Ontario PNP (OINP) in 2026

The Ontario PNP, called the OINP, is how Ontario nominates people for permanent residence. On June 25, 2026, Ontario closed its eight former streams. The Ontario Workforce Priority stream, for people with an Ontario job offer in any TEER category, is now the only one open. Its portal opened August 4, 2026. IRCC makes the final decision.

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Last verified: November 2026

June 25, 2026
The eight former OINP nomination streams closed
August 4, 2026
The Ontario Workforce Priority stream’s expression of interest portal opened
600
CRS points a nomination through an Express Entry-aligned stream adds

OINP Ontario Workforce Priority stream: Open. The stream has launched and the expression of interest portal opened on August 4, 2026. It covers skilled workers with a qualifying job offer in any NOC occupation, plus self-employed physicians.

What changed in the OINP in 2026?

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is Ontario’s part of Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program. It operates under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015 and its regulations.

Amendments to Ontario Regulation 422/17 came into force on June 25, 2026. They removed the eight existing nomination streams and introduced the Ontario Workforce Priority stream in their place. An earlier set of amendments to Ontario Regulation 421/17 took effect on May 30, 2026, but those only prepared the ground for the redesign.

Ontario opened the expression of interest portal for the new stream on August 4, 2026. The OINP website now says that stream has launched and all other streams are closed. Ontario has described this as the first of a two-phase redesign, but it has not published confirmed details of a second phase.

Who can apply to the Ontario Workforce Priority stream?

The open stream needs an Ontario job offer. Its pathways are:

A TEER 0 to 3 pathway, for people with a full-time permanent job offer in Ontario.
A TEER 4 to 5 pathway, for people with a full-time permanent job offer in Ontario.
A pathway for self-employed physicians registered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and eligible to bill OHIP.

Applicants with a TEER 0 to 3 job offer, and self-employed physicians, can ask to be nominated through Express Entry. Other nominees apply to IRCC outside Express Entry.

The redesigned program leans on employer-driven selection through the Expression of Interest system. Ontario sets the detailed criteria, the current intake method and the deadlines on its own site.

Who decides, and what does a nomination add?

Ontario nominates candidates, but Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) makes the final permanent residence decision. IRCC conducts the admissibility, medical and security checks. A provincial nomination does not by itself grant permanent residence: it is a recommendation that you then use in a federal application.

Express Entry is the federal system that manages applications under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class. Candidates in the pool are ranked by the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), and IRCC invites the highest-scoring candidates to apply.

A nomination through an Express Entry-aligned provincial stream adds 600 points, the single largest CRS boost available. In 2026, Express Entry rounds for nominated candidates cut off between 697 and 805, through the round of October 26, 2026. The 600-point boost is a feature of how Express Entry treats provincial nominations in general, not a special Ontario rule.

The rule

Ontario nominates, IRCC decides, and an Express Entry-aligned nomination adds 600 CRS points.

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What happened to the former streams?

The eight former OINP streams, closed June 25, 2026
Family	Streams
Express Entry streams	Human Capital Priorities, French-Speaking Skilled Worker and Skilled Trades.
Employer Job Offer streams	Foreign Worker, International Student and In-Demand Skills.
Graduate streams	Masters Graduate and PhD Graduate.

Under the former Express Entry streams, Ontario searched the federal Express Entry pool and issued a Notification of Interest (NOI) to candidates who met its criteria for a given draw. An NOI was an invitation to apply to the OINP, not the nomination itself. The Employer Job Offer and graduate streams often used an Expression of Interest (EOI) registration, where the highest-ranked candidates were invited to apply.

Ontario has said what happens to files from the former streams:

Applications already submitted after an invitation continue to be assessed against the eligibility requirements in effect when they were submitted.
Expressions of interest and job offers that had not resulted in an invitation are being automatically withdrawn.
Affected registrants, employers and representatives are being notified directly.

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What do people ask?

What is the difference between the PNP and the OINP?

The OINP is Ontario’s part of the PNP. The Provincial Nominee Program is the federal framework that lets each province nominate people for permanent residence, and the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program is how Ontario uses it. So “Ontario PNP” and “OINP” mean the same program. Ontario nominates, and IRCC makes the final permanent residence decision. Our Provincial Nominee Program guide compares the provinces.

Is the OINP open in 2026?

Yes, but only through one stream. The eight former OINP streams closed when amendments to Ontario Regulation 422/17 came into force on June 25, 2026. The Ontario Workforce Priority stream launched in their place, and its expression of interest portal opened on August 4, 2026. Ontario’s website says all other streams are closed. Our PNP Draws page tracks the current state.

What are the Ontario PNP requirements in 2026?

The open stream needs an Ontario job offer. The Ontario Workforce Priority stream has a TEER 0 to 3 pathway and a TEER 4 to 5 pathway for people with a full-time permanent job offer in Ontario, plus a pathway for self-employed physicians registered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and eligible to bill OHIP. Ontario sets the detailed criteria on its own site. The NOC Code Finder shows a job’s TEER category.

What were the Ontario PNP streams?

Before the 2026 redesign, the OINP ran eight nomination streams: three Express Entry streams (Human Capital Priorities, French-Speaking Skilled Worker and Skilled Trades), three Employer Job Offer streams (Foreign Worker, International Student and In-Demand Skills), and the Masters Graduate and PhD Graduate streams. The eight nomination streams closed on June 25, 2026. Our Express Entry vs PNP guide explains how the two systems fit.

When was the latest Ontario PNP draw in 2026?

Ontario’s latest round on record was held on April 30, 2026, under the former Employer Job Offer streams, in our check of Ontario’s pages on November 11, 2026. The former streams closed on June 25, 2026, so no more rounds will be held under them. The new Ontario Workforce Priority stream opened its expression of interest portal on August 4, 2026. Our PNP Draws page lists each Ontario round with its invitations.

How many CRS points does an OINP nomination add?

A nomination through an Express Entry-aligned provincial stream adds 600 points to your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. In 2026, Express Entry rounds for nominated candidates cut off between 697 and 805, through the round of October 26, 2026. In the Ontario Workforce Priority stream, applicants with a TEER 0 to 3 job offer, and self-employed physicians, can ask to be nominated through Express Entry; other nominees apply to IRCC outside Express Entry. Our CRS Calculator shows your score with and without a nomination.

What happens to my EOI or application from a former stream?

It depends on how far it got. Applications submitted after an invitation under a former stream are still assessed against the requirements in effect when they were submitted. Expressions of interest and registered job offers that had not led to an invitation are being automatically withdrawn, and Ontario says it notifies affected registrants, employers and representatives directly. Follow the OINP program updates page; our PNP Draws page shows the last former-stream rounds.

Does an OINP nomination mean permanent residence?

No. A provincial nomination is a recommendation that you use in a federal application. IRCC makes the final permanent residence decision and carries out the admissibility, medical and security checks, and an officer can refuse an application even with a nomination. The nomination can add 600 CRS points only when it comes through an Express Entry-aligned stream. Our Provincial Nominee Program guide explains the federal stage.

Part of:Immigrating permanently

Official sources

This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.