New Ontario Workforce Priority Stream 2026: Eligibility & How to Apply

The eligibility requirements for Ontario’s new Workforce Priority Stream for 2026 have now been officially released. This follows the closure of the eight existing Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) streams in June 2026.

The Ontario government has officially published the eligibility criteria for the new Ontario Workforce Priority Stream.

The eligibility requirements for all three categories — Skilled Workers, Essential Workers, and Self-Employed Physicians — are now available through the provincial government.

These revised requirements are part of amendments made to Ontario Regulation 422/17 under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015. The changes came into effect on June 25, 2026.

Ontario has also confirmed that its new Expression of Interest (EOI) system is expected to launch sometime during the summer of 2026. However, an exact launch date has not yet been announced.

What Changes In OINP In 2026

Ontario has abolished all eight of its previous OINP pathways and replaced them with a single new pathway known as the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream, administered by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

This represents one of the most significant restructurings in the history of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program.

The eight former OINP streams that have been closed are:

#	Former OINP Stream	Status
1	Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker	Closed
2	Employer Job Offer: International Student	Closed
3	Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills	Closed
4	Express Entry: Human Capital Priorities	Closed
5	Express Entry: Skilled Trades	Closed
6	Express Entry: French-Speaking Skilled Worker	Closed
7	Masters Graduate	Closed
8	PhD Graduate	Closed

No new invitations will be issued through any of these former pathways.

Applications submitted through the previous pathways on or before June 26, 2026, will continue to be assessed according to the regulations that were applicable when those applications were submitted.

Any Expressions of Interest submitted under the previous pathways that did not receive an invitation to apply will automatically expire in the coming weeks.

The new system replaces these pathways with one unified stream containing three different pathways.

New Ontario Workforce Priority Stream 3 Pathways

The Ontario Workforce Priority Stream covers workers in NOC TEER 0 through 5, along with a dedicated pathway for self-employed physicians.

TEER stands for Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities. It is the classification system used by the Government of Canada under the National Occupational Classification system.

Your TEER category determines which pathway you may qualify under. Each pathway has its own requirements for language proficiency, education, work experience and other eligibility factors.

The following table provides an overview of the key requirements for all three pathways.

Ontario Workforce Priority Stream: Pathway Comparison

Requirement	TEER 0–3 Pathway	TEER 4–5 Pathway	Self-Employed Physicians
Job Offer	Full-time, permanent	Full-time, permanent	Not required
Language (CLB)	CLB 6 (CLB 5 for certain occupations)	CLB 4	Not specified
Education	Post-secondary degree or diploma (ECA if foreign)	Canadian secondary school diploma or equivalent	CPSO registration required
Work Experience	Option A: 6 months consecutive in the last 12 months with the same employer; Option B: 2 years cumulative in the last 5 years in the same NOC; Option C: 3 months for recent Ontario graduates	9 months cumulative in the last 2 years with the job-offer employer	N/A
Licensing Exemption	Yes — licensed professionals may be exempt from work experience	No — 9 months with the job-offer employer required	Must hold CPSO registration
Eligible Occupations	All NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3	All NOC TEER 4 and 5	Physicians with CPSO registration and OHIP billing eligibility

TEER 0–3 Pathway For Skilled Workers Eligibility

The TEER 0–3 pathway is intended for skilled workers who have a full-time, permanent job offer in Ontario in a higher-skilled occupation.

TEER 0 through 3 generally covers the following types of occupations:

TEER Level	Occupation Type	Examples
TEER 0	Management occupations	Financial managers, restaurant managers, construction managers
TEER 1	Professional occupations, usually requiring a university degree	Software engineers, accountants, registered nurses, lawyers
TEER 2	Technical and skilled occupations, usually requiring a college diploma or apprenticeship	Computer network technicians, paralegals, electrical technicians
TEER 3	Intermediate occupations, usually requiring a combination of on-the-job training and secondary education	Administrative assistants, dental assistants, cooks, bakers

Language Requirement

Applicants who are not Ontario graduates must demonstrate English or French language proficiency at CLB 6 or higher in all four language abilities:

• Reading
• Writing
• Listening
• Speaking

The language test must have been completed no more than two years before the application is submitted.

The accepted language tests are:

• IELTS General Training
• CELPIP General
• TEF Canada
• TCF Canada

For certain occupations, the minimum language requirement is reduced to CLB 5.

These occupations include:

Category	Occupations Eligible For CLB 5
Transport	Truck drivers, transit operators
Skilled Trades	Trades workers covered under TEER 3
Food Industry	Cooks, butchers, bakers, chefs
Natural Resources	Natural resource occupations, including forestry and mining support
Manufacturing	Production occupations
Health Care	NOC 33102 — nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates

Applicants working in these occupational categories also have lower education requirements. Instead of a post-secondary credential, they may qualify with a Canadian secondary school diploma or an equivalent foreign credential along with an ECA.

Ontario graduates are fully exempt from the TEER 0–3 language requirement.

Education Requirement

The minimum education requirement varies depending on the applicant’s occupation.

Applicant Type	Minimum Education
Most TEER 0–3 applicants	Post-secondary degree or diploma from a recognized institution
CLB 5 occupations, including trades, transport, food, healthcare, natural resources and production	Canadian secondary school diploma or equivalent foreign credential with ECA
Applicants with foreign credentials	Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from a designated organization such as WES, completed within the previous 5 years

Work Experience Requirement

Applicants can meet the work experience requirement through one of three available options.

Option	Requirement	Who It Fits
Option A	6 consecutive months of full-time paid employment during the last 12 months in the job-offer position with the job-offer employer	Workers currently employed by their sponsoring employer
Option B	2 years of cumulative paid full-time employment during the last 5 years in the same NOC occupation as the job offer	Workers with experience in the same occupation across multiple employers
Option C	3 consecutive months during the last 12 months in the job-offer position	Recent Ontario graduates already working for their sponsoring employer

Applicants who hold a valid licence to practise in a regulated profession in Ontario may qualify for an exemption from the work experience requirement.

This licensing exemption applies only to the TEER 0–3 pathway. It does not apply to TEER 4–5 occupations.

Alternate NOC Work Experience

The regulations allow alternative work experience only for specific occupational combinations identified under the rules.

Examples include:

Higher-Level Occupation (Experience Held)	Lower-Level Occupation (Job Offer)
Certain engineering professionals	Engineering technical occupations
Pharmacists	Pharmacy assistant roles
Registered or licensed practical nurses	Nurse aide roles

Not every related occupation can be used to meet this requirement.

Applicants should therefore confirm whether their specific NOC combination is included under the applicable rules.

TEER 4–5 Pathway For Essential Workers Eligibility

The TEER 4–5 pathway is designed for essential and intermediate workers who have a full-time, permanent job offer in Ontario.

The pathway covers a wide range of occupations, including:

• Healthcare support occupations
• Transportation occupations
• Food service occupations
• Agricultural occupations
• Manufacturing occupations
• Other TEER 4 and TEER 5 occupations

This represents a broader category than the previous In-Demand Skills stream, which was limited to a specific list of occupations.

Under the new TEER 4–5 pathway, all TEER 4 and TEER 5 occupations are eligible, including:

TEER Level	Occupation Type	Examples
TEER 4	Intermediate occupations, generally requiring secondary school education or occupation-specific training	Home support workers, transport truck helpers, retail salespersons, food counter attendants
TEER 5	Labouring and elemental occupations, generally requiring on-the-job training	Construction trades helpers, fruit and vegetable harvesters, industrial cleaners, material handlers

Language Requirement

Applicants under the TEER 4–5 pathway must demonstrate English or French proficiency at CLB 4 or higher in all four language abilities.

This is different from the former In-Demand Skills stream, under which certain TEER 4 and 5 occupations did not have a mandatory language benchmark.

The language test must have been completed within two years before submitting the application.

The accepted tests are the same as those accepted for TEER 0–3:

• IELTS General Training
• CELPIP General
• TEF Canada
• TCF Canada

Education Requirement

The minimum education requirement is a Canadian high school diploma or equivalent, together with an Educational Credential Assessment where applicable.

This requirement is less demanding than the TEER 0–3 pathway, which generally requires a post-secondary degree or diploma.

Work Experience Requirement

Applicants must demonstrate 9 months of cumulative work experience during the previous 2 years in the job-offer position with the employer providing the job offer.

The major differences between the TEER 0–3 and TEER 4–5 pathways are shown below:

Requirement	TEER 0–3	TEER 4–5
Work experience duration	6 months (Option A), 2 years (Option B), or 3 months (Option C)	9 months cumulative only
Must be with the job-offer employer?	Only for Options A and C	Yes, always
Multiple employer experience accepted?	Yes, under Option B in the same NOC	No
Reduced requirement for recent graduates?	Yes — 3 months	No
Licensing exemption from work experience?	Yes	No

The required experience must be obtained from the employer offering the job. Experience with another employer in the same occupation does not satisfy this particular requirement.

There is no licensing exemption under TEER 4–5, and graduates do not receive a reduced work experience requirement under this pathway.

Self-Employed Physicians Pathway Eligibility

The Self-Employed Physicians pathway is unique among the revamped OINP pathways because physicians do not need a job offer from an Ontario employer.

To qualify, physicians must satisfy all of the following requirements:

#	Requirement	Detail
1	CPSO membership	Must be a member in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
2	Certificate of registration	Must hold a valid certificate in one of three eligible classes: independent practice, academic or provisional
3	OHIP billing eligibility	Must be eligible to bill through the Ontario Health Insurance Plan

This pathway addresses a long-standing issue for physicians who practise independently rather than working as employees, making traditional employer-based immigration pathways less accessible to them.

Ontario has been attracting physicians through OINP draws in 2026, and the federal government has also introduced a new Express Entry category for physicians.

New Ontario Workforce Priority Stream Scoring System

The new Ontario Workforce Priority Stream uses an Expression of Interest scoring system.

Employment / Labour Market Factors

NOC TEER Category

The NOC TEER category contributes points to an applicant’s EOI score:

• NOC TEER 0 or 1 — 9 points
• NOC TEER 2 or 3 — 6 points
• NOC TEER 4 — 0 points
• NOC TEER 5 — 0 points

This information is pre-populated in the EOI when applying with a job offer or as a self-employed physician.

NOC Broad Occupational Category

The NOC broad occupational category also contributes to the EOI score.

This information is pre-populated in the EOI for applicants applying with a job offer or as self-employed physicians.

The points are:

• Occupational Category 3 — 10 points
• Occupational Category 7 — 8 points
• Occupational Category 2 — 6 points
• Occupational Category 0, 1, 4, 8, 9 — 4 points
• Occupational Category 5, 6 — 2 points

Hourly Wage

For applicants applying with a job offer, the hourly wage contributes to the EOI score.

For self-employed physicians, this scoring factor does not apply.

The wage points are:

• $40 per hour or higher — 15 points
• $35 to $39.99 per hour — 12 points
• $30 to $34.99 per hour — 10 points
• $25 to $29.99 per hour — 8 points
• $20 to $24.99 per hour — 5 points
• Less than $20 per hour — 0 points

Ontario Work Experience

Job Offer Applicants

Applicants with a job offer can receive points based on their work experience in the job-offer position:

• More than 24 months — 18 points
• 13 to 24 months — 15 points
• 6 to 12 months — 12 points
• Less than 6 months or not currently working in the position — 0 points

For applicants who have less than six months of work experience in the job-offer position, Ontario work experience may instead be scored as follows:

• More than 24 months working in Ontario — 12 points
• 13 to 24 months working in Ontario — 9 points
• 6 to 12 months working in Ontario — 6 points
• Less than 6 months or not currently working in Ontario — 0 points

Ontario Work Experience

Self-Employed Physicians

Self-employed physicians can receive points based on cumulative medical practice in Ontario:

• 24 months or more — 18 points
• 13 to 24 months — 15 points
• 6 to 12 months — 12 points
• Less than 6 months — 0 points

Canadian Work Experience: Earnings History

Points are also available based on earnings reported through a Notice of Assessment issued by the Canada Revenue Agency within the previous five years.

The scoring is:

• $70,000 or more in annual earnings — 8 points
• $50,000 to $69,999 — 6 points
• $30,000 to $49,999 — 4 points
• Under $30,000 — 0 points

Legal Status In Canada

The work permit or study permit must provide the applicant with legal status in Canada.

Points are awarded as follows:

• Valid work permit — 10 points
• Valid study permit — 5 points
• No valid work or study permit — 0 points

Education

Highest Level of Education

A Canadian credential or ECA is required where applicable.

The points are:

• Doctorate or degree in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or optometry — 10 points
• Master’s degree — 8 points
• University certificate or diploma above bachelor’s level — 6 points
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent — 6 points
• Ontario College Graduate Certificate — 5 points
• University certificate or diploma below bachelor’s level — 5 points
• College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma that is not an Ontario College Graduate Certificate — 5 points
• Apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma — 5 points
• Less than a college or trade certificate — 0 points

Number of Canadian Education Credentials

The credential must be a post-secondary education credential from an eligible Canadian institution and must take at least one year to complete on a full-time basis.

The scoring is:

• More than one Canadian credential — 10 points
• One Canadian credential — 5 points
• No Canadian credential — 0 points

Language

Official Language Ability — English or French

Applicants must take an approved English or French language test.

Points are based on the lowest CLB level among the four language abilities:

• Reading
• Writing
• Listening
• Speaking

If an applicant has taken both an English and French language test, points are based on the test with the higher CLB level.

Academic IELTS and One Skill Retake tests are not accepted.

The scoring is:

• CLB 9 or higher — 15 points
• CLB 8 — 12 points
• CLB 7 — 8 points
• CLB 6 — 4 points
• CLB 5 or lower — 0 points

Knowledge of Official Languages

To receive points for both official languages, applicants must achieve at least CLB 6 in all four language abilities for both tests.

The points are:

• 2 official languages — 10 points
• 1 official language — 5 points

Regionalization

Regional immigration points are based on the location of the job offered to an applicant.

For applicants submitting an EOI with a job offer, the region is determined by the location where the applicant will work.

For self-employed physicians, the regional location is determined by the Ontario practice location associated with their OHIP billing number.

The regionalization points are:

• Northern Ontario — 15 points
• Eastern Ontario — 10 points
• Central Ontario outside GTA — 10 points
• Southwestern Ontario — 10 points
• Inside GTA, except Toronto — 5 points
• Toronto — 0 points

Ontario defines the regions as follows:

• Northern Ontario: Muskoka, Haliburton, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Manitoulin, Sudbury, Greater Sudbury/Grand Sudbury, Timiskaming, Cochrane, Algoma, Thunder Bay, Rainy River and Kenora.
• Eastern Ontario: Frontenac, Hastings, Kawartha Lakes, Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, Lennox and Addington, Northumberland, Ottawa, Peterborough, Prescott and Russell, Prince Edward, Renfrew, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.
• Central Ontario, excluding GTA: Dufferin, Grey, Simcoe, Waterloo and Wellington.
• Southwestern Ontario: Brant, Bruce, Chatham-Kent, Elgin, Essex, Haldimand-Norfolk, Hamilton, Huron, Lambton, Middlesex, Niagara, Oxford and Perth.
• Inside GTA, except Toronto: Durham, Halton, Peel and York.
• Toronto: City of Toronto.

Employer Eligibility Requirements

A qualifying job offer under both the TEER 0–3 and TEER 4–5 pathways must come from an eligible Ontario employer.

The employer must meet the following requirements:

#	Requirement	Detail
1	Business operating history	Must have been actively operating for at least 3 years
2	Gross annual revenue	Minimum revenue thresholds apply depending on whether the business is located in the GTA or a rural area
3	Full-time, permanent job offer	The position must have no predetermined end date and must provide at least 1,560 hours of work per year
4	Business need	The position must be urgently required for the employer’s business
5	Ontario work location	The work must primarily take place in Ontario
6	Wage level	The wage must meet the required level for the occupation and region
7	No labour dispute	The position cannot be affected by a labour dispute at the time of application
8	Employee threshold	The employer must meet the minimum number of Canadian citizens and permanent residents on staff

Revenue Thresholds

Before the OINP reforms, the minimum gross annual revenue requirements were:

Employer Location	Former Minimum Gross Revenue
Greater Toronto Area (GTA)	$1,000,000
Outside GTA	$500,000

Under the new system, lower gross annual revenue requirements will apply to qualifying rural employers operating in areas where the population is below 150,000 within the relevant census divisions.

Ontario rural businesses should verify whether they qualify for the lower gross annual revenue threshold under the new rules.

Wage Requirement

The wage offered should generally be equal to or higher than the median wage for the occupation in the relevant region.

However, where a TEER 0–3 position is offered to a recent Ontario graduate, the wage may qualify under the applicable low-wage threshold for that region.

This low-wage threshold has specifically been introduced through the new regulations.

Employer Portal

Employers that were already registered in the previous OINP Employer Portal do not need to register again.

However, once the Employer Portal reopens, employers will still need to create a new job offer and submit an employment position under the new Ontario Workforce Priority Stream.

Previous job offers and employment positions will not automatically transfer into the new system.

How To Apply For New Ontario Workforce Priority Stream

Once the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream portal becomes active, applicants will follow a new application process.

Potential applicants can use the Government of Canada’s NOC system to determine their occupation’s TEER classification.

The main steps are:

Step	Action	Detail
1	Confirm your TEER category	Find your occupation’s NOC code and determine whether you fall under TEER 0–3, TEER 4–5 or the physician pathway. This determines your pathway and eligibility requirements.
2	Take or retake your language test	Make sure you have a valid IELTS, CELPIP, TEF or TCF result meeting CLB 6 for TEER 0–3, CLB 5 for certain eligible occupations, or CLB 4 for TEER 4–5. Tests must be within 2 years. Recent Ontario graduates under TEER 0–3 are exempt.
3	Obtain or verify your ECA	TEER 0–3 applicants with foreign post-secondary credentials require a valid ECA, such as one issued by WES. TEER 4–5 applicants need proof of a Canadian secondary school diploma or equivalent together with an ECA where required.
4	Secure a qualifying job offer	The job must be full-time and permanent and must come from an eligible Ontario employer that meets OINP requirements. The wage must meet the regional median wage or applicable low-wage level for TEER 0–3 recent graduates.
5	Employer registers the job offer	When the Employer Portal reopens, the employer must register the job offer and submit the employment position for approval. Previous employer registrations remain valid, but new job offers must be submitted.
6	Register your EOI	Create a new Expression of Interest profile under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream. Previous EOI profiles will not transfer.
7	Receive an invitation to apply	Ontario will issue invitations through periodic draws from the EOI pool. Draws may target specific regions, sectors or occupations.
8	Submit your complete application	After receiving an invitation, submit the complete application through the OINP e-Filing Portal. Applicants must select the correct stream because the selection cannot be changed after submission. If the wrong stream is selected, the applicant must withdraw and submit a new application.
9	Receive your provincial nomination	If Ontario approves the application, the applicant receives a provincial nomination certificate.
10	Apply for permanent residence through IRCC	After receiving the provincial nomination, submit the permanent residence application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada through the applicable Provincial Nominee Program process. IRCC makes the final decision on permanent residence.

Ontario has traditionally conducted targeted draws based on factors such as region, sector and occupation, and the new system is expected to follow a similar approach.

Ontario conducted several OINP draws in March 2026, including draws that reopened the Masters and PhD streams after their suspension in 2024.

What Happens To Masters And PhD Graduates

The former Masters Graduate Stream and PhD Graduate Stream are among the eight pathways that were permanently closed beginning June 26, 2026.

The regulatory amendments supporting the closure came into effect on June 25, 2026.

Under Phase 1 of the new system, applicants must generally have a qualifying full-time, permanent job offer in Ontario to qualify for the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream.

Graduates who do not have a qualifying job offer should consider federal alternatives, including the Canadian Experience Class.

Ontario has indicated that Phase 2 of the OINP redesign may introduce additional pathways. However, eligibility requirements and launch dates for these potential pathways have not yet been confirmed.

Potential Phase 2 streams may include:

Proposed Phase 2 Stream	Status
Priority Healthcare Stream	No confirmed eligibility rules or launch date
Exceptional Talent Stream	No confirmed eligibility rules or launch date
Redesigned Entrepreneur Stream	No confirmed eligibility rules or launch date

Ontario’s 2026 Nomination Allocation

Ontario is expected to receive approximately 14,119 nomination spaces in 2026 under the federal Provincial Nominee Program allocation.

Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan for 2026–2028 has established a national PNP admission target of 91,500 for 2026, compared with 55,000 in 2025.

Provincial nominees who receive an Express Entry nomination receive a significant CRS boost, making a provincial nomination one of the strongest routes toward permanent residence for eligible candidates in the Express Entry pool.

Ontario had already issued nominations through its previous streams before the June 26 transition. The remaining allocation is expected to be distributed through the new Ontario Workforce Priority Stream during 2026 and 2027.

Before the transition, Ontario conducted multiple OINP draws and issued thousands of invitations across areas such as healthcare, mining, agriculture and regional priorities.

The publication of the new eligibility criteria provides much-needed clarity following the June 26 reforms.

With the new regulatory framework now available, both applicants and employers can assess their eligibility, prepare supporting documents and get ready for the reopening of the EOI system.

Applicants with Ontario job offers should use this preparation period to:

• Identify their NOC and TEER category
• Complete or retake their language test if necessary
• Verify their education credentials
• Obtain an ECA where required
• Confirm their work experience
• Ensure their employer meets the OINP requirements
• Prepare the required documents before the EOI system opens

Candidates who are fully prepared when the new EOI system launches may be in a stronger position for the initial invitations under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream.