New Ontario PNP Stream Announced – The Ontario Workforce Priority Stream

The changes were announced on June 26, 2026, and represent the first phase of a broader overhaul of Ontario’s provincial nominee program, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). While the new stream has now been established in regulations, Ontario says its Expression of Interest (EOI) system is expected to reopen later this summer.

The redesign aims to make it easier for foreign workers with job offers and work experience in Ontario to immigrate to the province permanently. It also enables Ontario employers to more easily retain proven talent in hard-to-fill roles. The program changes also make it simpler for employers in rural and northern communities.

What Changed with the OINP?

The biggest change is the replacement of eight existing OINP streams with a single Ontario Workforce Priority stream. The new stream includes three distinct pathways:

• TEER 0-3 Pathway: For skilled workers in all TEER 0-3 occupations with a full-time, permanent job offer in Ontario.
• TEER 4-5 Pathway: For workers in all TEER 4 and 5 occupations with a full-time, permanent job offer in Ontario.
• Self-Employed Physicians Pathway: For self-employer physicians who are members in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Ontario.

Each of these streams has more complex eligibility and selection criteria. More details can be found below.

For now, Ontario’s EOI system has closed while the province updates its online platforms. No further invitations will be issued under the former streams, and candidates whose EOIs did not result in an invitation will need to submit a new EOI once the new system opens.

Applicants who have already submitted a complete application for provincial nomination after receiving an invitation under one of the former streams are not affected. Their applications will continue to be assessed under the eligibility requirements that were in place when they applied.

Ontario Officially Closes Eight Immigration Streams

As part of the redesign, Ontario has officially closed the following former OINP immigration streams:

• Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker
• Employer Job Offer: International Student
• Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills
• Master’s Graduate
• PhD Graduate
• Express Entry Human Capital Priorities
• Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker
• Express Entry Skilled Trades

New Ontario Workforce Priority Stream

The new Ontario Workforce Priority stream is designed to become Ontario’s primary employer-driven immigration stream. It contains three separate pathways for TEER 0-3 workers, TEER 4-5 workers, and self-employed physicians.

TEER categories define occupations in different levels based on Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities: aka TEER.

The redesign places much more emphasis on Ontario work experience and Ontario job offers. A job offer from an Ontario employer is a mandatory eligibility criterion for all applicants aside from self-employed physicians.

OINP TEER 0-3 Pathway

The TEER 0-3 pathway is intended for internationally trained workers with a full-time, permanent job offer in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation.

Applicants must meet work experience requirements by demonstrating one of the following:

• six consecutive months working in the job offer position for the employer within the past 12 months;
• for recent Ontario graduates, three consecutive months working in the job offer position within the past 12 months; or
• two years of cumulative work experience in the occupation within the past five years.

Applicants working in regulated occupations who already hold the appropriate Ontario licence are exempt from the work experience requirement.

Applicants must also demonstrate language proficiency equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 6 and have completed a post-secondary diploma or degree.

Some occupations will be eligible with language proficiency equivalent to only CLB 5. More details on this expected soon.

OINP TEER 4-5 Pathway

Workers with job offers in TEER 4 or 5 occupations may also qualify under the Ontario Workforce Priority stream. To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate all the following requirements:

• a full-time, permanent job offer;
• nine months of cumulative work experience with the Ontario employer in the job offer position during the previous two years;
• language proficiency of at least CLB 4;
• a Canadian secondary school diploma or equivalent; and
• a wage that meets the median wage for the occupation.

OINP Self-Employed Physicians Pathway

Ontario has also introduced a dedicated pathway for self-employed physicians. Unlike most applicants under the Ontario Workforce Priority stream, eligible physicians do not need a job offer.

Instead, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• be a member in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario;
• hold an eligible certificate of registration in the independent, academic or provisional class; and
• be eligible to bill the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).

How Will the New OINP Invite Candidates?

Full details about the invitation process for the new Ontario Workforce Priority stream have not yet been released. However, in most PNPs using a similar EOI system, simply meeting the minimum eligibility requirements to submit an EOI does not guarantee you will receive an invitation.

Typically, an EOI system will use a points system (similar to Express Entry’s Comprehensive Ranking System) or other selection criteria to determine who will be invited to apply for provincial nomination. It’s unclear what this process will look like for the new OINP pathways.

As soon as details become available, we will report them.

Existing OINP Applicants & EOIs: What Happens Now?

Candidates who already submitted an application following an invitation under one of the former OINP streams do not need to take any action. Ontario says these applications will continue to be processed under the eligibility requirements that were in effect when they were submitted.

The situation is different for candidates who had only registered an Expression of Interest.

Ontario has closed the EOI system while it updates the program, and all EOIs submitted under the former streams that did not receive an invitation will be automatically withdrawn over the coming weeks.

Once the Ontario Workforce Priority stream opens later this summer, eligible candidates will need to submit a new EOI under the redesigned program.

Employers who were previously registered in the Employer Portal will not need to register again. However, they will need to submit a new job offer and complete a new employment position approval once the portal reopens.

Rural Employers Will Face Lower Revenue Requirements

The redesign also introduces changes intended to improve access for employers outside Ontario’s largest cities. Under the new Ontario Workforce Priority stream, employers located in rural communities will be subject to lower gross annual revenue requirements.

For the purposes of the program, Ontario defines a rural community as one located within a census division with a population of fewer than 150,000 people.

What Should Candidates Do Now?

The Ontario Workforce Priority stream has now been established, but candidates cannot yet submit a new Expression of Interest. Ontario says the EOI system is expected to reopen later this summer, at which point eligible candidates will be able to register under the new stream.

Until then, candidates who were planning to apply through one of the former employer-driven or Express Entry-linked OINP streams will need to wait for the redesigned system to begin accepting new EOIs.

In the meantime, interested candidates should familiarize themselves with the new program requirements to determine which pathways could be an option for them.