IRCC adds 600 CRS points.
  • The +600 CRS bonus does not apply simply because an Ontario EOI is registered or an Ontario invitation is received.
  • If the candidate's Express Entry profile expires or lapses after Ontario nomination and before the nomination is entered into the federal system as required, the candidate can have to restart the OINP process.
  • Ontario can conduct post-nomination verification and can cancel approvals where nomination conditions are not being met.
  • A job-based nomination is connected to the approved employment position, so changing employment after nomination can require Ontario review and may affect the nomination.
StageCurrent Rule
Ontario nomination approvalOntario issues a nomination approval letter, nomination certificate and, where applicable, a work-permit support letter.
Federal PR deadlineNominee must apply to IRCC for permanent residence within 6 months.
Express Entry optionTEER 0-3 job-offer nominees and eligible self-employed physicians can choose Express Entry nomination if they meet federal Express Entry requirements.
Nomination acceptanceExpress Entry nominees have 30 calendar days to accept or refuse the nomination.
CRS effectAn accepted qualifying provincial nomination adds +600 CRS points.
Federal PR submissionAfter an Express Entry ITA, the candidate has 60 calendar days to submit the permanent-residence application.
Nomination conditionsOntario can conduct post-nomination follow-ups. Conditions can be cancelled if the nominee or approved employer no longer satisfies nomination requirements.
Work permitA work-permit support letter can be issued where applicable. A Bridging Open Work Permit is a separate federal mechanism and is available only when current IRCC requirements are met.

Frequently Asked Questions (6 Verified Answers)

No. Ontario's official document checklist states that the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream closed on May 30, 2026 as part of the OINP redesign. New foreign workers should review the current Ontario Workforce Priority Stream. Applications submitted under the former framework continue to be assessed under the rules that applied when they were submitted.

The Ontario Workforce Priority Stream is the current employer-backed pathway. It provides job-offer pathways for NOC TEER 0-3 and TEER 4-5 occupations, plus a separate self-employed physician category. The employer generally starts the process by submitting the job offer through the OINP Employer Portal before the foreign worker registers an EOI.

No. Under the current TEER 0-3 Workforce Priority pathway, an applicant can potentially qualify through 6 months of consecutive paid full-time experience in the offered position during the previous 12 months, 3 months for a qualifying recent Ontario graduate, 2 years of cumulative experience in the relevant NOC during the previous 5 years, or a mandatory licence/authorization route. TEER 4-5 applicants generally need 9 months of cumulative paid full-time experience in the offered position within the previous 2 years.

The normal standard is at least the median Job Bank wage level for the occupation and employment region on the date of application. A special exception allows a qualifying recent Ontario graduate in a TEER 0-3 position to use the applicable low wage level. If the applicant is already working for the employer in the offered position, the offered wage must also be at least the wage currently paid in that position. The exact regional Job Bank wage should be checked before applying.

The employer must first submit the job offer through Ontario's Employer Portal. The candidate then receives a job-offer ID and has 30 calendar days to register an EOI. If Ontario invites the candidate, the employer has 14 calendar days to submit its employment-position approval application. The candidate must submit the nomination application and pay within 17 calendar days of the invitation, and cannot submit until after the employer submits its application.

Potentially, yes. TEER 0-3 job-offer applicants and eligible self-employed physicians can elect an Express Entry nomination if they meet the federal Express Entry requirements and maintain a valid Express Entry profile. After an eligible nomination is accepted in Express Entry, IRCC awards 600 additional CRS points. A TEER 4-5 provincial nomination does not itself make someone eligible for Express Entry.

Official Provincial Government References & Portals

OINP Foreign Worker Metrics

Former Foreign Worker Stream
Closed May 30, 2026
Current Job-Offer Occupations
NOC TEER 0-5
Current Applicant Deadline
17 Days After Invitation
Current EOI Registration Window
30 Days

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