After More Than 6 Months of (Almost) Nothing, Ontario Issues First Larger Round of OINP Invitations for 2025

This low-profile launch comes on the heels of recently proposed program changes that aim to help Ontario manage a challenging immigration year ahead. While we won’t rehash those updates in full here, they include new powers for in-person interviews, flexibility to change the OINP streams with less administration, and plans to return applications that don’t match current labour market needs. 

Details of the June 3, 2025 Ontario PNP Invitations

Ontario issued 3723 invitations to apply on June 3 across the Employer Job Offer program. Here’s where they went, broadly speaking:

• Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream – 811
• Employer Job Offer: International Student stream – 2540
• Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream – 372.

If we dig more deeply, however, we realise that the draws were quite targeted. Here are the details:

Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream

Ontario invited the following cohorts to apply for a nomination for the OINP:

• 391 with a score of 56+ and who are in Northern Ontario.
• 411 candidates with a score of 32+ in a targeted draw for Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI). The REDI pilot offers a pathway to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers with a job offer who want to live and work in a participating community including Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, Sarnia-Lambton, and Thunder Bay.
• 5 candidates with a score of 45+ in a targeted draw for career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education).
• The website also notes a small draw of 4 candidates from January 15, 2025 via a targeted draw for Economic Mobility Pathways Project candidates.

Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream

The following candidates received an invitation via targeted draws in the international student stream:

• 334 graduates with a score of 85+ via a targeted draw for candidates in Eastern Ontario.
• 493 graduates with a score of 54+ via a targeted draw for candidates in Eastern Ontario.
• 363 graduates with a score of 60+ via a targeted draw for candidates in Eastern Ontario.
• 1,350 graduates with a score of 68+ via a targeted draw for candidates in Eastern Ontario.

We’ll keep an eye for further details on these targeted draws.

Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills Stream

• 89 invitations issued to candidates with a score of 32+ in a targeted draw for candidates in Northern Ontario.
• 69 invitations issued to candidates with a score of 32+ in a targeted REDI draw. The REDI pilot offers a pathway to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers with a job offer who want to live and work in a participating community including Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, Sarnia-Lambton, and Thunder Bay.
• 214 invitations were issued to candidates with a score of 32+ in a targeted draw for health occupations.

What about invitations for other OINP streams?

No invitations were issued to those in the Masters and PhD Graduate Streams or the Entrepreneur stream, based on the information Ontario published on June 3, 2025. You can see the OINP release here.

A reduced nomination allocation for 2025 

Ontario is navigating its 2025 OINP cycle under much tighter constraints than in previous years. In late May, the province published an update confirming that the federal government has reduced its nomination allocation by 50% compared to 2024. That means Ontario has significantly fewer permanent residence nomination spaces available this year, even as demand from skilled workers remains high. 

The province acknowledged that applicants should expect longer processing times as a result. Still, Ontario has committed to continuing to review applications and respond within the new program limits, prioritizing candidates who can help fill the province’s most critical labour shortages. 

“Ontario will continue to review applications and respond within the new program constraints, while selecting skilled economic immigrants who can help address the province’s most critical labour shortages,” the statement reads. 

What this means for applicants 

The OINP remains one of Canada’s most popular and competitive provincial programs. With a reduced allocation and large backlog, the lack of early 2025 invitations may reflect Ontario’s efforts to manage existing applications and strategically nominate individuals who best align with its economic goals. 

If you’re waiting for an invitation, or plan to apply soon, it’s important to ensure that your application is complete and accurate. If you’ve already submitted an Expression of Interest, keep an eye on your email and OINP portal for updates.