2026 Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) Redesign Phase 1: A Guide to the New Ontario Workforce Priority Stream
Effective June 25, 2026, Ontario has introduced the most significant restructuring of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) in recent years.
NEWS
Note: This article provides general information only, and is not legal, tax, or investment advice. Outcomes depend on the specific facts and documentation in each case.
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Through amendments to Ontario Regulation 422/17 under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015, the Province of Ontario has replaced its existing employer-driven nomination streams with a new Ontario Workforce Priority Stream, marking the first phase (Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program Redesign Phase 1) of a broader redesign of Ontario's economic immigration program.
The redesigned framework aims to simplify employer-driven pathways to permanent residence, address labour shortages, improve the caliber of nominees and strengthen program integrity by increasing language and education thresholds, and improve access to OINP for employers in rural and northern Ontario.
Below is a detailed overview of the new program and its eligibility requirements.
What Has Changed?
The previous employer-driven OINP streams have been replaced by three new nomination categories:
Ontario Workforce Priority Stream: Self-Employed Physicians
Ontario Workforce Priority Stream: TEER 0–3 Occupations
Ontario Workforce Priority Stream: TEER 4–5 Occupations
The Province has also announced that a redesigned Expression of Interest (EOI) system will open later in the summer of 2026.
Transition to the New Program
As part of the transition:
the previous Expression of Interest system has closed;
no further invitations will be issued under the former employer-driven streams;
Expressions of Interest that have not resulted in an invitation to apply will be withdrawn automatically during the transition.
Once the new EOI system reopens:
eligible applicants must submit a new Expression of Interest under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream; and
employers must submit a new application for approval of an employment position together with a new job offer, even if they previously registered in the Employer Portal. Existing employer registrations remain valid and do not need to be recreated.
Applications submitted under the previous streams before the regulatory changes will continue to be assessed under the eligibility criteria that applied at the time they were filed.
General Eligibility Requirements
In addition to meeting the requirements of the applicable stream, all applicants must satisfy several general eligibility requirements under the Regulation.
Applicants must:
be a foreign national;
demonstrate a genuine intention to reside in Ontario;
if applying from within Canada, hold valid temporary resident status under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;
attend any in-person interview requested by the OINP;
receive an Invitation to Apply before submitting an application for nomination.
Applicants must also substantiate the qualifications claimed in their Expression of Interest, as those qualifications form the basis on which invitations are issued.
Ontario Workforce Priority Stream: Self-Employed Physicians
Recognizing that many physicians practise as independent contractors rather than employees, Ontario has created a dedicated pathway for self-employed physicians.
Unlike the other Ontario Workforce Priority categories, applicants are not required to obtain a job offer.
Applicants must:
be, or intend to become, self-employed in Ontario;
hold independent, academic, or provisional Certificate of Registration;
be a member in good standing of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario;
be eligible to bill and receive payment for publicly funded insured health services under Ontario's Health Insurance Act (OHIP).
Ontario Workforce Priority Stream: TEER 0–3 Occupations
The TEER 0–3 pathway is designed for foreign nationals who have secured a permanent, full-time job offer in an approved TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation.
While this pathway establishes a common framework, the Regulation contains several occupation-specific exceptions relating to work experience, education and language requirements.
Job Offer Requirements
Applicants must obtain an employment position that:
has been approved by the OINP;
is full-time and permanent (indeterminate);
falls within NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3.
Where Ontario or federal law requires a licence or other authorization to perform the occupation, applicants must already possess the required authorization before nomination.
Work Experience Requirements
Applicants must satisfy one of the following work experience options.
Option 1 – Current Ontario Employment
Applicants may qualify by demonstrating at least 6 consecutive months of paid full-time work experience in the offered full-time and permanent position with the job offer employer, accumulated within the 12 months immediately preceding the application, while lawfully residing and working in Ontario.
Option 2 – Recent Ontario Graduates
Applicants who qualify as recent Ontario graduates may instead demonstrate at least 3 consecutive months of paid full-time work experience in the offered full-time and permanent position with the job offer employer, accumulated within the 12 months immediately preceding the application, while lawfully residing and working in Ontario.
For the purposes of the amended Regulation, a "recent Ontario graduate" is generally a person who obtained an eligible Ontario post-secondary credential (at least two-year full-time diploma or degree, or College Graduate Certificate or Master’s or Ph.D degree) within the previous three years from an eligible publicly funded institution in Ontario.
Option 3 – Previous Occupational Experience
Applicants may alternatively qualify by demonstrating at least 2 years of paid full-time work experience, or the prescribed equivalent in paid part-time work, accumulated within the previous five years in an occupation under the same National Occupation Classification (NOC)
In most cases, the experience must have been obtained in the same NOC occupation as the job offer.
However, the Regulation recognizes several occupational equivalencies, including:
professional engineering occupations transitioning to technical engineering occupations;
pharmacists transitioning to pharmacy technical assistant or pharmacy assistant positions;
registered nurses and registered practical nurses transitioning to nurse aide positions.
The Regulation also recognizes certain forms of concurrent or extended part-time employment as equivalent to full-time experience.
Licensed Occupations
Applicants whose occupation requires a licence or other statutory authorization are exempt from the work experience requirement, provided they already hold the required licence or authorization.
Education Requirements
The required level of education depends on the occupation.
General Rule – Post-Secondary Education
For most TEER 0–3 occupations, applicants must possess:
a Canadian post-secondary diploma or degree requiring at least one year of full-time study; or
an equivalent foreign credential supported by an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) issued within the previous five years by a designated assessment organization.
Exception for Skilled Trades and Certain Occupations
Applicants employed in specified skilled trades and related occupations are subject to a lower educational threshold.
This exception applies to approved job offers in:
Major Group 72 – Technical trades and transportation officers and controllers (excluding Sub-major Group 726);
Major Group 73 – General trades;
Major Group 82 – Supervisors in natural resources, agriculture and related production;
Major Group 83 – Occupations in natural resources and related production;
Major Group 93 – Central control and process operators and aircraft assembly assemblers and inspectors (excluding Sub-major Group 932);
Minor Group 6320 – Cooks, butchers and bakers; and
Unit Group 62200 – Chefs.
Applicants in these occupations need only demonstrate:
a Canadian secondary school diploma (or equivalent); or
a foreign equivalent supported by an Educational Credential Assessment issued within the previous five years.
Special Rule for Nurse Aides
Applicants with approved job offers as NOC 33102 – Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates are exempt from the general post-secondary requirement if they possess an Ontario college certificate, from an eligible Canadian institution, requiring at least one year of full-time study.
Licensed Occupations
Applicants who already hold the licence or authorization legally required to practise the occupation are exempt from the educational requirement.
Language Requirements
The language requirements also vary depending on the occupation.
General Rule
Applicants who are not recent Ontario graduates must demonstrate English or French language proficiency of at least Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 6 in all four language abilities through an approved language test completed within the two years preceding the application.
Skilled Trades and Certain Occupations
Applicants employed in the skilled trades and other occupational groups listed above benefit from a reduced language requirement of CLB 5, provided they are not recent Ontario graduates.
Recent Ontario Graduates
The Regulation requires language testing only for applicants who are not recent Ontario graduates. Accordingly, recent Ontario graduates are exempt from the regulatory language testing requirement under the TEER 0–3 pathway.
Ontario Workforce Priority Stream: TEER 4–5 Occupations
The TEER 4–5 pathway is intended for workers employed in occupations that generally require secondary school education and occupation-specific training.
Applicants must have an approved permanent, full-time job offer in a TEER 4 or TEER 5 occupation.
Work Experience
Applicants must demonstrate at least 9 months of cumulative paid full-time work experience in the offered position with the job offer employer, accumulated during the 2 years immediately preceding the application, while lawfully residing and working in Ontario.
Unlike the TEER 0–3 stream, there is no alternative pathway based on previous occupational experience with another employer.
Education
Applicants must possess:
a Canadian secondary school diploma (or equivalent); or
a foreign equivalent supported by an Educational Credential Assessment issued within the previous five years.
Language
Applicants must demonstrate English or French language proficiency of at least CLB 4 in all four language abilities through an approved language test completed within the previous two years.
Employer Eligibility Requirements
Before an applicant can be nominated under either the TEER 0–3 or TEER 4–5 pathway, the employer must obtain approval of the employment position.
Among other requirements, employers must:
have actively operated the business in Ontario for at least three years;
maintain a place of business in Ontario;
ensure that the employment activities occur primarily in Ontario (subject to limited exceptions for certain transportation occupations);
offer permanent, full-time employment;
demonstrate that the position is urgently necessary to the business;
meet prescribed minimum staffing requirements;
meet applicable revenue thresholds;
offer wages that satisfy the applicable Government of Canada Job Bank wage requirements (subject to limited exceptions for recent Ontario graduates);
have no outstanding orders under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 or the Occupational Health and Safety Act; and
where required by the OINP, demonstrate reasonable but unsuccessful efforts to recruit Canadian citizens or permanent residents before offering the position to the foreign national.
Revised Employer Revenue Thresholds
The amendments introduce a more flexible revenue framework, particularly benefiting employers located outside major urban centres.
Minimum Revenue Requirements by Location of Employment:
Greater Toronto Area: $1,000,000 in the most recently completed fiscal year
Specified Regional Census Divisions (including Ottawa, Waterloo, Hamilton, Niagara, Simcoe, Essex, Thunder Bay and others): $500,000 in the most recently completed fiscal year
All Other Ontario Communities: $250,000 in each of the two most recently completed fiscal years
Conclusion
Ontario's 2026 redesign of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program represents a fundamental shift in the Province's employer-driven immigration system. The new regulatory framework under Ontario Workforce Priority Stream contains detailed eligibility rules that vary depending on the applicant's occupation, education, licensing status and work experience.
In particular, the TEER 0–3 pathway establishes different educational and language requirements for skilled trades, certain technical occupations, cooks, chefs and other designated occupational groups, while maintaining separate exemptions for licensed professions and specific accommodations for recent Ontario graduates. Employers must also satisfy more detailed approval requirements before a nomination application can proceed.
Given the complexity of the new framework, both employers and prospective immigrant applicants should carefully assess their eligibility under the amended Regulation before submitting a new Expression of Interest. Proper assessment and careful planning at the outset can help avoid delays and improve the likelihood of a successful outcome under Ontario's redesigned provincial nominee program.
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