Ontario Workforce Priority: the path to an OINP nomination
Ontario replaced its eight streams with one employer focused stream for every TEER level and physicians. It still holds Canada’s largest provincial allocation.
Ontario Program guide
Is the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program right for you?
A complete guide to eligibility, the Workforce Priority stream, and the path to permanent residence in Ontario.
What is the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program?
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) lets the province nominate workers for Canadian permanent residence. A nomination does not grant status by itself: after being nominated, you apply to IRCC for permanent residence under the Provincial Nominee class. Ontario received 14,119 nomination spaces for 2026, the largest provincial allocation in Canada.
In 2026 Ontario rebuilt the program from the ground up. Amendments to Ontario Regulation 421/17 took effect on May 30, 2026, and on June 25, 2026 the first phase of the redesign, under Ontario Regulation 422/17, revoked the eight existing streams: Employer Job Offer Foreign Worker, International Student and In Demand Skills, Masters Graduate, PhD Graduate, and the Express Entry Human Capital Priorities, French Speaking Skilled Worker and Skilled Trades streams. In their place Ontario created the Workforce Priority stream, with eligibility criteria published on July 20, 2026 and an Expression of Interest portal open since August 4, 2026. Applications submitted before the change continue to be assessed under the criteria in force when they were filed.
Ontario has described these changes as the first of two phases. Details of the second phase had not been published when this page was last reviewed; the official OINP updates page on ontario.ca carries each announcement as it happens.
Who qualifies?
The Workforce Priority stream sets its requirements by the TEER level of your job offer, with a separate route for physicians. These are the four pillars.
01
A job offer or physician status
The stream runs on a full time, permanent job offer from an eligible Ontario employer, in any occupation from TEER 0 to TEER 5. The exception is physicians: doctors with an OHIP billing number and a certificate of registration in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario can register without a job offer.
02
Work experience
For TEER 0 to 3 offers, Ontario generally asks for 6 consecutive months of paid work in the occupation within the previous 12 months, with alternatives for recent Ontario graduates, for candidates with 2 years of cumulative experience in the previous 5, and for licensed occupations. For TEER 4 and 5 offers, the requirement is 9 cumulative months within the previous 2 years.
03
Language proficiency
TEER 0 to 3 candidates need CLB 6 in all four abilities, or CLB 5 for listed skilled trades; a qualifying Ontario credential can replace the test. TEER 4 and 5 candidates need CLB 4. Test results must be less than 2 years old.
04
Education
TEER 0 to 3 offers require a postsecondary credential of at least one year, or a Canadian high school diploma for listed skilled trades; foreign credentials need an educational credential assessment less than 5 years old. TEER 4 and 5 offers require a Canadian high school diploma or its equivalent. The stream has no settlement funds requirement.
Applicants must also be admissible to Canada and pass medical and security checks.
One stream, three routes
The Workforce Priority stream is the only OINP stream open to new candidates. Inside it, your profile follows one of three routes.
TEER 0 to 3 job offer
For managerial, professional, technical and skilled trades occupations. The fuller requirements apply: CLB 6 (or CLB 5 for listed trades), a postsecondary credential, and experience in the occupation of the offer.
TEER 4 and 5 job offer
Ontario is one of the few provinces that nominates workers in lower skilled occupations, such as home support workers, construction helpers, and farm and livestock workers. Requirements are lighter: CLB 4, a high school diploma or equivalent, and 9 months of experience.
Physicians
Doctors eligible to bill OHIP and registered in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario register directly, without a job offer and without the employer steps.
Regional and targeted selection
Ontario can run general or targeted invitation rounds, prioritizing occupations, regions or attributes the province needs; the Regional Economic Development through Immigration initiative (REDI) operates inside the program for designated communities. Current and past rounds are published on the official OINP updates page.
The streams that closed in 2026
The eight streams that existed before June 25, 2026, including the Employer Job Offer categories, Masters and PhD Graduate, and the three Express Entry aligned streams, are closed and no longer accept candidates.
If you filed under one of the former streams before the change, your application is assessed under the rules in force when you applied.
The application process
The Workforce Priority process has four stages, and the employer moves first.
01
The employer files first
Your employer submits the job offer through the OINP Employer Portal and receives a job offer ID. The business must have operated for at least 3 years, have premises in Ontario, meet revenue and workforce requirements for the job’s location, and offer a full time, permanent position at the required wage level.
02
Expression of Interest
With the job offer ID, you register your Expression of Interest within 30 calendar days of the employer’s submission. Ontario scores the profile and places it in the selection pool, where it remains valid for 12 months. Physicians register without the employer step.
03
Invitation and application
Ontario issues invitations in rounds, general or targeted, with no fixed schedule. After an invitation, the clock runs fast: the employer must file its position application within 14 calendar days, and you must submit your nomination application, with the fee set by ontario.ca, within 17 calendar days.
04
Federal permanent residence
With the provincial nomination, you apply to IRCC for permanent residence under the Provincial Nominee class. IRCC publishes its current processing times online.
Why hire an RCIC?
Under Canadian law, only Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs), lawyers, and Québec notaries are authorized to represent applicants before IRCC and provincial immigration authorities. Any other paid representation is unauthorized and puts the application at risk.
A licensed RCIC is accountable to the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), bound by a strict code of professional conduct, and trained in current immigration law. The Workforce Priority process is employer driven and runs on short windows: 30 days to register the EOI and, after an invitation, 14 days for the employer and 17 for the candidate. A licensed consultant verifies employer eligibility, scores the Expression of Interest accurately, and coordinates both filings so neither deadline is missed.
Megrez Immigration Consultants has operated in Vancouver since 1996. Every Ontario immigration file at the firm is structured, reviewed, and submitted under direct RCIC supervision.
Related Services
Ready to start your application?
Book a free consultation with Jose Godoy, RCIC. 30+ years of experience helping skilled workers immigrate to Canada.