OINP 2.0 – Key Changes For Employers And Foreign Workers

Overview

On June 26, 2026, amendments to Ontario Regulation 422/17 (the “Regulation”) under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015 (the “OIA”) came into force, marking the first phase of a significant redesign of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (“OINP”).

The changes consolidated the OINP’s eight existing program streams and introduced the new Ontario Workforce Priority (“OWP”) stream, with the remaining redesigned streams expected to launch later this summer. These reforms form part of Ontario’s broader effort to modernize the OINP, strengthen program integrity, and better align immigration selection with provincial labour market needs. The redesign is intended to streamline pathways to permanent residence, strengthen eligibility requirements, help employers retain proven talent in hard-to-fill occupations, and improve access to the program for employers in rural and northern communities. It also introduces enhanced language and education requirements to strengthen the overall calibre of nominees and provides the province with greater flexibility to respond to evolving labour market needs.

The Ontario Workforce Priority Stream

The OWP stream connects eligible workers with job offers from Ontario employers to permanent residence pathways. It includes pathways for individuals with job offers across all National Occupational Classification (“NOC”) Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (“TEER”) categories, as well as a pathway for self-employed physicians. Key eligibility requirements for each pathway are summarized below.

TEER 0–3 Pathway

This pathway targets skilled internationally trained workers in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupations with a full-time, permanent job offer in Ontario. Minimum eligibility requirements include:

• Work Experience: Applicants must demonstrate one of the following: (i) six months consecutive experience in the last 12 months in the job offer position with the job offer employer; (ii) for recent Ontario graduates, three months consecutive experience in the last 12 months in the job offer position with the job offer employer; (iii) two years cumulative experience in the last five years in the NOC occupation; or (iv) licensed applicants are exempt from this requirement.
• Language: Canadian Language Benchmark (“CLB”) 6 (CLB 5 for certain occupations). Recent Ontario graduates are exempt from this requirement.

Minimum Education: Post-secondary degree or diploma. Certain occupations may have alternate criteria; the Regulation should be consulted for detailed requirements.

Self-Employed Physicians

Self-employed physicians may qualify for the OWP stream without a job offer, provided they: (i) are a member in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario; (ii) hold a valid certificate of registration in an eligible class (independent, academic or provisional); and (iii) are eligible to bill through the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.

TEER 4–5 Pathway

This pathway is open to workers in all TEER 4–5 occupations with a full-time, permanent job offer of indeterminate duration (i.e., with no predetermined end date) in Ontario. Minimum eligibility requirements include: (i) Work Experience: nine months cumulative experience in the last two years in the job offer position with the job offer employer; (ii) Language: CLB 4 (recent Ontario graduates are exempt); and (iii) Minimum Education: Canadian secondary school diploma or equivalent. The position must also meet applicable wage requirements based on the Job Bank median wage for the occupation and region.

Notably, under the previous In-Demand Skills stream, eligibility was limited to a closed list of designated NOC occupations. The expansion to all TEER 4–5 occupations represents a significant broadening of the pathway and provides employers with greater flexibility to seek provincial nomination support for workers across a wider range of lower-skilled positions.

Impact on Foreign Workers

For many foreign workers, the OWP stream may provide a more straightforward and predictable pathway to permanent residence by consolidating multiple streams into a single framework. However, some applicants may face higher eligibility thresholds than under the previous system. The introduction of language requirements across most pathways and the addition of work experience requirements for former international student stream candidates mean that some individuals who may have qualified under the previous framework will need additional time to become eligible. The changes are likely to benefit workers who already have a demonstrated employment history with their Ontario employer, as the new framework places significant emphasis on recent work experience with the employer supporting the application. For physicians, the creation of a dedicated pathway removes the job offer requirement and may help address physician shortages by creating a more direct route to permanent residence for eligible self-employed doctors practising in Ontario.

Employer Requirements and Compliance Considerations

For all OWP stream pathways, tiered gross annual revenue requirements apply to employers based on location. Employers located in the Greater Toronto Area must demonstrate gross annual revenue of at least $1,000,000 in each of the two most recently completed fiscal years. Employers located in other designated Census Metropolitan Areas must demonstrate gross annual revenue of at least $500,000 over the same period. Employers located outside these areas — including those in rural and northern communities within census divisions with a population of less than 150,000 — are subject to a reduced threshold of $250,000. This tiered approach is intended to expand access to provincial nomination opportunities for employers in communities that have historically faced challenges in attracting and retaining skilled workers.

Employers should review the eligibility requirements for the OWP stream and assess whether their current and future workforce needs align with the new framework. Particular attention should be paid to the revised employer eligibility criteria, including revenue thresholds, workforce requirements, wage obligations, and the requirement that foreign workers possess the necessary work experience and language proficiency for the relevant pathway. Employers who previously relied on the International Student stream should be aware that graduates will generally need qualifying work experience before becoming eligible for nomination. Employers should also ensure that they maintain accurate employment records and documentation supporting the position, wages, business operations, and employee qualifications, as the redesign includes enhanced compliance, screening, inspection, and enforcement measures aimed at protecting program integrity.

Impact on Existing Expressions of Interest and Applications

The OINP Expression of Interest (“EOI”) system closed on June 25, 2026, and is expected to reopen to new registrations later this summer. EOIs and job offers registered under the former streams that have not resulted in an invitation to apply will be automatically withdrawn as the platforms are updated. Affected registrants, employers and representatives will receive direct notice. Applications submitted following an invitation under a former stream will continue to be assessed against the eligibility requirements in effect at the time of submission. Employers who have previously registered in the employer portal will not need to re-register when the EOI system reopens, but will need to submit a new job offer and a new application for approval of an employment position under the new program stream.

Program Integrity Changes

The amendments reduce the response time for individuals issued a Notice of Intent to Issue an Administrative Monetary Penalty or Ban order from 60 to 30 days. Notices of contravention may now be sent by email, mail or in person, and are deemed delivered without requiring proof of receipt. These changes align the response time and delivery approach for such notices with those of other OINP processes and are intended to enable faster compliance actions.

Closed Streams

As part of the redesign, the following eight streams have been closed: (i) Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker; (ii) Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills; (iii) Employer Job Offer: International Student; (iv) Master’s Graduate; (v) PhD Graduate; (vi) Express Entry Human Capital Priorities; (vii) Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker; and (viii) Express Entry Skilled Trades.

Key Takeaways

The OWP stream represents a significant shift in Ontario’s approach to economic immigration, with heightened eligibility requirements and a streamlined structure. Ontario has expressly stated that the June 2026 amendments represent only the first phase of a broader two-phase redesign of the OINP, and additional changes may follow as the province continues to modernize the program.

More broadly, immigration remains a rapidly evolving area at both the federal and provincial levels, and further adjustments to eligibility criteria, nomination allocation strategies, and temporary foreign worker policies remain possible throughout 2026 and beyond. It will also be important to monitor how the new system operates in practice once the EOI system reopens, including invitation trends, occupational targeting, and how Ontario allocates its finite nomination spaces under the redesigned program. Employers and foreign nationals should continue to monitor announcements from both Ontario and the federal government, as even relatively minor regulatory changes can have significant impacts on long-term immigration planning. The McMillan immigration team is available to assist employers and candidates in navigating the redesigned program.

Official Sources:

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program Updates (June 26, 2026)
Ontario Regulation 422/17 (General) under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015