Key Highlights
- Ontario closed eight nominee streams on 25 June 2026 and replaced them with the Ontario Workforce Priority stream.
- Expressions of interest and job offers that had not produced an invitation were automatically withdrawn.
- Language benchmarks are CLB 6 for TEER 0 to 3, CLB 5 for the skilled trades, and CLB 4 for TEER 4 and 5.
- Invitations are decided on a score, and region of employment alone is worth up to fifteen points.
- Deadlines run in calendar days, not business days, and they run over holidays.
The Ontario Workforce Priority stream launched on 20 July 2026, replacing eight Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program streams that closed on 25 June 2026.
Ontario closed eight of its immigrant nominee streams on 25 June 2026 and launched the replacement, the Ontario Workforce Priority stream, on 20 July 2026. If you were holding an expression of interest, or an employer had a job offer sitting in the portal, it was withdrawn. This is what the Ontario Workforce Priority stream requires, how the scoring works, and where the phase two announcement is likely to land.
What closed on 25 June 2026
The following streams were eliminated:
- Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker
- Employer Job Offer: In Demand Skills
- Employer Job Offer: International Student
- Masters Graduate
- PhD Graduate
- Express Entry Human Capital Priorities
- Express Entry French Speaking Skilled Worker
- Express Entry Skilled Trades
Applications already submitted before the closure continue to be assessed against the requirements that were in force on the day they were submitted. Expressions of interest and job offers that had not yet produced an invitation to apply were withdrawn automatically. That is the part that caught people out, because a registration sitting in the portal felt like a place in line and was not one.
The Ontario Workforce Priority stream
One stream now carries the work of eight, through three pathways: skilled occupations in TEER 0 to 3 with a job offer, other occupations in TEER 4 and 5 with a job offer, and self employed physicians who do not need a job offer at all.
Language
- TEER 0 to 3, outside the skilled trades: CLB 6 or higher in all four abilities.
- TEER 0 to 3, skilled trades: CLB 5 or higher in all four abilities.
- TEER 4 and 5: CLB 4 or higher in all four abilities.
- Recent Ontario graduates are exempt from submitting a language test.
Education
- TEER 0 to 3: a postsecondary credential requiring at least one year of full time study, or a Canadian secondary school diploma for the skilled trades, or the mandatory licence for the occupation.
- TEER 4 and 5: a Canadian secondary school diploma or the equivalent.
- An educational credential assessment is required for education completed outside Canada and must be less than five years old on the date the application is made.
Work experience
- TEER 0 to 3: six months of consecutive full time paid experience in the offered position within the previous twelve months, or two years cumulative full time experience in the same occupation within five years, or three months for recent Ontario graduates, or the mandatory licence.
- TEER 4 and 5: nine months cumulative full time paid experience in the offered position within the previous two years.
How the scoring works
The stream is competitive rather than first come first served. Meeting the requirements gets you into the pool. The score decides whether you are invited.
| Factor | Points available |
|---|---|
| NOC TEER category | Up to 9 |
| Occupational category | 2 to 10 |
| Hourly wage | Up to 15 |
| Ontario work experience | Up to 18 |
| Canadian earnings history | Up to 8 |
| Legal status in Canada | Up to 10 |
| Highest credential | Up to 10 |
| Multiple Canadian credentials | Up to 10 |
| Official language ability | Up to 15 |
| Both official languages | Up to 10 |
| Region of employment | Up to 15 |
The wage bands are worth understanding because they are the single easiest factor to influence at the offer stage. Forty dollars an hour or higher earns fifteen points. Thirty five to just under forty earns twelve. Thirty to just under thirty five earns ten. Twenty five to just under thirty earns eight. Twenty to just under twenty five earns five.
Regionalisation is the factor most candidates overlook. Northern Ontario is worth fifteen points. Eastern, Central and Southwestern Ontario are worth ten each. Inside the Greater Toronto Area but outside the City of Toronto is worth five. Toronto itself is worth nothing. A candidate in Kitchener or Waterloo is scoring ten points on that factor where the same candidate in Toronto scores zero, and in a competitive pool ten points is not a rounding error.
The timelines are short
Once an employer submits a job offer in the portal, the applicant has thirty calendar days to register an expression of interest. After an invitation, the employer has fourteen calendar days to submit the employment position approval application and the applicant has seventeen calendar days to submit theirs. A nomination must be followed by a permanent residence application to IRCC within six months.
These are the deadlines that lose files. They are calendar days, not business days, and they run over holidays.
What phase two is likely to bring
Ontario has described the June changes as phase one and confirmed a second phase without publishing a date or the content. Reading the direction of phase one, which raised language and education benchmarks and pulled everything into one employer driven stream, the reasonable expectation is that phase two deals with the pieces phase one did not touch, including the entrepreneur route and the regional and francophone priorities. We are not going to guess further than that in writing, because clients make decisions on what we publish.
What we would say is that anyone whose plan depended on a closed stream should not wait for phase two to decide what to do. The Express Entry federal route, an employer supported application under the new stream, or a different province are all live options today.
Five things we would check before you register
- That the NOC on the job offer matches the duties actually performed, because the TEER category drives both eligibility and points.
- That the educational credential assessment is less than five years old on the date of application, not on the date it was ordered.
- That the wage on the offer is set deliberately, with an understanding of which band it falls into.
- That the applicant’s status in Canada is maintained throughout, since legal status carries up to ten points and a lapse is difficult to repair.
- That the employer understands the fourteen day window, because an invitation lost to an employer who was on holiday cannot be recovered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which OINP streams closed in June 2026?
Eight streams closed on 25 June 2026: the three Employer Job Offer streams, Masters Graduate, PhD Graduate, and the three Express Entry aligned streams. They were replaced by the Ontario Workforce Priority stream.
What happened to my expression of interest?
Expressions of interest and job offers that had not resulted in an invitation to apply were automatically withdrawn. Applications already submitted continue to be assessed under the rules in force when they were submitted.
What language level do I need for the Ontario Workforce Priority stream?
CLB 6 in all four abilities for TEER 0 to 3 outside the skilled trades, CLB 5 for the skilled trades, and CLB 4 for TEER 4 and 5. Recent Ontario graduates are exempt from testing.
Is there a minimum wage requirement?
There is no published minimum wage threshold for eligibility. Wage is a scoring factor worth up to fifteen points, so it affects whether you are invited rather than whether you qualify.
Does living outside Toronto help?
Yes. Region of employment is worth up to fifteen points. Northern Ontario scores fifteen, Eastern, Central and Southwestern Ontario score ten, the Greater Toronto Area outside Toronto scores five, and Toronto scores zero.
When is OINP phase two?
Ontario has confirmed a second phase of the redesign but has not published a date or the details. Anyone whose plan relied on a closed stream should be considering alternatives now rather than waiting.
Sources
Related reading
OINP Changes in 2026: Phase 1 and how we got here — the background on the earlier OINP changes leading up to this redesign.
The Ontario rules changed under people mid application
One stream now carries the work of eight, the benchmarks are higher, and the deadlines run in calendar days. If you hold a job offer or you were relying on a stream that closed, get the position reassessed before you register.
