Ontario's New Workforce Priority Stream: What You Need to Know

On June 26, 2026, Ontario rolled out a major overhaul of its provincial nomination program. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program's eight former streams have been closed and replaced, at least for now, by a single new pathway: the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream. This is Phase 1 of a two-phase redesign, with three more streams expected to follow later.

What Is the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream?

The new stream is built around one core idea: connecting foreign workers who already have arranged employment in Ontario with a faster route to permanent residence. It replaces the patchwork of former OINP streams with three focused pathways:

• Skilled Workers: for occupations classified at TEER 0 to 3
• Essential Workers: for occupations classified at TEER 4 to 5
• Self-Employed Physicians: the only pathway that does not require a job offer

Except for physicians, applicants generally need a full-time, permanent job offer from an Ontario employer to qualify.

Why the Change?

The province says the redesign is meant to fix long-standing pain points in the old system. Key improvements include:

• Broader occupation coverage across all NOC TEER levels, rather than a narrow set of eligible streams
• Employer-friendly features aimed at helping businesses retain workers in hard-to-fill roles
• Flexibility for rural and northern employers, including lower revenue thresholds for smaller communities
• Faster compliance processes, with quicker turnaround on enforcement matters

Ontario has also released the full scoring criteria applicants will be assessed against, along with the supporting documentation required for each factor.

What Happens to Applications Under the Old Streams?

If you already had an application in progress before June 26, 2026, it should generally continue to be assessed under the rules that applied when it was submitted. However, job offers and employer position approvals from the old streams do not carry over, and employers will need to submit new job offers and new position approvals once the system reopens.

When Can You Apply?

Ontario has not yet opened the Expression of Interest (EOI) system for the new stream, though it is expected to launch later this summer. In the meantime, employers who were previously registered in the OINP Employer Portal do not need to re-register, but will need to submit fresh applications once the portal reopens.

What This Means for You

If you have a job offer in Ontario, or your employer is planning to extend one, now is the time to review your occupation's TEER level, gather supporting documents, and understand how the new scoring factors apply to your situation. The transition creates both opportunity and uncertainty, and getting your file in order early can make a real difference once the EOI system launches.

Not sure how the new Ontario Workforce Priority Stream affects your immigration plans? Contact us today to assess your eligibility and get a clear picture of your options.

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