Ontario's 2026 OINP redesign: understanding the new Workforce Priority Stream

Eight former OINP streams closed

Regulatory changes took effect June 25, 2026, closing the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker, International Student and In-Demand Skills streams; Masters Graduate and PhD Graduate streams; and the Express Entry Human Capital Priorities, French-Speaking Skilled Worker and Skilled Trades streams to new candidates.

Applications properly submitted before the closure continue to be assessed under the requirements in force when they were submitted. An old EOI that did not result in an invitation is not an application under the new framework; a candidate must qualify and register again under the redesigned system.

The new stream has three principal pathways

• TEER 0–3 occupations: a permanent, full-time Ontario job offer is required. Candidates generally qualify through six consecutive months with the offering employer in the position, two years of eligible occupational experience during the preceding five years, or the applicable licensing route. Language is generally CLB 6, with CLB 5 applying to certain trades.
• Recent Ontario graduates in TEER 0–3: a qualifying graduate may satisfy the job-offer experience requirement with at least three consecutive months in the offered position with the same employer during the preceding 12 months.
• TEER 4–5 occupations: a permanent, full-time Ontario job offer, at least nine months of eligible experience with the job-offer employer during the preceding two years, and at least CLB 4 are generally required.
• Eligible self-employed physicians: a traditional job offer is not required, but Ontario professional-registration and public-health billing requirements apply.

Special provisions apply to recent Ontario graduates

For this purpose, a recent Ontario graduate generally must have obtained an eligible credential within the previous three years. Qualifying credentials include a degree or diploma from a full-time program of at least two years, an Ontario College Graduate Certificate, a master's degree or a PhD from an eligible Ontario institution.

Ontario graduation alone does not guarantee eligibility or nomination. The candidate must still satisfy the applicable job-offer, employer, occupation, work-experience and other program requirements.

The employer is central to the new process

Most Ontario Workforce Priority applications depend on direct employer participation. The employer uses the OINP Employer Portal, registers the job offer and position, and must meet the applicable requirements for business operations, Ontario premises, revenue, employees, wages, hours and employment conditions.

A qualified candidate cannot receive an employer-supported nomination if the employer or employment position does not independently meet OINP requirements. Both sides must also complete their required steps within the prescribed deadlines after an invitation.

No new-stream invitation round had been published by September 10

The last published rounds under the former framework took place April 30, 2026. Ontario issued 786 Foreign Worker invitations for GTA candidates at a score of 57 or above and 277 International Student invitations for GTA candidates at a score of 81 or above.

Those scores belong to closed streams and should not be treated as likely cut-offs for the redesigned program. Although the new EOI portal opened August 4, Ontario's official invitations page did not show a Workforce Priority invitation round as of September 10. This means no new round had been announced; it does not mean the EOI portal is closed.

What candidates and employers should review now

• The correct NOC code and TEER category for the offered position.
• Whether the employer and employment position satisfy all OINP requirements.
• Whether the offer is permanent, full-time and paid at the required wage for its location.
• The applicable work-experience, education, licensing and language requirements.
• The candidate's likely EOI score and whether an Express Entry-linked nomination is available in the circumstances.

An EOI is not a nomination application

Registering an EOI does not guarantee an invitation or provincial nomination. Ontario may select by score and may target occupations, regions or other labour-market priorities.

Because the redesigned program assesses the candidate, employer and employment position together, each part should be reviewed before registration. Incorrect information about employment, wages, work experience, education, status or employer eligibility may lead to refusal.