Ontario OINP Draw Targets Skilled Trades: 1,404 Employer Job Offer Invitations on Feb 18, 2026

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Ontario has issued 1,404 new invitations under the OINP Employer Job Offer streams on February 18, 2026, targeting in‑Canada candidates working in a wide range of skilled trades‑related occupations, with scores starting at 50 for Foreign Workers and 80 for International Students. All invited profiles had to be in the OINP system and attested by February 16, 2026, and candidates must hold a job offer in one of dozens of eligible NOC codes spanning construction, mechanics, transport, mining, agriculture and more.

February 18, 2026 OINP Employer Job Offer

According to Ontario’s official update, the February 18, 2026 draw focused on the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker and Employer Job Offer: International Student streams.​

Key details:

• Date of draw: February 18, 2026.
• Total invitations: 1,404.
• Streams targeted:
  • Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker.
  • Employer Job Offer: International Student.​
• Score thresholds:
  • Foreign Worker stream: score 50+.
  • International Student stream: score 80+.​
• Residency requirement: Candidates must currently reside in Canada with a valid work or study permit.​
• Profile requirement: Eligible OINP profiles had to be created and attested on or before February 16, 2026 at 11:59 p.m..​

This is a skilled trades‑focused draw, meaning only candidates with job offers in certain NOCs were considered.

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Who was targeted: skilled trades and related NOCs

To receive an invitation in this draw, candidates needed a valid job offer in one of a long list of skilled trades‑related NOC codes. These include:​

• Construction and electrical trades supervisors (NOC 72010–72014).
• Mechanic trades and heavy equipment supervisors (NOC 72020–72021).
• Machinists, tool and die makers, welders, metal fabricators (NOC 72100–72106).
• Electricians, power line workers, telecom line/cable techs (NOC 72200–72205).
• Plumbers, steamfitters, gas fitters, carpenters, cabinetmakers, bricklayers, insulators (NOC 72300–72321).
• Millwrights, HVAC mechanics, heavy‑duty equipment mechanics, automotive and auto body techs, appliance and small engine repairers (NOC 72400–72429).
• Crane operators, drillers, blasters, heavy equipment operators (NOC 72500–72501, 73400, 73402).​
• Finishing trades such as concrete finishers, tilesetters, drywallers, roofers, glaziers, painters, floor installers (NOC 73100–73113).​
• General maintenance, building superintendents, residential/commercial installers, pest control, other repairers and servicers (NOC 73200–73209).​
• Transit and railway roles like bus drivers, subway operators, railway engineers, conductors and brakemen/women (NOC 73301, 73310, 73311).​
• Supervisors in logging, mining, oil and gas, agriculture, landscaping (NOC 82010–82031).​
• Underground miners, oil and gas well drillers, logging machinery operators, fishing masters and crew, plus central control process operators in mineral, metal, petroleum, gas, chemical and pulp/paper processing (NOC 83100–83121, 93100–93102).​

The breadth of this list signals a strong provincial emphasis on trades, resource sectors, transportation, maintenance and industrial operations, all of which are critical to Ontario’s infrastructure, housing and heavy industry.

Here are all the skilled trades and related occupations from the OINP update, grouped and rewritten in simple, readable form.

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Construction and electrical supervisors

• Contractors and supervisors for machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades (NOC 72010)
• Contractors and supervisors for electrical trades and telecom occupations (NOC 72011)
• Contractors and supervisors for pipefitting trades (NOC 72012)
• Contractors and supervisors for carpentry trades (NOC 72013)
• Contractors and supervisors for other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers (NOC 72014)

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Mechanical and equipment supervisors

• Contractors and supervisors for mechanic trades (NOC 72020)
• Contractors and supervisors for heavy equipment operator crews (NOC 72021)
• Supervisors for printing and related occupations (NOC 72022)
• Supervisors for railway transport operations (NOC 72023)
• Supervisors for mail and message distribution (NOC 72025)

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Metalwork, machining and welding trades

• Machinists and machining/tooling inspectors (NOC 72100)
• Tool and die makers (NOC 72101)
• Sheet metal workers (NOC 72102)
• Boilermakers (NOC 72103)
• Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters (NOC 72104)
• Ironworkers (NOC 72105)
• Welders and related machine operators (NOC 72106)

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Electrical and telecom trades

• Electricians (except industrial and power system) (NOC 72200)
• Industrial electricians (NOC 72201)
• Power system electricians (NOC 72202)
• Electrical power line and cable workers (NOC 72203)
• Telecom line and cable installers and repairers (NOC 72204)
• Telecom equipment installers and cable TV service technicians (NOC 72205)

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Plumbing, pipefitting, carpentry and related trades

• Plumbers (NOC 72300)
• Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers (NOC 72301)
• Gas fitters (NOC 72302)
• Carpenters (NOC 72310)
• Cabinetmakers (NOC 72311)
• Bricklayers (NOC 72320)
• Insulators (NOC 72321)

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Millwrights, mechanics, HVAC and vehicle repair

• Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics (NOC 72400)
• Heavy-duty equipment mechanics (NOC 72401)
• Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics (NOC 72402)
• Railway car repairers (railway carmen/women) (NOC 72403)
• Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors (NOC 72404)
• Machine fitters (NOC 72405)
• Elevator constructors and mechanics (NOC 72406)
• Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and other mechanical repairers (NOC 72410)
• Auto body collision, refinishing and glass technicians and damage estimators (NOC 72411)
• Oil and solid fuel heating mechanics (NOC 72420)
• Appliance servicers and repairers (NOC 72421)
• Electrical mechanics (NOC 72422)
• Motorcycle, ATV and related mechanics (NOC 72423)
• Other small engine and small equipment repairers (NOC 72429)

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Crane, drilling and heavy equipment operators

• Crane operators (NOC 72500)
• Water well drillers (NOC 72501)
• Heavy equipment operators (NOC 73400)
• Drillers and blasters in surface mining, quarrying and construction (NOC 73402)

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Building finishing and maintenance trades

• Concrete finishers (NOC 73100)
• Tilesetters (NOC 73101)
• Plasterers, drywall installers, finishers and lathers (NOC 73102)
• Roofers and shinglers (NOC 73110)
• Glaziers (glass installation trades) (NOC 73111)
• Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) (NOC 73112)
• Floor covering installers (NOC 73113)
• Residential and commercial installers and servicers (NOC 73200)
• General maintenance workers and building superintendents (NOC 73201)
• Pest controllers and fumigators (NOC 73202)
• Other repairers and servicers (NOC 73209)

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Transport and printing operators

• Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators (NOC 73301)
• Railway and yard locomotive engineers (NOC 73310)
• Railway conductors and brakemen/women (NOC 73311)
• Printing press operators (NOC 73401)

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Supervisors in resources, agriculture and landscaping

• Supervisors in logging and forestry (NOC 82010)
• Supervisors in mining and quarrying (NOC 82020)
• Contractors and supervisors for oil and gas drilling and services (NOC 82021)
• Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers (NOC 82030)
• Contractors and supervisors for landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services (NOC 82031)

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Mining, oil and gas, logging, fishing and processing operators

• Underground production and development miners (NOC 83100)
• Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers (NOC 83101)
• Logging machinery operators (NOC 83110)
• Fishing masters and officers (NOC 83120)
• Fishermen and fisherwomen (NOC 83121)
• Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing (NOC 93100)
• Central control and process operators, petroleum, gas and chemical processing (NOC 93101)
• Pulping, papermaking and coating control operators (NOC 93102)

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Other technical and related trades

• Other technical trades and related occupations not elsewhere classified (NOC 72999)

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Who was eligible and what happens next?

To be invited in this round, a candidate needed:​

• A valid, ongoing job offer in one of the listed NOC codes from an Ontario employer.
• To be eligible for either the Foreign Worker or International Student Employer Job Offer stream.
• To live in Canada with a valid work permit (Foreign Worker) or study/work permit (International Student).
• An EOI profile in the OINP system that was created and attested by Feb 16, 2026, 11:59 p.m.

If invited, the next steps are:

1. Candidate side
   • Review the Employer Job Offer stream page and document checklist to confirm you still meet all requirements and have the mandatory documents ready.​
   • Log into the OINP e‑Filing Portal, find the new file with prefix JOXX, and submit your application and payment within 17 calendar days from the invitation date.​
2. Employer side
   • The employer must consult the employer guide and submit their part of the application within 14 calendar days.​

Failing to submit within these deadlines means the invitation will expire.

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Why this draw matters for trades workers in 2026

Ontario has repeatedly highlighted skilled trades shortages in construction, automotive, energy, transport, mining and forestry, especially as it ramps up housing and infrastructure projects. By issuing 1,404 invitations across two Employer Job Offer streams with moderate score cut‑offs, this draw:

• Creates a strong pathway to PR for in‑demand trades workers who might not be competitive under Express Entry alone.
• Helps employers retain experienced staff in physically demanding, hard‑to‑fill roles.
• Aligns with Ontario’s 2026 PNP allocation of 14,119 nominations, which is higher than 2025 and gives more room for sector‑specific selections.

For trades candidates already in Ontario with job offers in these NOCs, this draw is another clear signal that Employer Job Offer streams remain one of the most accessible PR routes, especially if your CRS score isn’t high enough for federal Express Entry draws.

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