Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
OINP
Ontario replaced all eight OINP streams with the Workforce Priority stream in June 2026. Here's who qualifies, how the 130-point score works, and what employers must do.
A nomination from Ontario is not permanent residence on its own. It's the province backing your application, which you then file with the federal government. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada makes the final decision.
There are three ways into the stream:
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You have a job offer from an eligible Ontario employer in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation
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You have a job offer in a TEER 4 or 5 occupation
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You are a self-employed physician, in which case you don't need a job offer at all
TEER is how Canada classifies job skill levels, from 0 for management down to 5 for entry-level. What you need to prove depends on which category your job offer falls into.
This is general information, not legal advice. OINP rules are still changing. Confirm current criteria on ontario.ca before you act.
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To be eligible, you must meet all the minimum requirements for
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Work Experience
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Language Ability
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Legal Status In Canada
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Your Employer
Work Experience
You must have one of the following:
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At least 6 months of consecutive, paid, full-time work experience in the job offer position, within the 12 months before you apply
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At least 3 months, if you graduated from an eligible Ontario institution within the last 3 years
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At least 2 years of cumulative, paid, full-time work experience in the same NOC occupation, within the 5 years before you apply, or the part-time equivalent
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A valid licence or authorization, where one is legally required for the position
Narrow exceptions let engineers, pharmacists and nurses count experience in a closely related occupation.
Transport truck drivers and bus, subway and transit operators must meet the 6-month requirement regardless of licence or Ontario schooling.
Language Ability
You must take an approved English or French language test and meet a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark in all four abilities — reading, writing, listening and speaking:
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CLB 6 or higher, for most occupations
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CLB 5 or higher, if your job offer is a listed skilled trade
No language test is required if you graduated from an eligible Ontario institution in the last 3 years with a two-year postsecondary credential, an Ontario College Graduate Certificate, a Master's degree or a PhD.
Accepted tests are IELTS General Training, CELPIP General, PTE Core, TEF Canada and TCF Canada. Academic and One Skill Retake versions are not accepted. Your test must be less than 2 years old on the date you apply.
Legal Status In Canada
If you are applying from inside Canada you must have legal status — a visitor record, study permit or work permit. Maintained status counts. You can also apply from outside Canada.
Your Employer
Your own file can be perfect and still fail on your employer's side. Your employer must:
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Have been in active business for at least 3 years
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Have business premises in Ontario where you will work
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Have no outstanding orders under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 or the Occupational Health and Safety Act
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Meet minimum revenue thresholds, set by where the job is located
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Employ a minimum number of Canadian citizens or permanent residents full-time, also set by location
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Show genuine local recruitment effort, if you are currently living outside Canada or working outside Ontario
The job offer must be full-time, permanent, urgently necessary to the business, unaffected by a labour dispute, and paid at the required wage level for its area.
Ontario Public Service positions do not qualify. And if your employment ends after nomination, the nomination is cancelled and you would need to start over with a new expression of interest.
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You must have a postsecondary degree or diploma that takes at least one year to complete on a full-time basis, from an eligible Canadian institution or its equivalent from an institution in another country.
If your job offer is a listed skilled trade, a Canadian secondary school diploma or its equivalent is enough.
If your job offer is for a nurse aide, orderly or patient service associate position, you need an Ontario college certificate requiring at least one year of full-time study.
If you completed your studies outside Canada, you need an Educational Credential Assessment that is less than five years old on the date you apply, from an organization designated by IRCC.
You must intend to live and work in Ontario after you are granted permanent residence. Ontario assesses this by looking at your ties to the province, where you have worked or studied, job offers and interviews, volunteering, property, family and professional networks.
Where in Ontario also affects your score, and by more than most people expect. Points follow the job's work location as entered by your employer, not where you currently live.
Where the job is:
Northern Ontario 15
Eastern Ontario 10
Southwestern Ontario 10
Central Ontario outside the GTA 10
Inside the GTA but not Toronto — Halton, Peel, York, Durham 5
City of Toronto 0
A job in Hamilton counts as Southwestern Ontario and scores 10. The same job in Toronto scores 0. If you are weighing two offers, that gap is worth real consideration.
This route is for skilled workers with a job offer in an occupation classified as TEER 4 or 5 — roles that usually need on-the-job training rather than a postsecondary credential. You need a job offer from an eligible Ontario employer.
The list of requirements is shorter here, but the work experience requirement is stricter.
Understand The Application Options
There is only one route for TEER 4 and 5 applicants. You cannot be nominated through the federal Express Entry system — that option is limited to TEER 0–3 and to self-employed physicians.
Step 1. Your Employer Submits Your Position Your employer registers their business in the OINP Employer Portal and files details of your job, generating a job offer ID.
Step 2. Register An Expression Of Interest Within 30 calendar days of your employer's submission.
Step 3. If Invited, You Both File Your employer has 14 calendar days. You have 17 calendar days, and cannot submit until after your employer has submitted theirs.
Step 4. Apply For Permanent Residence If nominated, you have six months to apply to IRCC directly.
You must have at least 9 months of cumulative, paid, full-time work experience in the exact employment position your employer is seeking approval for, gained within the 2 years before you apply.
Full-time means at least 1,170 hours over a 12-month period, at a minimum of 30 hours per week.
That means the same occupation, same employer and same location as the job offer. General experience in a similar role elsewhere does not count.
Language Ability
CLB 4 or higher in all four abilities. The same tests are accepted as for TEER 0–3, and your test must be less than 2 years old on the date you apply.
Legal Status In Canada
If you are applying from inside Canada you must have legal status. Maintained status counts. You can also apply from outside Canada.
Your Employer
The same employer requirements apply as for TEER 0–3: at least 3 years in active business, Ontario premises, no outstanding employment standards or health and safety orders, minimum revenue and staffing thresholds set by job location, and documented local recruitment if you are outside Ontario.
You must intend to live and work in Ontario after you are granted permanent residence. Ontario assesses this through your ties to the province.
Points follow the job's work location, not where you live: Northern Ontario scores 15, Eastern, Southwestern and Central Ontario outside the GTA each score 10, the GTA outside Toronto scores 5, and the City of Toronto scores 0.
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