Ontario Express Entry Stream

Program Update, August 2026: Ontario permanently closed all eight OINP streams on June 26, 2026, including the Human Capital Priorities, French-Speaking Skilled Worker, and Skilled Trades streams. No further invitations will be issued under any former pathway. Ontario replaced those streams with the Ontario Workforce Priority stream, and the Expression of Interest system for the new stream opened on August 4, 2026. Express Entry has not disappeared from Ontario's program: if you apply with a job offer in TEER 0 to 3, or as a self-employed physician, you can still choose to be nominated through the federal Express Entry system. Applications submitted under a former stream following a valid invitation continue to be assessed under the rules in effect at the time of submission. If you submitted an OINP application before June 26, 2026, contact our office to confirm the status of your file.

Ontario's Former Express Entry Streams Are Now Closed

On June 26, 2026, Ontario permanently closed all eight OINP streams through amendments to Ontario Regulation 422/17 under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015. This includes the three Express Entry-linked streams that previously allowed candidates to receive a Notification of Interest through their federal profile.

Applications already submitted following a valid invitation under any of these streams continue to be reviewed under the eligibility rules that were in force when OINP received the application.

The important distinction is that Ontario closed these specific streams, not its connection to Express Entry. The Notification of Interest model is gone. The option to convert an Ontario nomination into an enhanced Express Entry nomination is not, and it is explained in detail further down this page.

What Candidates With Former OINP Profiles Should Do Now

If you registered an Expression of Interest under one of the former OINP streams before June 26, 2026, and did not receive an invitation to apply, your EOI has been withdrawn by Ontario. You would have received a direct notice. To be considered under the new program, you need to register a new Expression of Interest, and your employer needs to submit a new job offer through the OINP Employer Portal. Job offers registered under the former streams cannot be carried over.

If you submitted a complete application under a former stream after receiving a valid invitation, your file remains active and is assessed under the old rules. You do not need to reapply. Monitor your OINP e-Filing Portal account and keep your contact information current.

If you had an active federal Express Entry profile and were waiting for an Ontario Notification of Interest, those NOIs are no longer issued. Federal Express Entry draws from IRCC continue independently of Ontario's changes. If your Comprehensive Ranking System score is competitive, you may still receive a federal Invitation to Apply through a federal draw without a provincial nomination. If it is not competitive, a qualifying Ontario job offer is now the practical route into the provincial system.

Ontario's New Immigration Pathway: The Ontario Workforce Priority Stream

Ontario replaced its former stream structure with the Ontario Workforce Priority stream, the first pathway under a two-phase OINP redesign. The stream connects workers who have secured employment in Ontario with a route to permanent residence. Unlike the former Human Capital Priorities stream, which did not require a job offer, almost all Workforce Priority pathways require a full-time, permanent job offer from a registered Ontario employer.

Ontario published the scoring factors for the stream on July 20, 2026, and opened Expression of Interest registration on August 4, 2026. Registration is free, and your EOI stays in the selection pool for 12 months.

The stream has three pathways:

TEER 0 to 3 Pathway: Skilled Workers

This pathway is for workers in skilled occupations classified at TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 under Canada's National Occupational Classification system, covering management roles, professional positions, technical occupations, and skilled trades that typically require post-secondary training or significant work experience.

General eligibility requirements:

• Job offer: Full-time and permanent position from a registered Ontario employer in a TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation
• Work experience: Minimum six consecutive months with the same employer in the job offer position. Recent Ontario graduates may qualify with three months of experience with the sponsoring employer, and applicants with two cumulative years in the same occupation across employers may also qualify
• Language: Minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 6, with CLB 5 applying to some occupations
• Education: Post-secondary diploma or degree
• Express Entry option: Available. If your application is approved, you can choose to be nominated through the federal Express Entry system

Employer eligibility requirements also apply. Your employer must be registered with the OINP Director and meet minimum gross annual revenue and full-time employee thresholds. Reduced thresholds apply to employers in rural communities, defined as those in census divisions with populations under 150,000. Positions where the Ontario Public Service or an OPS entity is the employer are not accepted.

TEER 4 to 5 Pathway: Essential Workers

This pathway opens a provincial nomination route to workers in essential occupations at TEER 4 or 5, including healthcare support, food processing, transportation, agriculture, construction, and manufacturing. The inclusion of TEER 4 and 5 workers is a significant expansion from the former OINP, which largely excluded lower-TEER occupations.

General eligibility requirements:

• Job offer: Full-time and permanent position in an essential occupation from a registered Ontario employer
• Work experience: Minimum nine months of cumulative experience in the last two years in the job offer position with the same employer
• Language: Minimum CLB 4
• Education: Requirements vary by occupation, so confirm your specific NOC code requirements before applying
• Express Entry option: Not available. Nominees under this pathway apply for permanent residence through the non-Express Entry provincial nominee process

Your employer must meet OINP registration and revenue requirements, with reduced thresholds for rural employers.

Self-Employed Physicians Pathway

This is the only Workforce Priority pathway that does not require a traditional employer-employee job offer. It is designed for physicians who practise under fee-for-service or other independent arrangements common in Ontario's healthcare system.

To qualify, you must:

• Be a member in good standing of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
• Hold a valid certificate of registration in the independent, academic, or provisional class
• Be eligible to bill through the Ontario Health Insurance Plan

Physicians register their Expression of Interest by submitting the OINP webform rather than through an employer job offer ID. This pathway also carries the Express Entry nomination option.

Ontario Workforce Priority Stream: Pathway Comparison

Eligibility requirements are set in Ontario Regulation 422/17 and may be updated. Confirm current criteria and scoring factors on the official Ontario Workforce Priority stream page before submitting anything.

Federal Express Entry vs. Ontario Provincial Nomination: What Is the Difference?

Federal Express Entry is a national selection system managed by IRCC. It draws candidates from the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class, selecting the highest-ranking candidates by CRS score at regular draws. Federal draws do not require a provincial nomination and continue independently of Ontario's program changes.

The Ontario Workforce Priority stream is a provincial nomination program with its own Expression of Interest system. Selection into that pool is based on Ontario's scoring factors and labour market priorities, not on your federal CRS score. An Ontario nomination is a separate provincial step, and it leads to a federal permanent residence application rather than replacing one.

The two systems connect at the end of the provincial process. If you are nominated with a TEER 0 to 3 job offer or as a self-employed physician, you can choose to have that nomination entered into the Express Entry system. Accepting it adds 600 points to your CRS score, which effectively guarantees an invitation in the next federal round for provincial nominee candidates and can shorten IRCC processing. To use this option you must meet the criteria for a federal Express Entry program and hold a valid Express Entry profile from the time you apply to OINP until you are nominated.

For candidates without a competitive CRS score but with a valid Ontario job offer, the Workforce Priority stream is now the clearer route. For candidates with strong CRS scores, keeping an active federal profile while pursuing an Ontario nomination gives you two live options at once. If you are unsure which route fits your profile, a free assessment can help clarify your options.

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How to Apply for Ontario Express Entry Stream

The Notification of Interest process used by the former Express Entry streams no longer exists. Applying through the Ontario Workforce Priority stream now follows a fixed sequence with short deadlines, and your employer moves first.

1. Your employer registers the job offer: Your employer registers the business in the OINP Employer Portal and submits your position. This is called a job offer even if you already work in the role. Self-employed physicians skip this step and submit the OINP webform instead.
2. You receive a job offer ID: OINP emails the job offer ID automatically once your employer submits.
3. You register your Expression of Interest within 30 calendar days: Log in to the OINP e-Filing Portal with your Ontario.ca Login, select the pathway your employer used, and enter the job offer ID. Registration is free. If you miss the 30-day window, the job offer expires and your employer must submit a new one.
4. Your EOI is scored and enters the selection pool: Ontario scores your registration against the published scoring factors and periodically invites the highest-ranking candidates. Your EOI stays valid for 12 months. Note that your NOC code and hourly wage are pre-populated by your employer and cannot be edited by you.
5. If invited, your employer applies within 14 calendar days: Your employer must submit the application for approval of the employment position within 14 calendar days of the invitation date. If they do not, your job offer is withdrawn and your EOI is removed from the pool.
6. You apply and pay within 17 calendar days: You have 17 calendar days from the invitation date to submit your application and pay the fee. You can prepare your application during that period, but you cannot submit it until your employer has submitted theirs.
7. Maintain a valid Express Entry profile if you want the Express Entry route: If you are applying with a TEER 0 to 3 job offer or as a self-employed physician and want the enhanced nomination, your Express Entry profile must stay valid from the date you apply until you are nominated, and you must select Ontario or All Provinces and Territories in that profile.

Supporting documents are uploaded in the e-Filing Portal. Any document not in English or French requires the original plus a notarized translation. An incomplete application is returned and the fee refunded, and an incomplete return cannot be appealed through internal review.

What Happens After OINP Is Approved

If your application is approved, you receive a nomination approval letter, a nomination certificate, and a work permit support letter where applicable. Your nomination certificate is valid for six months, and you must apply to IRCC for permanent residence before it expires.

If you selected the Express Entry route, OINP enters your nomination into the Express Entry system and you receive a notification in your IRCC account. You then have 30 calendar days to accept or decline the nomination. Accepting adds 600 CRS points, which means an invitation to apply in the next federal round for provincial nominees, followed by 60 calendar days to submit your permanent residence application.

If you were nominated under the TEER 4 to 5 pathway, or you did not choose the Express Entry option, you apply through the non-Express Entry permanent residence process for provincial nominees.

Your nomination is subject to conditions during the nomination period, and those conditions are set out in your approval letter. A nomination is a strong step forward, but it does not guarantee permanent residence. IRCC makes the final decision based on medical exams, background checks, and admissibility.

If your application is refused and you believe there was an error in the decision, you can request an internal review within 30 calendar days of the notice of decision. The internal reviewer's decision is final.

OINP Application Fee and Processing Times

The application fee for the Ontario Workforce Priority stream depends on where the job is located:

• $1,500 CAD if the job offer is outside the Greater Toronto Area
• $2,000 CAD if the job offer is within the Greater Toronto Area, defined as the City of Toronto, Durham, Halton, Peel, and York regions

Self-employed physicians pay the same amounts based on the location of their Ontario medical practice. There is no cost to register an Expression of Interest. Payment is accepted by Visa, Visa Debit, Mastercard, and Mastercard Debit.

The fee is non-refundable once OINP determines your application is complete and begins processing it, including if your application is refused. A refund is issued only if your application is returned as incomplete or you withdraw before processing begins.

OINP has not yet published official processing time estimates for the Ontario Workforce Priority stream. Under the former OINP streams, processing typically ranged between 60 and 150 days depending on the stream and application volume. Benchmarks for the new stream are expected once the program has been receiving applications for a full cycle.