A total of 1,828 invites were issued on April 8, 2026, by the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program for four different targeted draws.
Ontario has made its largest OINP draw day of April 2026, and the numbers are simply astonishing.
This one-day draw makes a mockery of the earlier 759 invitations issued by Ontario to miners at the start of the month.
The draws were aimed at healthcare workers, Francophone applicants, physicians, and REDI pilot program applicants.
The vast majority of invites went to Healthcare and Early Childhood Education occupations, who received 1,635 invites alone.
All three Employer Job Offers streams invited 146 Francophone applicants.
The REDI pilot for the Lanark, Leeds, and Grenville region issued 32 invitations.
Lastly, there was a draw of 15 invitations for physicians in Ontario.
It is clear that Ontario is working hard to address the gap in their healthcare system, support Francophone people, attract physicians, and develop their economy in smaller regions.
Let us look at everything we should know about the four different draws that took place on April 8, 2026.
Complete Summary of All Four OINP Draws on April 8, 2026
Below you can see how all draws conducted on April 8, 2026 were composed, with their invitation numbers, streams, and the required minimum score.
| Draw Category | Stream | Invitations | Min Score | Target |
| Healthcare & ECE | Foreign Worker | 1,635 (combined) | 20 | Nurses, nurse aides, ECEs |
| Healthcare & ECE | International Student | (included above) | 46 | Nurses, nurse aides, ECEs |
| Francophone | Foreign Worker | 146 (combined) | 35 | 46 NOC codes |
| Francophone | International Student | (included above) | 63 | 29 NOC codes |
| Francophone | In Demand Skills | (included above) | 25 | 11 NOC codes |
| REDI Pilot | Foreign Worker | 32 (combined) | 46 | Lanark, Leeds & Grenville |
| REDI Pilot | International Student | (included above) | 57 | Lanark, Leeds & Grenville |
| REDI Pilot | In Demand Skills | (included above) | 33 | Lanark, Leeds & Grenville |
| Physicians | Foreign Worker | 15 | 43 | Doctors and specialists |
With a grand total of 1,828 invitations, April 8, 2026 ranks amongst the most successful single days in recent times for the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program.
This certainly seems to be an extremely busy month for Ontario when it comes to nominations.
Foreign Worker Stream NOC Codes for Healthcare and ECE Draw
The table below shows the list of six NOC codes eligible under the Foreign Worker category for the draw under health-care and early childhood education.
| NOC Code | Occupation Title |
| 31300 | Nursing coordinators and supervisors |
| 31301 | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses |
| 31302 | Nurse practitioners |
| 32101 | Licensed practical nurses |
| 33102 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates |
| 42202 | Early childhood educators and assistants |
The presence of nursing supervisors and coordinators in addition to the regular registered nurses and nurse practitioners demonstrates that Ontario is targeting healthcare workers at all levels of nursing hierarchy.
LPNs and nurse aides were also listed here, which means that Ontario needs front-line care providers the most in hospitals and LTCHs.
Early childhood educators and assistants were also included in the draw, indicating Ontario’s continued attempts to provide more childcare services according to its federal-provincial childcare agreement.
International Student Stream NOC Codes for Healthcare and ECE Draw
The International Student pathway had five eligible NOC codes, one less than those in the Foreign Worker pathway.
The following table shows all eligible professions.
| NOC Code | Occupation Title |
| 31300 | Nursing coordinators and supervisors |
| 31301 | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses |
| 32101 | Licensed practical nurses |
| 33102 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates |
| 42202 | Early childhood educators and assistants |
The difference between the two pathways is that the Foreign Worker pathway included NOC 31302 as an eligible profession along with the five NOCs mentioned above.
As a result, nurse practitioners were eligible to apply through the Foreign Worker pathway but not the International Student pathway.
Apart from nurse practitioners, all other healthcare and early childhood education occupations were common to both pathways.
Francophone Draw Foreign Worker Stream Eligible NOC Codes
The Foreign Worker stream of the Francophone draw had the longest list of occupations among the three streams, totaling 46 NOC codes.
This is one of the longest lists of occupations that we have observed in the recent OINP target draws.
| NOC Code | Occupation Title |
| 00015 | Senior managers in construction, transportation, production and utilities |
| 10019 | Other administrative services managers |
| 10029 | Other business services managers |
| 11101 | Financial and investment analysts |
| 11103 | Securities agents, investment dealers and brokers |
| 11201 | Professional occupations in business management consulting |
| 11202 | Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations |
| 12013 | Supervisors, supply chain, tracking and scheduling coordination occupations |
| 12100 | Executive assistants |
| 12102 | Procurement and purchasing agents and officers |
| 12200 | Accounting technicians and bookkeepers |
| 12201 | Insurance adjusters and claims examiners |
| 13100 | Administrative officers |
| 13101 | Property administrators |
| 13110 | Administrative assistants |
| 13201 | Production and transportation logistics coordinators |
| 21221 | Business system specialists |
| 21222 | Information systems specialists |
| 21231 | Software engineers and designers |
| 21232 | Software developers and programmers |
| 21321 | Industrial and manufacturing engineers |
| 22210 | Architectural technologists and technicians |
| 22212 | Drafting technologists and technicians |
| 22221 | User support technicians |
| 22300 | Civil engineering technologists and technicians |
| 22311 | Electronic service technicians (household and business equipment) |
| 32111 | Dental hygienists and dental therapists |
| 33102 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates |
| 40021 | School principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education |
| 41201 | Post-secondary teaching and research assistants |
| 41221 | Elementary school and kindergarten teachers |
| 41302 | Ecclesiastical occupations |
| 41404 | Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers |
| 42200 | Paralegal and related occupations |
| 42201 | Social and community service workers |
| 42202 | Early childhood educators and assistants |
| 52120 | Graphic designers and illustrators |
| 72014 | Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers |
| 72106 | Welders and related machine operators |
| 72311 | Cabinetmakers |
| 72401 | Heavy-duty equipment mechanics |
| 72410 | Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers |
| 72411 | Auto body collision, refinishing and glass technicians and damage repair estimators |
| 72421 | Appliance servicers and repairers |
| 92012 | Supervisors, food and beverage processing |
| 93100 | Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing |
The variety of occupations in this list clearly demonstrates how much Ontario values francophone workers in various fields.
Occupations in the management, finance, trades, and healthcare industries, along with many others, are available to applicants who could prove their French skills and had a legitimate job offer in any of those 46 NOC codes.
The technology sector is well represented by occupations such as software engineers and designers, information systems analysts and consultants, as well as business system analysts and consultants.
Educational professionals are included too, from elementary school teachers, school principals, to post-secondary teaching assistants.
Skilled trades occupations such as welder, heavy duty equipment mechanic, automotive service technician, and cabinetmaker complete the list.
Francophone Draw International Student Stream Eligible NOC Codes
For the French-speaking draw, the International Students category had 29 occupation codes that were considered as eligible with a minimum number of 63.
| NOC Code | Occupation Title |
| 00013 | Senior managers in health, education, social and community services and membership organizations |
| 11101 | Financial and investment analysts |
| 11102 | Financial advisors |
| 11201 | Professional occupations in business management consulting |
| 11202 | Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations |
| 12013 | Supervisors, supply chain, tracking and scheduling coordination occupations |
| 12200 | Accounting technicians and bookkeepers |
| 12201 | Insurance adjusters and claims examiners |
| 13100 | Administrative officers |
| 13110 | Administrative assistants |
| 13201 | Production and transportation logistics coordinators |
| 21211 | Data scientists |
| 21221 | Business system specialists |
| 21231 | Software engineers and designers |
| 21233 | Web designers |
| 21300 | Civil engineers |
| 21321 | Industrial and manufacturing engineers |
| 22214 | Technical occupations in geomatics and meteorology |
| 22221 | User support technicians |
| 22303 | Construction estimators |
| 33109 | Other assisting occupations in support of health services |
| 41321 | Career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education) |
| 42201 | Social and community service workers |
| 42202 | Early childhood educators and assistants |
| 51114 | Translators, terminologists and interpreters |
| 52113 | Audio and video recording technicians |
| 70010 | Construction managers |
| 70020 | Managers in transportation |
| 73301 | Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators |
There were various unique occupations included in the International Students category but were not included in the Foreign Workers category.
Some examples include data scientists, civil engineers, construction managers, translators and interpreters, and bus drivers who were only present in the International Students category.
Other occupations that were also included in the same category are financial advisors, construction estimators, and audio and video recording technicians.
The differences above show that Ontario creates different streams according to workforce pipeline needs.
Francophone Draw In-Demand Skills Stream Eligible NOC Codes
The In-Demand Skills category received the least amount of points (25 points), and there were 11 eligible NOC codes in this category.
| NOC Code | Occupation Title |
| 14400 | Shippers and receivers |
| 44101 | Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations |
| 74205 | Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers |
| 75110 | Construction trades helpers and labourers |
| 75119 | Other trades helpers and labourers |
| 85103 | Nursery and greenhouse labourers |
| 94132 | Industrial sewing machine operators |
| 94141 | Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers |
| 94143 | Testers and graders, food and beverage processing |
| 95101 | Labourers in metal fabrication |
| 95106 | Labourers in food and beverage processing |
Occupations in the category are mainly in manufacturing, food processing, construction, and agriculture occupations.
Among those occupations are occupations such as home support worker, industrial sewing machine operator, industrial butcher, and nursery labourer.
The low score requirement of 25 points signifies the need for French speaking skilled workers in Ontario.
REDI Pilot Foreign Worker Stream Eligible NOC Codes
The following occupations were eligible under the REDI pilot Foreign Worker stream.
| NOC Code | Occupation Title |
| 10029 | Other business services managers |
| 11101 | Financial and investment analysts |
| 33102 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates |
| 72422 | Electrical mechanics |
| 72423 | Motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle and other related mechanics |
The REDI Foreign Worker stream targeted a mix of business management, healthcare, and skilled trades occupations.
Electrical mechanics and motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle mechanics are unique inclusions that reflect the specific employer needs in Lanark and Leeds and Grenville.
REDI Pilot International Student Stream Eligible NOC Codes
These professions qualified for the REDI pilot International Student Stream:
| NOC Code | Occupation Title |
| 22114 | Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists |
| 32101 | Licensed practical nurses |
| 32109 | Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment |
| 33102 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates |
| 42201 | Social and community service workers |
| 42202 | Early childhood educators and assistants |
Healthcare occupations take the lion’s share among those listed for the International Student stream of the REDI pilot.
These include licensed practical nurses, nurse aides, social workers, and early childhood educators due to their great importance for these remote areas.
In addition, there are landscape and horticulture technicians among the qualifying professions, corresponding to the rural character of Eastern Ontario.
REDI Pilot In-Demand Skills Stream Eligible NOC Codes
In the REDI pilot program, the stream for In-Demand Skills included four occupations.
| NOC Code | Occupation Title |
| 44101 | Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations |
| 94100 | Machine operators, mineral and metal processing |
| 94111 | Plastics processing machine operators |
| 95106 | Labourers in food and beverage processing |
These occupations were home support workers, machine operators, plastics processing operators, and food processing labourers.
These occupations are critical jobs within small towns and communities, wherein employers find it very challenging to hire suitable employees.
Physician’s Draw targeted 3 NOC Codes
The physician draw of April 8, 2026, although being the smallest out of all four draws held on this date, holds immense importance.
Fifteen invites to apply were sent under the Employer Job Offer category for doctors or medical specialists.
The minimum passing score for this draw was 43 points.
Three different NOCs were eligible for this draw.
| NOC Code | Occupation Title |
| 31100 | Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine |
| 31101 | Specialists in surgery |
| 31102 | General practitioners and family physicians |
The issuance of the physician-specific draw by the Province of Ontario clearly reflects the gravity of the problem of lack of doctors in Ontario.
There are millions of Ontarians who have no family doctor and there are increasing waiting lists to meet medical specialists.
This draw indicates that recruiting foreign physicians is of primary concern to the Province of Ontario.
For more information, one can go through the OINP Program Update dated January 5.
Application Process and Deadlines for April 8, 2026 Invitations
All applicants who receive an invitation to apply for April 8, 2026 must adhere to the same application procedure, irrespective of the draw from which they have been invited.
This table below provides a brief overview of the process and timeline.
| Step | Action Required |
| Step 1 | Review the Employer Job Offer stream page to confirm you meet all the requirements and gather your mandatory documents before beginning the application. |
| Step 2 | Your employer must review the employer guide and submit their portion of the application within 14 calendar days from the date the invitation was issued. |
| Step 3 | Log in to the OINP e-Filing Portal and click the newly created file number with the prefix JOXX. You must submit your application and payment within 17 calendar days from the invitation date. |
The 14 days employer time and 17 days candidate time are fixed and under no circumstance can they be changed.
Applicants are urged to contact their employer immediately after receiving the invitation in order to be sure about the timeframe.
Failure to do so within this timeframe will cause the invitation to expire.
What the April 8, 2026 OINP Draws Mean for Ontario Immigration
The size and complexity of the April 8 draws highlight the extent to which Ontario is using its nomination rights to resolve its biggest workforce problems.
Healthcare continues to dominate the list with 1,635 invitations making up almost 90 percent of all invitations issued on that date.
The record-low mark of 20 points in the foreign worker stream for healthcare illustrates how desperate Ontario is for nurses and healthcare providers.
The Francophone draw with its record 81 different NOC codes in three streams highlights Ontario’s emphasis on promoting bilingualism and fulfilling its duty to preserve French-speaking populations.
As part of its policy of spreading its immigration benefits outside major cities such as Toronto and Ottawa, Ontario has started a new pilot called REDI.
The physician stream with just 15 invitations is targeting one of Ontario’s most visible workforce problems.
Taking into account the 759 invitations for the mining sector announced on April 1, Ontario is now issuing a total of 2,587 OINP invitations in just the first eight days of April 2026.
It seems to indicate that April 2026 may be one of the busiest periods ever recorded by the OINP.
All candidates from each sector must ensure that their profiles are up-to-date and check the OINP Program Updates page for upcoming draws.