Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
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The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is Ontario’s economic immigration program, allowing the province to nominate eligible foreign nationals for permanent residence based on Ontario’s labour market and economic needs. Ontario assesses applicants for provincial nomination, while Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) makes the final decision on permanent residence.
In 2026, Ontario began a major redesign of the OINP, replacing the previous eight-stream structure with a new system that will ultimately consist of four streams. The Ontario Workforce Priority Stream is the first stream introduced under the redesigned program, with additional streams to follow as Ontario completes the restructuring.
OINP Application Process
OINP Program Overview
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) provides Ontario with a way to select foreign nationals whose skills, experience and qualifications can contribute to the province’s economy and workforce.
Eligibility depends on the specific OINP stream and pathway. Requirements may relate to an Ontario job offer, occupation, work experience, education, language ability, licensing, immigration status and other program criteria.
Some OINP pathways may also connect with the federal Express Entry system. An Ontario nomination does not itself provide permanent resident status. Successful nominees must complete the applicable federal permanent residence process with IRCC.
2026 Program Changes
Ontario began implementing a two-phase redesign of the OINP in 2026. The former eight streams were removed, and the redesigned program is intended to consolidate them into four streams with clearer pathways for applicants and employers and greater flexibility to respond to changing labour market needs.
The first stream introduced under the new structure is the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream. Its Expression of Interest system opened on August 4, 2026.
The Ontario Workforce Priority Stream currently provides pathways for:
- applicants with job offers in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupations
- applicants with job offers in TEER 4 or 5 occupations
- eligible self-employed physicians
These are pathways within the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream, not three separate OINP streams.
Ontario has announced that the redesigned OINP will contain four streams in total. The remaining streams and their complete eligibility requirements have not yet been published. Until further changes are officially announced, the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream is the principal new stream available under the redesigned structure.
Legacy OINP Streams
The 2026 redesign removed the eight streams that previously formed the OINP.
The former Employer Job Offer streams were:
The former graduate streams were:
The former Ontario Express Entry streams were:
These streams are now legacy pathways and are no longer available for new applications. Expressions of Interest and job offers under the previous system that had not resulted in an invitation were affected by the transition to the redesigned program.
Applications that had already been submitted following an invitation under a former stream continue to be assessed according to the eligibility requirements that applied when the application was submitted.
How OINP Works
The application process depends on the OINP stream and pathway. Under pathways that use an Expression of Interest system, eligible candidates register an EOI and provide information used by Ontario to assess and rank potential applicants. Where an Ontario job offer is required, the employer may need to initiate the process through the OINP Employer Portal before the candidate can register an EOI.
Ontario may issue general or targeted invitations to apply based on program criteria and provincial priorities. Receiving an invitation allows the candidate to submit an application for nomination but does not guarantee approval. If Ontario approves the application, the applicant receives a provincial nomination and must then complete the applicable permanent residence process with IRCC.
Under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream, eligible applicants in TEER 0–3 occupations, including qualifying self-employed physicians, may also request nomination through Express Entry if they independently qualify for a federal Express Entry program and meet the applicable requirements.
Expression of Interest
At this time, the new Expression of Interest system is being used for the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream, the first stream launched under the redesigned 2026 OINP.
An Expression of Interest (EOI) is the first step for candidates who want to be considered for an invitation to apply under this stream. Registering an EOI is not an application for provincial nomination and does not guarantee that an invitation will be issued.
For applicants with an Ontario job offer, the employer must first register through the OINP Employer Portal and submit the job offer information. Once the employer submits the job offer, the applicant receives a job offer ID, which is required to register an EOI. The applicant must register the EOI within 30 calendar days of the employer submitting the job offer.
When registering an EOI, applicants provide information about their qualifications and circumstances. Ontario uses this information to assign an EOI score and place the candidate in the selection pool.
EOI scoring may consider factors such as:
- occupation and NOC TEER category
- wage offered
- Ontario work experience
- Canadian earnings history
- immigration status in Canada
- education
- official-language ability
- location of employment in Ontario
Ontario may issue general or targeted invitations to apply based on EOI scores, program criteria and provincial labour market priorities. Meeting the eligibility requirements or achieving a particular score does not guarantee an invitation.
Candidates who receive an invitation must provide documents supporting the information claimed in their EOI and continue to meet the applicable stream requirements.
After an invitation is issued, the employer generally has 14 calendar days to submit the employment position application. The applicant has 17 calendar days from the invitation date to submit the OINP nomination application and pay the applicable fee.
An EOI can remain in the selection pool for up to 12 months, unless it is withdrawn or otherwise removed from the system.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to calculate OINP score?
OINP Expression of Interest scores are calculated using factors such as the applicant’s NOC/TEER category, occupation, wage, location of the job offer, legal status in Canada, Canadian earnings history and language ability, where applicable. The score is used to rank candidates for invitations, but meeting a particular score does not guarantee an invitation.
What is Expression of Interest in Ontario?
An Expression of Interest (EOI) is a profile submitted to the OINP before applying for nomination under a pathway that uses the EOI system. Candidates provide information about their qualifications and circumstances, receive a score and are ranked against other candidates. Ontario may then invite selected candidates to submit a full application for provincial nomination.
When is the next OINP draw?
Ontario does not publish a fixed schedule for upcoming OINP draws. Invitations may be issued through general or targeted rounds based on program criteria and provincial labour market priorities. Applicants should monitor Ontario’s official OINP updates and invitations pages for new rounds.
Is OINP Skilled Trade suspended?
The former Ontario Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream is not temporarily suspended; it was closed as part of the 2026 OINP redesign. Ontario removed the former eight OINP streams, including the Skilled Trades Stream, and introduced the new Ontario Workforce Priority Stream.
