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Ontario1 min read
Provincial Nominee Program

Ontario's Provincial Nominee Program: the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)

Current
Reviewed
In one sentence. Since a 2026 redesign, Ontario runs one active OINP stream, the Ontario Workforce Priority stream, which nominates skilled workers with a qualifying Ontario job offer (or self-employed physicians without one) either as a base provincial nomination or, for Express Entry-eligible candidates, an Express Entry-aligned nomination worth 600 CRS points.

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is Ontario's Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), the mechanism through which the province nominates foreign workers, international graduates, and entrepreneurs for Canadian permanent residence. For years the OINP ran eight or more streams side by side, each targeting a different candidate profile. In 2026 the province undertook a major redesign: effective June 25, 2026 it closed every one of its previous streams — including the Express Entry-aligned Human Capital Priorities, French-Speaking Skilled Worker, and Skilled Trades streams, plus the Employer Job Offer, Masters Graduate, and PhD Graduate streams — and replaced them with a single new stream. This is Phase 1 of a planned two-phase overhaul; the province has said further streams (covering healthcare, exceptional talent, and entrepreneurship) will follow in Phase 2.

Active Ontario streams

  • Ontario Workforce Priority stream — Ontario's sole active OINP stream, with its Expression of Interest (EOI) portal open since August 4, 2026. It nominates skilled foreign workers across all National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER levels (0 through 5) who hold a qualifying full-time, permanent job offer from a registered Ontario employer, as well as self-employed physicians with OHIP billing authorization who do not need a job offer. The stream can lead to a base provincial nomination outside Express Entry, or, for eligible TEER 0–3 candidates already in the Express Entry pool, an Express Entry-aligned nomination that adds 600 CRS points to their profile.
Provincial and territorial PNP streams open, close, and change their criteria on a regular basis — confirm current requirements directly with the province or territory you are interested in, and verify federal requirements on canada.ca before you apply.

Key takeaways

  • Ontario's PNP is the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).
  • OINP now runs a single active stream — Ontario Workforce Priority — that can lead to a base PR nomination or, for Express Entry-eligible workers, an EE-aligned nomination worth 600 CRS points.
  • In June 2026 Ontario closed all eight of its former streams (Human Capital Priorities, Skilled Trades, Masters/PhD Graduate, and more) as Phase 1 of a two-phase redesign, with more streams planned for Phase 2.
Sources

Last reviewed: Aug 10, 2026

This is a plain-language summary of official IRCC information, not legal or immigration advice. Rules do change, so please confirm anything that affects you on canada.ca.
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