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🇨🇦 2026 OINP Redesign • Workforce Priority • EOI • Employer Rules • PR

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) Master Guide 2026

Understand Ontario's June 2026 immigration redesign, the current Workforce Priority Stream, employer requirements, EOI scoring, job-offer rules, application deadlines and the former OINP streams that are now closed.

1. Ontario OINP 2026: Major Program Redesign and Current Structure

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program is Ontario's economic immigration nomination program. In 2026, Ontario substantially redesigned the program. Amendments to Ontario Regulation 422/17 came into force on June 25, 2026 and removed the former eight OINP streams, replacing them with the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream. The current regulation establishes three Workforce Priority categories: TEER 0-3, TEER 4-5 and self-employed physicians. Ontario's former Human Capital Priorities, French-Speaking Skilled Worker, Express Entry Skilled Trades, Employer Job Offer streams, Masters Graduate and PhD Graduate streams are therefore historical pathways for new applicants rather than the current general structure. Applications submitted under the former framework are assessed under the rules that applied when those applications were made.

Key Framework Highlights:
  • CURRENT WORKER MODEL: Ontario Workforce Priority Stream is now the main OINP worker framework for candidates with qualifying Ontario employment.
  • TEER 0-3 pathway: Covers eligible full-time and permanent job offers in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupations and can be processed through Express Entry when federal requirements are satisfied.
  • TEER 4-5 pathway: Covers eligible full-time and permanent job offers in NOC TEER 4 or 5 occupations under separate lower-language and work-experience requirements.
  • Self-employed physician pathway: A separate Workforce Priority category exists for eligible physicians who meet Ontario's medical registration, practice and other program requirements.
  • The former EOI system for the old eight streams is closed to new EOIs. Ontario says no further invitations will be issued under the former streams.
  • Ontario's 2026 federal nomination allocation is 14,119 nominations.
OINP Category2026 StatusJob OfferExpress Entry Possibility
Workforce Priority: TEER 0-3CurrentRequiredYes, where federal Express Entry criteria are met
Workforce Priority: TEER 4-5CurrentRequiredNo general Express Entry nomination route for TEER 4-5 because these occupations fall outside the Express Entry-skilled occupation requirement
Workforce Priority: Self-employed PhysicianCurrentNo conventional employer job offer required; separate physician criteria applyYes, where federal Express Entry criteria are met
Human Capital PrioritiesClosed to new applicantsHistorically no job offer requiredFormerly yes
French-Speaking Skilled WorkerClosed to new applicantsHistorically no job offer requiredFormerly yes
Skilled TradesClosed to new applicantsHistorically no job offer requiredFormerly yes
Masters / PhD GraduateClosed to new applicantsHistorically no job offer requiredNo
Former Employer Job Offer streamsClosed to new applicantsHistorically requiredGenerally base nomination
Required Action Checklist:
  • ✓Determine whether you are an existing applicant under the former framework or a new 2026 applicant.
  • ✓If you are a new applicant, review the Workforce Priority Stream rather than the closed Masters, HCP, French-Speaking, Skilled Trades or former Employer Job Offer stream pages.
  • ✓Identify the exact NOC 2021 occupation and TEER category of the Ontario job offer.
  • ✓Confirm whether you are applying through TEER 0-3, TEER 4-5 or the self-employed physician category.
  • ✓Check the latest Ontario program announcement before creating an EOI because the new system is being implemented in phases.

2. Current Ontario Workforce Priority Stream: TEER 0-3, TEER 4-5 and Physicians

The current Workforce Priority Stream is designed around Ontario workforce needs and qualifying employment. The worker pathways require an invitation to apply, a qualifying job offer, an approved employer employment-position application, and evidence supporting the qualifications claimed in the EOI. The program does not use the former universal stream structure. Instead, requirements depend heavily on the NOC TEER category of the job offer and whether the candidate is applying as a self-employed physician.

Key Framework Highlights:
  • A qualifying job offer must generally be full-time and permanent with an indeterminate duration.
  • The offered position must be urgently necessary to the employer's business.
  • The position must meet the wage requirements for its Ontario employment region.
  • For TEER 0-3, Ontario provides several ways to satisfy the work-experience requirement, including qualifying experience in the offered position, certain recent Ontario graduate rules, cumulative NOC experience and qualifying licences.
  • For TEER 4-5, the standard work-experience rule is at least 9 months cumulative paid full-time experience in the offered position within the previous two years.
  • A self-employed professional is generally not eligible for the Workforce Priority Stream unless they fall within the specific self-employed physician category.
RequirementTEER 0-3TEER 4-5Self-employed Physician
Job offerFull-time, permanent Ontario job offer requiredFull-time, permanent Ontario job offer requiredSeparate physician pathway; conventional employer job offer requirements do not apply in the same way
OccupationNOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3NOC TEER 4 or 5Eligible physician occupation and Ontario medical-practice requirements
Work experienceGenerally 6 months consecutive experience in job-offer position within previous 12 months, or certain alternative 3-month recent-Ontario-graduate, 2-year NOC or licensing routesAt least 9 months cumulative experience in the job-offer position within previous 2 yearsPhysician-specific experience, registration and practice criteria
LanguageGenerally CLB 6 for the standard TEER 0-3 pathway, subject to current program exceptionsCLB 4 generally appliesPhysician-specific professional and licensing requirements apply
EducationGenerally at least a one-year postsecondary degree/diploma or equivalent for non-trade occupations, subject to program rulesAt least Canadian secondary school or equivalent, subject to program rulesPhysician-specific education, registration and practice requirements
Employer approvalRequiredRequiredNot applicable in the conventional employer-position form

3. OINP Employer Requirements: Revenue, Employees, Business History and Job Offer Rules

For employer-backed Workforce Priority applications, Ontario assesses the employer as well as the candidate. The employer must satisfy business-history, premises, compliance, revenue and employee requirements, and the employer must submit the employment-position approval application through the OINP Employer Portal. The minimum revenue is no longer accurately described as simply $1 million in the GTA and $500,000 everywhere else. The 2026 framework distinguishes the GTA, specified higher-revenue census divisions outside the GTA and other Ontario locations.

Key Framework Highlights:
  • The business must generally have been actively operating for at least three years before the employer application.
  • The business must have business premises in Ontario where the nominee will work.
  • The business must not have outstanding orders under the Ontario Employment Standards Act or Occupational Health and Safety Act.
  • The employer must meet the location-specific full-time Canadian citizen or permanent-resident employee requirement.
  • The employer's approved position must be full-time and permanent and urgently necessary to the business.
  • The offered wage must satisfy the applicable wage level for the occupation and region, subject to program rules and limited exceptions.
  • Where applicable, Ontario can require the employer to demonstrate reasonable but unsuccessful recruitment efforts for Canadian citizens or permanent residents before offering the position.
Employer LocationMinimum Gross Annual RevenueMinimum Canadian Citizen / PR Full-Time Employees
GTA: Toronto, Durham, Halton, Peel or York$1,000,0005
Specified census divisions outside GTA$500,0003
Other eligible Ontario locations$250,0003
Rural communities under the current rural rulesLower revenue threshold may apply under the rural provisionsMinimum employee requirement remains location-specific

4. OINP EOI Scoring, Regionalization and Selection in 2026

Ontario's Workforce Priority EOI system evaluates candidates using current factors tied to human capital, job offer characteristics, language and regionalization. Unlike the former program, candidates should not rely on a single old EOI table used by the Masters, International Student, Foreign Worker or other former streams. Current registration points can include work experience, education, language, wage, job-offer skill level, employer and regional factors. Regionalization can materially affect ranking because Ontario assigns different points to Northern, Eastern, Central, Southwestern and GTA locations.

Key Framework Highlights:
  • Current EOI scoring should not be mixed with the former Masters Graduate, International Student or HCP scoring tables.
  • The current regionalization scoring can reward employment in Northern Ontario and other non-Toronto regions.
  • For job-offer EOIs, the employer's work location is important to regional scoring.
  • A higher EOI score does not guarantee an invitation. Ontario controls invitations according to program priorities, allocation and current selection conditions.
  • EOI registrations are valid for 12 months and are automatically removed from the selection pool after that period if no invitation is received.
Current EOI FactorExample 2026 TreatmentCompliance Note
Regional locationNorthern Ontario can receive the highest regionalization score; Eastern, Central outside GTA and Southwestern locations also receive additional points, while Toronto receives 0 regionalization points.Use the work location supplied in the employer job offer.
LanguageAdditional points can be awarded for one or both official languages under the current EOI system.The underlying minimum language requirement must still be satisfied.
Work experiencePoints can depend on qualifying work history and its relationship to the job offer.Only documentable qualifying experience should be claimed.
EducationEducation credentials can contribute to EOI ranking depending on the current factor structure.Foreign education may require an equivalency assessment where the program requires one.
Job-offer characteristicsFactors can include wage, NOC skill level and other characteristics of the approved position.The employer's submitted job-offer information must match the candidate's EOI.

5. OINP 2026 Application Workflow: Employer Submission, EOI, Invitation and Nomination

The current Ontario Workforce Priority process begins differently from the former OINP streams. For employer-backed applications, the employer first submits the employment-position information through the OINP Employer Portal. After the employer submits the job offer, the candidate receives the information needed to register an EOI. If Ontario invites the candidate, the employer must submit its employment-position approval application within its deadline, and the candidate must submit the nomination application within the applicant deadline. A nomination certificate is valid for six months from the date of nomination.

StageCurrent 2026 Deadline / Rule
Employer submits job offerStarts the employer-backed process.
Candidate EOIWithin 30 calendar days of the employer submitting the job offer.
Employer application after invitationWithin 14 calendar days of Ontario issuing the invitation.
Candidate nomination applicationWithin 17 calendar days of invitation and after the employer submits its application.
Nomination certificateValid for 6 months from nomination.
Required Action Checklist:
  • ✓Employer creates or uses the OINP Employer Portal account and submits the job offer for the position.
  • ✓Candidate receives the job-offer identification information and registers the EOI within 30 calendar days of the employer submitting the job offer.
  • ✓Candidate waits for an invitation to apply. EOI registration does not guarantee an invitation.
  • ✓After an invitation, the employer submits the employment-position approval application within 14 calendar days.
  • ✓After the employer has submitted its application, the candidate submits the nomination application and pays the applicable fee within 17 calendar days of the invitation.
  • ✓Upload all required identity, status, language, education, employment, wage, work-experience, licence and job-offer evidence.
  • ✓Pay the current Workforce Priority application fee: $1,500 outside the GTA or $2,000 inside the GTA. Self-employed physicians have the same location-based fee structure.
  • ✓If Ontario approves the application, obtain the Confirmation of Nomination / nomination certificate.
  • ✓The nomination certificate is valid for six months, so the federal permanent-residence application must be submitted before the certificate expires.
  • ✓For TEER 0-3 or self-employed physician nominations that qualify for Express Entry, follow the federal Express Entry nomination and PR process. TEER 4-5 candidates use the applicable non-Express Entry federal process.

6. Fees, Express Entry, Work Permits and Permanent Residence

OINP nomination and federal permanent residence are separate stages. The current Ontario Workforce Priority application fee is $1,500 where the job offer or physician practice address is outside the GTA and $2,000 where it is inside the GTA. A qualifying TEER 0-3 Workforce Priority nomination or self-employed physician nomination can be processed through Express Entry where the candidate meets federal Express Entry requirements. Once an eligible provincial nomination is accepted through Express Entry, IRCC awards 600 additional CRS points. A nomination does not itself make the applicant a permanent resident and does not remove federal admissibility or completeness requirements.

Key Framework Highlights:
  • The +600 CRS benefit comes from the federal Express Entry system, not directly from Ontario's EOI score.
  • Only qualifying enhanced nominations linked to Express Entry provide the 600 CRS nomination bonus.
  • The nomination does not guarantee an immediate ITA or federal PR approval.
  • A TEER 4-5 OINP nominee does not become Express Entry eligible simply because Ontario nominated them; the federal program requirements still control.
  • A BOWP, when available, is a federal work-permit mechanism and must be assessed under current IRCC rules.
StageRequirement / Effect
OINP application fee$1,500 outside GTA; $2,000 inside GTA for current Workforce Priority applications, including the self-employed physician location-based fee.
Express EntryAvailable for eligible TEER 0-3 and self-employed physician nominations where federal criteria are met.
CRS nomination bonusAccepted qualifying provincial nomination adds +600 CRS points.
Federal PR applicationStill requires a complete application and federal admissibility assessment.
Nomination certificateValid for six months from the date of nomination.
BOWPAn eligible nominee may be able to obtain a Bridging Open Work Permit after satisfying IRCC's federal BOWP requirements; nomination alone is not enough.

7. Former OINP Streams: What Is Closed and What Existing Applicants Should Know

The former OINP architecture remains important because many online guides still describe it as the current Ontario system. Ontario officially states that the June 2026 redesign removed the existing eight streams and that no further invitations will be issued under the former streams. Those streams included Human Capital Priorities, French-Speaking Skilled Worker, Express Entry Skilled Trades, Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker, Employer Job Offer: International Student, Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills, Masters Graduate and PhD Graduate. The Entrepreneur Stream is also not a current new-applicant pathway. Existing applications submitted before the redesign are assessed under the rules that applied when those applications were submitted.

Key Framework Highlights:
  • The old statement 'Masters graduates do not need a job offer' is historically accurate but not a current new-application route after the 2026 redesign.
  • The old HCP stream is not a current general no-job-offer pathway for new applicants.
  • Historical OINP Tech Draw pages should be treated as historical records rather than current application instructions.
  • Existing applications submitted under the former framework continue to be assessed under the requirements that applied when they were submitted.
  • Applicants should not assume a previous stream will reopen simply because an archived Ontario page remains accessible.
Former Stream2026 StatusHistorical Feature
Human Capital PrioritiesClosed to new applicantsExpress Entry-linked, historically no job offer required, used for human-capital selection and targeted draws.
French-Speaking Skilled WorkerClosed to new applicantsExpress Entry-linked pathway for French-speaking skilled workers.
Skilled TradesClosed to new applicantsExpress Entry-linked skilled-trades pathway.
Employer Job Offer: Foreign WorkerClosed to new applicants under former frameworkJob-offer based base nomination stream.
Employer Job Offer: International StudentClosed to new applicants under former frameworkOntario job offer and graduate-focused requirements.
Employer Job Offer: In-Demand SkillsClosed to new applicants under former frameworkJob-offer pathway for specified in-demand occupations.
Masters GraduateClosed May 30, 2026Historically no job offer required and based on an Ontario master's qualification.
PhD GraduateClosed under redesignHistorically no job offer required and based on an Ontario PhD.
Entrepreneur StreamNot a current new-applicant pathwayFormer business-investment pathway.

Frequently Asked Questions (6 Verified Answers)

Ontario redesigned the OINP in June 2026. The current Workforce Priority Stream has three categories: TEER 0-3, TEER 4-5 and self-employed physicians. The former eight-stream OINP structure was removed, and Ontario says no further invitations will be issued under the former streams.

Ontario received a 2026 federal nomination allocation of 14,119 nominations. This is Ontario's overall provincial nomination allocation for the year and should not be confused with a guaranteed number of invitations available to a particular occupation or applicant.

No. The OINP Masters Graduate Stream was closed on May 30, 2026 as part of the program redesign. The historical stream did not require a job offer, but a new applicant cannot rely on that old pathway after the redesign. The current Workforce Priority Stream uses different eligibility rules and is generally job-offer based except for the separate self-employed physician category.

For the current Ontario Workforce Priority Stream, the application fee is $1,500 when the job offer is outside the Greater Toronto Area and $2,000 when it is inside the GTA. The same location-based fee structure applies to the self-employed physician category based on the Ontario medical-practice address.

The employer generally must have been actively operating for at least three years, have Ontario business premises, meet compliance requirements, and satisfy location-specific revenue and employee rules. The GTA requires at least $1 million in gross annual revenue and 5 qualifying full-time Canadian citizen or permanent-resident employees at the relevant location. Specified higher-revenue locations outside the GTA generally require $500,000 and 3 such employees, while other eligible Ontario locations can fall under a $250,000 revenue threshold with 3 employees. Rural provisions can provide lower revenue requirements under the current rules.

For employer-backed applications, the employer first submits the job offer through the OINP Employer Portal. The candidate must then register an EOI within 30 calendar days of that employer submission. After an invitation, the employer has 14 calendar days to submit its employment-position approval application, and the candidate must submit the nomination application within 17 calendar days of the invitation and after the employer submits its application. An approved nomination certificate is valid for six months.

Official Provincial Government References & Portals

OINP 2026 Key Metrics

2026 Ontario Nomination Allocation
14,119
Current OINP Worker Model
Workforce Priority
Current Application Fee
$1,500 / $2,000
Current Nomination Validity
6 Months

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