Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) Suspends Express Entry: Skilled Trades Stream

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has suspended the Express Entry: Skilled Trades Stream following a program review that identified systemic misrepresentation and compliance concerns related to eligibility criteria. These findings impact the OINP Director's ability to reliably assess whether applicants meet program requirements.

Due to these integrity issues and Ontario's limited provincial nomination allocation (10,750 in 2025 with no provided allocation numbers for 2026 yet), the program is currently considered high-risk and unable to support Ontario's labor market needs. As a result, the OINP director has:

• Stopped accepting new Skilled Trades Stream Applications; and
• Initiated the return of all outstanding applications, with full refunds issued under Ontario Regulation 421/17.

Analysis:

The suspension highlights a growing focus across Canadian provinces on program integrity, fraud detection and responsible allocation of nomination spaces. Ontario's decision aligns with broader trends of enhanced verification and increased scrutiny of employer-supported and occupation-specific pathways.

For employers, this means potential delays or reduction of candidates who would have previously relied on the Skilled Trades pathway. Individuals seeking Ontario nomination may need to pivot to alternative OINP streams, which often have different eligibility criteria, processing timelines and competitive Expression of Interest (EOI scoring).

Given the evolving landscape, organizations should evaluate their foreign national employee populations and ensure that immigration strategies remain aligned with updated provincial nomination options.