| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Effective date | June 26, 2026 |
| Amending regulation | Regulation 204-26 under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015 |
| Streams closed | 8 former OINP streams, all closed |
| New stream | Ontario Workforce Priority stream |
| EOI system status | Closed; expected to reopen later in summer 2026 |
| AMP/Ban response time | Reduced from 60 days to 30 days |
| Rural community definition | Census division with population under 150,000 |
Ontario has shut down all eight of its existing Provincial Nominee Program streams and replaced them with a single new pathway called the Ontario Workforce Priority stream. The changes took effect on June 26, 2026, under amending regulation 204-26. This is Phase 1 of a two-phase redesign of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).
If you had a registered Expression of Interest (EOI) under any of the old streams, it will be automatically withdrawn in the coming weeks. No new invitations will be issued under the former program. The new EOI system is expected to open later in the summer of 2026, and you will need to submit a fresh EOI under the Ontario Workforce Priority stream once it does.
This is a significant shift for internationally trained workers, Ontario employers, and immigration practitioners alike. Understanding exactly what changed, who qualifies under the new rules, and what steps to take now is the difference between a smooth path to permanent residence and unnecessary delays.
What Exactly Changed on June 26, 2026
The Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development amended Ontario Regulation 422/17 under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015. These amendments remove all eight previously existing streams and replace them with a single consolidated stream: the Ontario Workforce Priority stream.
The eight closed streams are: Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker; Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills; Employer Job Offer: International Student; Master's Graduate; PhD Graduate; Express Entry Human Capital Priorities; Express Entry French-speaking Skilled Worker; and Express Entry Skilled Trades. Every one of these streams is now closed to new applicants and new EOIs.
The regulatory change was informed by feedback gathered through the Ontario Regulatory Registry and additional public consultations. The Ministry says the redesign is meant to streamline pathways to permanent residence for people who already have arranged employment in Ontario, help employers keep proven talent in hard-to-fill roles, and improve program integrity through stronger screening and compliance measures.
One concrete change on the integrity side: the response time for individuals issued a Notice of Intent to Issue an Administrative Monetary Penalty (AMP) or Ban order has been cut from 60 days to 30 days. The regulations also now allow notices of contravention to be delivered by email, mail, or in person. They are deemed delivered without requiring proof of receipt. This brings AMP and Ban notices in line with other OINP processes, such as Notices of Intent to Refuse and Notices of Intent to Cancel a Nomination.
For employers in rural and northern Ontario, the redesign introduces more flexible gross annual revenue thresholds. A rural community is defined under the new program as a community located in a census division with a population of less than 150,000.
The Three Pathways Inside the New Stream
The Ontario Workforce Priority stream is not a single flat category. It contains three distinct pathways depending on your occupation and situation. Knowing which one applies to you is the first step before you do anything else.
TEER 0 to 3 pathway. This pathway is for skilled internationally trained workers in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupations under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. You need a full-time, permanent job offer from an Ontario employer. Work experience requirements give you three options: six months of consecutive experience in the last 12 months in the specific job offer position with your job offer employer; if you are a recent Ontario graduate, three months consecutive in the last 12 months in the same position with the same employer; or two years of cumulative experience in the last five years in the NOC occupation. Licensed applicants are exempt from the work experience requirement entirely. The language requirement is Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 6, though CLB 5 is accepted for certain occupations. You also need at minimum a post-secondary degree or diploma.
Self-employed physicians pathway. This is the only pathway in the new stream that does not require a job offer. To qualify, you must be a member in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, hold a valid certificate of registration in an eligible class (independent, academic, or provisional), and be eligible to bill through the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). All three conditions must be met simultaneously.
TEER 4 to 5 pathway. This pathway covers workers in TEER 4 and TEER 5 occupations. You still need a full-time, permanent job offer in Ontario. The work experience bar here is nine months of cumulative experience in the last two years in the specific job offer position with your specific job offer employer. The language requirement is CLB 4, and the minimum education is a Canadian secondary school diploma or an equivalent credential. This is a lower threshold than the TEER 0 to 3 pathway, which reflects the nature of the occupations it targets.
For all three pathways, employers located in rural communities (those in a census division with fewer than 150,000 people) benefit from lower gross annual revenue thresholds. This is intended to make it easier for smaller businesses in northern and rural Ontario to sponsor workers through the OINP.
If you had a registered EOI under any of the eight closed streams, it will be automatically withdrawn in the coming weeks. You do not need to take action to withdraw it yourself, but you will receive a direct notice. You will need to register a brand new EOI once the Ontario Workforce Priority stream EOI system reopens later in summer 2026. Your old EOI cannot be transferred.
Who Is Affected and What Happens to Existing Applications
Candidates with a pending EOI. If you registered an EOI under any of the eight former streams and have not yet received an invitation to apply, your EOI will be automatically withdrawn over the coming weeks. You will receive a direct notice. No further invitations will be issued under the old streams. Once the new EOI system opens, you can register a fresh EOI under the Ontario Workforce Priority stream if you meet the new eligibility requirements.
Candidates who already received an invitation and submitted an application. Your application is protected. Applications submitted after receiving an invitation under a former stream will continue to be assessed against the eligibility requirements that were in effect when your application was submitted. You do not need to reapply under the new stream.
Employers. If your company is already registered in the OINP Employer Portal, you do not need to re-register when the portal reopens. However, you will need to submit a new job offer and a new application for approval of an employment position under the new stream. This means re-registering a new job offer to initiate a new EOI for your candidate.
Immigration representatives and consultants. Any EOI or job offer registered under a former stream that has not led to an invitation will be automatically withdrawn. Affected registrants, employers, and representatives will all receive direct notices. You should monitor your clients' files closely and prepare to re-engage once the EOI system reopens.
Consider a realistic scenario: a software engineer from India who registered an EOI under the Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream six months ago and has been waiting for an invitation. As of June 26, 2026, that EOI is being withdrawn. She has a full-time permanent job offer in Toronto in a TEER 1 occupation and two years of relevant experience. She meets the new TEER 0 to 3 pathway requirements. She will need to wait for the new EOI system to open, then register fresh under the Ontario Workforce Priority stream.
Eligibility Requirements at a Glance
| Pathway | Work Experience | Language | Education |
|---|---|---|---|
| TEER 0-3 | 6 months with employer (12 months), OR 3 months for recent ON grads, OR 2 years in NOC (5 years); licensed exempt | CLB 6 (CLB 5 for some) | Post-secondary degree or diploma |
| Self-employed physicians | No job offer required | Not specified; CPSO membership required | CPSO registration in eligible class |
| TEER 4-5 | 9 months cumulative with employer in last 2 years | CLB 4 | Canadian secondary school diploma or equivalent |
One important note on the TEER 0 to 3 pathway: some occupations may have alternate criteria. The Ontario Ministry advises consulting the actual regulations on Ontario's e-Laws for detailed requirements specific to your NOC code. Do not rely solely on summary documents when preparing your EOI.
The new elevated language and education benchmarks are a deliberate policy choice. The Ministry states these requirements are meant to enhance the calibre of nominees supported by the province and strengthen program integrity. The CLB 6 floor for skilled occupations is higher than what some of the former streams required. If you are currently upgrading your language skills, factor this benchmark into your preparation timeline before the EOI system reopens.
✅ What to Do Right Now: Step-by-Step
- Check your former EOI status: Log in to your OINP account and confirm whether you had an active EOI under any of the eight closed streams. Watch for the direct notice from the Ministry confirming your EOI has been withdrawn.
- Review the new pathway requirements: Identify which of the three Ontario Workforce Priority pathways (TEER 0-3, self-employed physician, or TEER 4-5) applies to your occupation and situation. Confirm you meet the work experience, language, and education thresholds before spending time on an application.
- Verify your language test score: The TEER 0-3 pathway requires CLB 6 (or CLB 5 for certain occupations). If your current test results fall below this, book a new test now. Language tests take time to schedule and process.
- Confirm your employer's status: Existing employers registered in the OINP Employer Portal do not need to re-register. However, they must submit a new job offer and a new employment position application when the portal reopens. Talk to your employer early so they are ready to act quickly.
- Monitor the OINP website: The EOI system for the Ontario Workforce Priority stream is anticipated to open later in summer 2026. No specific date has been announced. Check the IRCC website and the Ontario OINP page regularly for updates.
- Consult the e-Laws regulation: Amending regulation 204-26 is published on Ontario's e-Laws. If your occupation may have alternate criteria, read the actual regulatory text rather than relying on summaries.
What Phase 2 May Bring and What Stays the Same
The June 26 changes are explicitly described as Phase 1 of a two-phase redesign. The Ministry has not yet announced a timeline or specific content for Phase 2. What is confirmed is that this first phase consolidates all streams into the Ontario Workforce Priority stream and introduces the foundational regulatory framework. Further changes to the program will come in a second phase.
What stays constant for now: the OINP still operates under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015. Ontario nominees still need to be confirmed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence, as provincial nomination is only one step in the overall PR process. Candidates nominated by Ontario still apply to IRCC for a permanent resident visa separately after receiving their provincial nomination certificate.
Applications already submitted under former streams after a valid invitation are also protected. Those files continue under the rules that applied when the application was submitted. If you are in this group, you do not need to take any action related to the redesign. Your application proceeds as normal.
Employers who have successfully supported OINP candidates in the past do not lose their Employer Portal registration. Their history in the system carries over. The key change is that they must submit fresh documentation when the portal reopens for the new stream. That includes a new job offer document and a new application for approval of the employment position for each candidate they wish to support.
For rural and northern employers, the reduced gross annual revenue thresholds represent a genuine expansion of access. Previously, revenue requirements may have screened out smaller businesses in smaller communities from participating in the OINP. The new flexible thresholds, tied to the 150,000-population census division definition, are a direct policy response to feedback that northern and rural Ontario employers faced higher barriers than their urban counterparts.
If you want to check processing times for federal immigration steps that follow a provincial nomination, the IRCC processing times tool remains the official source for that information.
Frequently Asked Questions
My EOI was active under the Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream. What happens to it?+Sources: Government of Ontario, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development; Ontario Regulation 422/17 as amended by Regulation 204-26 under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015; IRCC (canada.ca). Last verified: June 28, 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice. Consult IRCC or a qualified legal aid service for guidance on your specific situation.