The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program is one of the most popular Canadian Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), with streams and categories designed to welcome skilled workers and self-employed physicians.

Ontario Immigration: An Overview

To many people, Ontario is the crown jewel in the Canadian landscape. This vast province, situated in east-central Canada, is home to the country’s largest city, Toronto, the national capital, Ottawa, and numerous other cities, towns, and communities that have welcomed newcomers from around the world for many decades.

But how do you move to Ontario? Apart from federal programs, such as those managed under the Express Entry immigration system, Ontario also offer unique pathways to Canada through the province’s PNPs.

What is the OINP Program?

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) allows the province to nominate skilled workers for permanent residence in Canada. It’s designed to meet Ontario’s labour market and economic needs by selecting candidates with the education, experience, and language skills to succeed. In June 2026, Ontario replaced eight PNP streams with one consolidated Ontario Workforce Priority Stream as part of a broader regulatory overhaul. Phase 2 of this overhaul is yet to be completed.

Currently, OINP candidates can apply either under Ontario’s Expression of Interest (EOI) system or the federal Express Entry system, depending on the pathway under which they qualify.

How to Choose the Best OINP Pathway for You?

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program currently has only one stream — the Ontario Workforce Priority stream. This stream includes three distinct pathways designed for different applicant profiles. Each option has its own eligibility criteria.

Choosing the right pathway depends on your personal profile. Here’s how to narrow it down:

Are you a self-employed physician with a valid provincial licence and eligibility to bill through OHIP?

Apply through the Self-Employed Physicians pathway.

Do you have a full-time, permanent job offer in a TEER 0-3 occupation in Ontario?
You may be eligible through the TEER 0-3 (Skilled Worker) pathway. To qualify, you must have already been working for the same employer in Ontario in the same role for at least 12 months (3 months for recent Ontario graduates) and have at least 2 years of cumulative experience in the same NOC in the last 5 years. Applicants in licensed occupations don’t need prior work experience.

Do you have a full-time, permanent job offer in a TEER 4-5 occupation in Ontario?

You may be eligible for the TEER 4-5 pathway. To qualify, you must have at least 9 months of experience in the last 2 years with the same employer in the job offer position.

Are you an entrepreneur planning to invest in Ontario?
While there’s no pathway available for you right now, entrepreneurs are expected to be included in Phase 2 of the OINP restructuring. Stay tuned for updates!

How to check which OINP streams are open?

Once you’ve identified which stream fits your profile, the next step is to check if that stream is currently accepting applications.
Ontario Immigrant Nominee streams open and close throughout the year, sometimes with little notice, and many operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
You can find out which streams are open right now in our Canada PNP Live Tracker.

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program Application Process

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) operates under two main pathways: those managed through Ontario’s Expression of Interest (EOI) system and those aligned with the federal Express Entry system. While both lead to the same goal — obtaining a provincial nomination and applying for permanent residence — the steps, registration process, and where you apply differ significantly.

Understanding the Expression of Interest System (EOI)

The Expression of Interest (EOI) system is how Ontario selects candidates to apply for provincial nomination under several OINP streams. When you register an EOI, you answer a series of questions about your background — including your job offer, education, work experience, and language skills. Based on your answers, you receive a score, and your profile is placed in a selection pool with other candidates applying for the same stream.

Ontario will then conduct draws to invite the highest-scoring candidates in a given category to apply for nomination. Over the last year, OINP draws were based on job offer location, occupations, as well as streams.

Your EOI score is determined by specific scoring factors, which vary depending on the stream. These factors include your occupation (NOC TEER category), education level, field of study, language ability, Canadian work or study experience, and where your job or studies took place in Ontario. Candidates with stronger qualifications — for example, higher wages, advanced education, or experience in high-demand sectors or regions outside Toronto — tend to score higher.

It’s important to remember that scoring factors are not the same as eligibility criteria. Even if your score is high, you must still meet all the specific requirements of the stream you’re applying under and submit documents to prove each factor claimed in your profile.

Although it may be confused with the Express Entry system operated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ( IRCC ), Ontario’s EOI is a different system, operated by the province and tailored to meet Ontario’s labour market and educational priorities.

Main EOI Scoring Factors

We created the following table to help you understand the main areas Ontario evaluates and how points are generally awarded, with some examples. You can also find more detail in our article on the Ontario Workforce Priority stream scoring factors:

To consult the detailed list of points per category, please visit the official page on how Ontario selects the people to invite.

General requirements to apply to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program

Across nearly all OINP streams, the general requirements include:

• If you’re already inside Canada, you must have a valid immigration status in Canada (A valid Work permit, study permit
• Proof of identity and admissibility
• Intention to live in Ontario
• Accurate educational credentials (or an Educational Credential Assessment, where relevant),
• You need to demonstrate an English or French knowledge and language ability. For this, you need to provide language test results, obtained within the last two years from an approved language testing service. For English, the International English Language Testing IELTS (General Training test), CELPIP and PTE Core are accepted and for French tests, the following are accepted: Test d’évaluation de français pour le Canada (TEF) or Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada (TCF Canada)
• Detailed documentation to support every claim in your profile.