Ontario Workforce Priority Stream — a new unified immigration stream for Ontario

The Ontario government has completed the first phase of a major overhaul of the provincial immigration nomination program (OINP). As of June 26, 2026, all 8 previous OINP streams have been closed and replaced with a single stream called the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream.

It combines three separate pathways: one for skilled workers with a job offer in any occupation from TEER categories 0, 1, 2, or 3; one for workers with a job offer in occupations from TEER categories 4 or 5; and a separate track for self-employed physicians who don't have an employer.

Below, we break down in detail the requirements for applicants and employers, the application process, the points-based selection system, and the list of educational institutions whose diplomas the program recognizes.

What is the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream

The Ontario Workforce Priority Stream provides a pathway to permanent residence in Ontario for skilled foreign workers who have a qualifying job offer and work experience in any occupation from the National Occupational Classification (NOC). The stream is also open to self-employed physicians without a job offer.

If an applicant meets the stream's requirements, the process must be initiated by their employer through the employer portal. After that, the applicant registers an Expression of Interest (EOI) form. If they're invited to apply, they must provide documentation to confirm all the information stated in the EOI and meet the requirements listed on this page. The employer also needs to get approval for the position itself through the employer portal.

If the application is approved, the applicant submits documents for permanent residence to the federal Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The final decision on granting permanent residence is made by IRCC.

Who Can Apply with a Job Offer

To receive a nomination, an applicant with a job offer must meet all of the following conditions.

• They must have an employer who is registered in the program and has submitted an application for approval of their position
• They must receive an invitation to apply and submit within the deadline
• They must provide documentation to confirm all the information stated in the EOI form on which the invitation was based
• They must meet the requirements for work experience, licensing (if mandatory for the occupation), language proficiency, education, legal status in Canada, and intention to live and work in Ontario, providing supporting documents according to the program checklist.

The nomination application will only be approved if the employer's application for position approval is also approved.

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Requirements vary depending on the TEER category of the position listed in the job offer. The TEER category is determined by the second digit of the 5-digit NOC code. For example, for NOC 13102 (payroll administrators), the TEER category is 3.

1. EOI Form and Invitation to Apply

The applicant must receive an invitation to apply and submit it by the deadline, and also confirm that they actually possess the qualifications declared and confirmed in the EOI form.

2. Work Experience (or Mandatory License or Other Authorization)

Work experience requirements depend on the TEER category of the position listed in the job offer.

If the job offer is in TEER category 0, 1, 2, or 3, the applicant must have one of the following types of experience:

• at least 6 consecutive months of paid full-time employment (at least 780 hours in 12 months) in the same position within 12 months before applying;
• for recent graduates of Ontario educational institutions, at least 3 consecutive months of paid full-time employment (at least 390 hours in 12 months) in the same position within 12 months before applying;
• at least 2 years of cumulative paid full-time work experience (at least 3,120 hours at 30 hours per week or more) in the same NOC occupation or a related one, within 5 years before applying, or equivalent part-time experience;
• or a valid license or other authorization required by Ontario or Canadian law to work in that position.

The 2 years of cumulative paid full-time experience counts if it was gained in the same NOC occupation as the job offer, or in a related one. For example, experience in occupations from related group 213 (engineering occupations) counts for a position from related group 223 (technical occupations related to engineering), experience in NOC 31120 (pharmacists) counts for position NOC 33103 (pharmacy assistants), and experience in NOC 32101 (licensed practical nurses) or NOC 31301 (registered nurses and psychiatric nurses) counts for position NOC 33102 (nurse aides and patient service associates).

If the position requires a mandatory license, separate proof of work experience isn't needed, except for transport truck drivers (NOC 73300) and bus drivers and other transit operators (NOC 73301): for them, a minimum of 6 months of experience is mandatory even with a license or recent graduate status.

If the job offer is in TEER category 4 or 5, the applicant must have at least 9 months of cumulative paid full-time work experience (at least 1,170 hours in 12 months) in the offered position, gained within 2 years before applying.

Only experience fully accumulated by the time of application is counted. However, the applicant must meet all stream criteria at the EOI registration stage and should not apply if they don't meet all conditions. Cumulative experience means that the total hours worked during the required period must reach the minimum, while gaps in employment during this period are allowed. Vacation time, regular sick leave, and other standard types of paid short-term absence provided by collective agreements, labor law, or employer policy are usually not considered a break in full-time employment. Extended leaves, on the other hand, are considered a break and are not included in the work experience calculation.

3. Valid License or Other Authorization (if Required by the Occupation)

If the offered position requires a mandatory license or other authorization under Ontario or Canadian law, the applicant must have a valid document from the appropriate regulatory body both at the time of application and throughout the nomination period. Information about licenses and authorizations can be found on the Ontario's jobs and employment website, Skilled Trades Ontario, as well as on pages about federally regulated industries.

4. Language Proficiency

The language requirement depends on the TEER category of the position. If applicable, the applicant must take a recognized English or French language test and achieve the minimum level on the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) scale in all four language skills before applying. The test date must be no more than 2 years before application.

For positions in TEER category 0, 1, 2, or 3, applicants must have CLB level 6 or higher in all four language abilities if the occupation is not on the list of skilled trades, or CLB level 5 or higher if the occupation is on this list. A language test is not required if the applicant has obtained a diploma or bachelor's degree from a recognized Ontario educational institution within the last 3 years, with at least 2 years of full-time study, an Ontario College Graduate Certificate, or a master's or doctoral degree.

The list of skilled trades includes technical occupations in transportation and controllers (except minor group 726), general trades, supervisors in natural resources and agriculture, occupations in natural resources and related production, central control and process operators and aircraft assemblers (except minor group 932), as well as cooks, butchers, bakers, and chefs.

For positions in TEER category 4 or 5, CLB level 4 or higher is required in all four language abilities.

5. Education

For positions in TEER category 0, 1, 2, or 3, applicants need a college or university diploma or degree with at least one year of full-time study from a recognized Canadian educational institution or its foreign equivalent, if the occupation is not a skilled trade. For occupations on the skilled trades list, a Canadian high school diploma or its foreign equivalent is sufficient.

For position NOC 33102 (patient care assistants), an Ontario college certificate with at least one year of full-time study is required. If the position (except NOC 73300 and NOC 73301) requires mandatory licensing, proof of that license is sufficient.

For positions in TEER category 4 or 5, a Canadian high school diploma or its foreign equivalent is sufficient.

If the applicant received their education outside Canada, they will need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report no older than 5 years from the application date, confirming the Canadian equivalency of the diploma.

6. Legal Status in Canada (if applicable)

If the applicant is applying from within Canada, they must have legal status at the time of application: a visitor visa, study permit, or work permit. Applicants in Canada without valid legal status may not be nominated.

Maintained status is considered separately: if the applicant submitted an application to IRCC to extend their status before the document expired and a decision has not yet been made, they can apply to OINP while remaining in Canada and continuing to work or study under the previous conditions until receiving a response from IRCC.

7. Intent to Live and Work in Ontario

The applicant must intend to live and work in Ontario after obtaining permanent residence. This is determined by ties to the province: current or past work in Ontario, job offers or interviews received, education, volunteer work, renting or owning property, visits to the province, as well as professional connections, family and personal relationships.

Employer Requirements

For an applicant to apply through the stream with a job offer, their employer must meet all the requirements below. The nomination application will only be approved together with the approval of the employer's application for position approval. These requirements do not apply to self-employed physicians.

The employer must have been actively operating for at least 3 years before the application, have business premises in Ontario where the applicant will work, have no outstanding orders under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 or Occupational Health and Safety Act, meet annual revenue requirements depending on the position's location, have the minimum number of full-time employees who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents, also depending on the position's location, and, if the applicant is residing outside Canada or working outside Ontario at the time of application, demonstrate sufficient recruitment efforts for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident before the offer was made to the foreign worker.

Applications where the employer is listed as Ontario Public Service (OPS) or its division are not accepted, as OPS does not currently participate in the program as an employer. Other public employers not staffed by OPS are considered separate legal entities and may participate in the program if they meet all employer requirements.

Job Offer Requirements

The job offer from the employer must be for full-time, permanent employment in Ontario, be urgently needed for business operations, not be affected by a labor dispute, and provide wages at or above the required level for that location.

If the applicant is already working for this employer in the specified position, they must remain in it until the nomination and throughout the entire period after nomination until the permanent residence application is approved or rejected. If the applicant is not yet working for this employer, the job offer takes effect from the moment they receive a work permit and begin working in the approved position. The employer must comply with the job offer conditions and pay the applicant the approved salary from the moment of nomination. Any changes to employment conditions, including job duties, salary, work hours, or term, must be immediately reported to OINP.

Points System for EOI Registration

After registering the EOI form, applicants are awarded points based on several factors. When invited to apply, each factor for which points were awarded must be documented. EOI points and stream requirements are different things: you must meet all stream requirements regardless of points earned.

You can calculate your points for the Ontario program for free using our points calculator.

Educational Institutions Whose Diplomas the Program Recognizes

Recognition of an educational institution's diploma is important both for meeting the educational requirement and for exemption from the language test as a recent graduate. The list includes institutions from Ontario and other Canadian provinces and territories.

Here is a list of selected institutions:

• Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology
• Cambrian College of Applied Arts and Technology
• Centennial College
• Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
• Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology
• Fanshawe College of Applied Arts and Technology
• Georgian College
• Seneca Polytechnic
• Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology
• Laurentian University
• Northern Lights College
• Camosun College

We are official representatives of most of these institutions and can help with admissions and student visa applications.

What Happens After Nomination

If approved, the applicant receives an approval email, a nomination certificate, and, if applicable, a support letter for obtaining a work permit. After that, they have 6 months to apply for permanent residence with IRCC.

If the application was submitted for an occupation in TEER category 0, 1, 2, or 3 (this applies to both job offer applicants and self-employed physicians) and the application indicated willingness to be nominated through the federal Express Entry system, the applicant must maintain an active Express Entry profile that meets the minimum criteria of one of the federal streams throughout the entire processing period. Any decision to opt out or changes to the Express Entry profile number must be reported in writing to OINP before nomination.

If this option is chosen and the application is approved, the nomination details will be entered into the Express Entry system, and notification will come through the IRCC online account. If the Express Entry profile expires or is lost after nomination, the entire OINP process will need to start over, including submitting a new EOI and waiting for an invitation.

You have 30 calendar days to accept or decline the nomination in the Express Entry system. If accepted, the applicant receives an additional 600 points from the provincial nomination, which virtually guarantees an invitation to apply for permanent residence in the next IRCC draw. After that, they have 60 calendar days to submit the actual application to IRCC.

Nomination Conditions and Follow-up Verification

A nomination from OINP comes with certain conditions and restrictions that apply throughout the entire period until permanent residence is approved or refused. These conditions are listed in the nomination approval letter, and the nomination can be revoked if any condition is not met.

If the nomination is based on an approved job position, that specific position and employer approval form the basis of the nomination. OINP cannot change an already approved position after nomination. If the employment relationship with that employer ends after nomination (whether initiated by the employer or the applicant) and the approval is cancelled, a new EOI will need to be submitted to continue the process through this stream.

OINP regularly conducts checks on already nominated applicants to ensure compliance with nomination conditions. These checks are conducted by the Post-Nomination Verification Unit at oinp.verification@ontario.ca. If the applicant or their employer no longer meets the approval conditions, OINP has the right to cancel the approval, including the nomination itself.

Help with Preparing Documents for Ontario Immigration Program

Book a consultation with an immigration consultant to assess your chances under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream. Our team is physically located in Ontario and can help prepare your immigration application.