New immigration pathway: Ontario revamps nominee program

Ontario employers who are tapping the services of temporary foreign workers must now follow a news process after the provincial government revamped its immigration program.

Ontario has closed all eight streams of its immigrant nominee programs and replaced them with a single new employer-linked framework, in a restructuring that will fundamentally change how organisations recruit, sponsor, and retain internationally trained workers.

What has changed?

Effective June 26, 2026, the Ontario government eliminated all eight streams of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) under amending regulation 204-26 to Ontario Regulation 422/17 under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015. 

In their place, the Ontario Workforce Priority (OWP) stream launches as the first of four streams planned under a two-phase redesign. The remaining three streams are expected later in 2026.

The OWP stream introduces three distinct pathways: skilled workers in TEER 0–3 occupations, semi-skilled workers in TEER 4–5 occupations, and self-employed physicians. All TEER-based pathways require a full-time, permanent job offer from an Ontario employer — a condition that did not uniformly apply under the previous structure. 

The physician pathway is the sole exception, requiring CPSO membership in good standing and eligibility to bill through OHIP.

Summary of OINP Programme Changes

Language, education, and experience thresholds vary by pathway. The TEER 0–3 pathway requires Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 6 and a post-secondary credential, with experience options ranging from six months with the sponsoring employer to two years cumulative in the NOC occupation. The TEER 4–5 pathway sets a lower floor: CLB 4, a secondary school diploma, and nine months of cumulative experience with the job-offer employer. 

Licensed applicants under TEER 0–3 are exempt from experience requirements.

The Ontario government has also lowered gross annual revenue thresholds for rural employers — those in census divisions with a population under 150,000 — extending OINP access to smaller northern operations that were previously ineligible. 

Applicants may additionally qualify for related roles during credential equivalency processes, giving HR teams in regulated sectors more flexibility when placing nominees pending full licensure.

Ontario Workforce Priority Stream: Pathway eligibility requirements

Recently, Canada's immigration ministers agreed to strict new population targets and expanded provincial control over worker selection.

EOI transition and employer obligations

The Expression of Interest (EOI) system closed to new submissions on June 25, 2026. EOIs and job offers registered under the former streams that have not yet resulted in an invitation to apply will be automatically withdrawn over the coming weeks; affected registrants, employers, and representatives will receive direct notification from the Ministry.

Employers previously registered in the employer portal do not need to re-register, but must submit a new job offer and a new application for approval of an employment position to initiate a new EOI under the OWP stream. Applications already submitted following an invitation under a former stream will continue under the eligibility rules in effect at the time of submission and are not affected by the redesign.

"Targeted skilled immigration is key to building our workforce and securing Ontario's economic future," said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. "Our government is focusing on people with jobs and experience who can contribute to our ongoing work to protect Ontario's economy quickly."

Enforcement tightened

The Ontario government has also compressed enforcement timelines: the response window for Notices of Intent to Issue an Administrative Monetary Penalty or Ban order drops from 60 to 30 days. 

Notices of contravention may now be delivered by email, mail, or in person and are deemed delivered without proof of receipt, enabling faster compliance action. 

Administrative orders and bans have risen from zero to more than 200 since 2018; in 2025, the OINP integrity team conducted 485 site inspections and issued 56 bans and 76 administrative penalties.

HR professionals sponsoring OWP nominations should ensure documentation, job offer practices, and site-inspection readiness meet current requirements. In 2025, the programme nominated 10,750 candidates for permanent residence against demand that consistently exceeded available spots — HR teams should build extended lead times into international hiring plans.

"Targeted, skilled immigration is essential for Ontario businesses to find the talent they need to grow,” said Daniel Tisch, president and CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce. “The Ontario Chamber welcomes stronger employer engagement, better support for remote communities, and clearer pathways for skilled newcomers to help build our businesses. We commend the government and urge them to work closely with employers on implementation."

In April, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said it intends to simplify and modernise the framework for high‑skilled immigration and related work and study permissions.