Ontario immigration update: C$80,000 earners get 10 points under new Canada PR pathway

Ontario has increased the points awarded to higher-earning candidates under its Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), potentially improving the chances of skilled foreign workers, including Indians working in the province, of receiving a nomination for Canadian permanent residence.

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Under the new change, candidates earning at least C$80,000 a year will receive 10 points for the earnings factor under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream (OWPS). The change was implemented on October 5, 2026, and was applied automatically to affected candidate profiles.


Before the change, candidates earning C70,000 or more received the maximum eight points available for the earnings factor. Ontario has now introduced a higher scoring bracket for candidates earning C80,000 or more.

The updated points structure is:

Annual earnings	Points
C$80,000 or more	10
C70,000-C79,999	8
C50,000-C69,999	6
C30,000-C49,999	4
Below C$30,000	0

The earnings calculation is based on a candidate's annual income shown on a Notice of Assessment issued by the Canada Revenue Agency within the previous five years.

The points form part of Ontario's ranking system for selecting candidates for provincial nomination. A higher score can improve a candidate's chances of being selected and invited to apply for an Ontario provincial nomination. After receiving a provincial nomination, candidates can apply to the federal government for Canadian permanent residence.

For Indians working in Ontario, the change means annual earnings have become an even more important factor in the provincial ranking system. However, earning C$80,000 or more does not guarantee selection or permanent residence, as candidates are ranked against others in the stream.

The Ontario Workforce Priority Stream is currently the only available route for foreign nationals seeking provincial nomination for permanent residence from Ontario.

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Ontario launched the OWPS on June 26 as part of a wider overhaul of its provincial immigration system. The province had revoked its previous nine permanent residence pathways on May 30.

The first intake for the new stream opened on August 4 for eligible Ontario employers, workers and self-employed physicians. The province had announced the new ranking system on July 20.

Ontario's immigration overhaul is planned in phases. The next phase is expected to introduce three additional streams: the Priority Healthcare stream for workers in in-demand healthcare occupations; the Entrepreneur Stream for owner-operators of Ontario businesses; and the Exceptional Talent Stream for foreign nationals with achievements in areas including academia, science, technology and the creative or performing arts. Ontario has not yet announced launch dates for these three streams.