Canada: Ontario launches first phase of major immigration programme overhaul

Ontario has rolled out the first phase of a major overhaul of its provincial immigration programme, replacing all eight existing employer-driven nomination streams with a single Ontario Workforce Priority Stream. The province has also published the new Expression of Interest (EOI) scoring framework that will determine how candidates are ranked once the system reopens later this year, according to Fragomen.

The redesign, which took effect on June 26, is one of the biggest changes to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) in recent years. During the transition, Ontario has closed the EOI system, will withdraw all existing EOIs that did not receive an invitation to apply, and will require applicants and employers to submit fresh EOIs and job offers when the system reopens between July and September.

The new Ontario Workforce Priority Stream becomes the province's main employer-sponsored pathway for permanent residence. It includes three routes—one for workers in higher-skilled TEER 0-3 occupations, another for TEER 4-5 occupations, and a separate pathway for eligible self-employed physicians.


The province has also revised eligibility rules by introducing new work experience, education and language requirements that vary by pathway. At the same time, it has expanded eligibility to all National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER 0-5 occupations and extended access to eligible self-employed physicians.

New scoring framework gives weight to Ontario experience

Ontario has now released the EOI scoring framework for the new stream. The province will award significant points for Ontario work experience and Canadian income tax history. Candidates can also earn points based on wages, official language ability, bilingualism, education, occupation, job location and temporary resident status.

Under the new system, job offers outside Toronto will receive additional regional points, while health occupations will receive the highest occupation-category points, followed by trades and transport occupations. Work permit holders will score higher than study permit holders. Self-employed physicians will be assessed under a modified framework that excludes wages and instead considers cumulative medical practice in Ontario.

The province has also published an applicant document checklist and lists of eligible Ontario and Canadian post-secondary institutions.

Ontario has introduced additional compliance and enforcement measures, including shorter response timelines for certain notices and revised procedures for serving notices of contravention.

For applicants, the transition means anyone whose EOI was not invited under the previous system must submit a new EOI after the Workforce Priority Stream opens. Employers seeking provincial nominations should also prepare for a temporary pause in new nominations and review whether current and prospective employees meet the revised eligibility criteria.