Welcome to the Guberman // Appleby Immigration Update. We hope you find the information provided relevant to your immigration needs. Our objective is to highlight recent updates in immigration that are of interest to our readers. If you have questions about how these changes impact you, we invite you to contact our Canadian immigration lawyers for tailored guidance.
Today’s topic: Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (“OINP”) Redesign
On June 25, 2026, the provincial government passed Ontario Regulation 204/26, amending Ontario Regulation 422/17 of the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015, SO 2015, c 8. Previously, prospective permanent residency (“PR”) applicants who have been issued an invitation to apply under Ontario’s Provincial Nominee Program could apply for PR under one of eight streams. Now, these eight streams have been closed and replaced by the new ‘Ontario Workforce Priority’ (“OWP”) stream with three sub-categories.
Those who are now applying under the OINP must now do so under one of three OWP categories:
- Those with a full-time job offer for a Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (“TEER”) 0-3 position;
- Those with a full-time job offer for a TEER 4-5 position; and
- Self-employed physicians.
Under the TEER pathways, eligibility criteria include, but are not limited to:
- Being issued an invitation to apply for a certificate of nomination by the Government of Ontario;
- A full-time job offer in accordance with the respective TEER;
- The requisite level of education (with a valid educational credential assessment);
- A certain duration of consecutive full-time work experience in the employment position to which the application relates; and
- Meeting the requisite language proficiency requirements.
Applications for PR made before May 30, 2026 will be assessed in accordance with the criteria of one of the eight former streams. Job offers registered under the former streams that have not been issued an invitation to apply will be automatically withdrawn within the coming weeks. Eligible candidates can then register an Expression of Interest (EOI) under the new OWP stream. Employers who have already registered in the employer portal will not have to register again, but they will have to submit a new job offer and an application for an approval of an employment position before a candidate can apply under the new OWP stream.
The streamlining of OINP applications is an important shift that provides clearer pathways to PR in Ontario. For Ontario businesses, this change will help employers find proven talent in positions that are difficult to fill. By meeting the criteria requirements, prospective candidates will be of a higher calibre based on language and education benchmarks.
We will continue to monitor the status of this update as more information is released. To learn more about PR options under the new OINP stream, please contact our office to discuss your matter.
// CONTACT US
We welcome you to contact us directly to discuss the above. Please contact one of our Toronto immigration lawyers by reaching out to our general line 416-548-7100 or via email info@gaimmlaw.com. Our immigration lawyers are always available to discuss any of your specific Canadian or US immigration queries either virtually or in person. We look forward to hearing from you.
