Ontario has opened applications for its new Ontario Workforce Priority Stream, creating a fresh route to permanent residence for eligible foreign nationals with employment connections to the province.
The new stream became available on August 4, 2026, under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program. It is the first pathway to open under Ontario’s wider immigration programme redesign, which replaced the province’s previous eight nomination streams.
The Ontario Workforce Priority Stream is divided into three pathways. These cover workers in higher-skilled occupations classified under National Occupational Classification TEER categories 0 to 3, workers in TEER 4 and 5 occupations, and qualifying self-employed physicians practising in Ontario.
Most candidates will need a permanent, full-time job offer from an eligible Ontario employer. The employer must first register the employment offer through the OINP Employer Portal before the foreign worker can create an Expression of Interest in the province’s e-Filing Portal.
Self-employed physicians follow a different process and may qualify without a traditional job offer. Eligible physicians must be registered and in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, hold an accepted certificate of registration and be eligible to bill the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.
Creating an Expression of Interest does not guarantee an invitation to apply. Ontario will rank candidates using its points-based system and periodically invite those whose profiles meet the province’s workforce priorities.
An Expression of Interest remains active for up to 12 months. Candidates who are not invited within that period will need to create a new profile to remain under consideration.
Applicants who receive an invitation have 17 calendar days to submit a complete nomination application and pay the required application fee. For job-offer pathways, the employer must also apply for approval of the employment position within 14 calendar days of the invitation.
The higher-skilled pathway generally targets workers in TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 occupations. Applicants may qualify through recent experience with the employer offering the job, previous experience in the occupation or professional licensing, depending on their circumstances. They must also meet the applicable education and language requirements.
The lower-skilled pathway is available to workers in TEER 4 and 5 occupations. Candidates generally need recent work experience with the employer providing the offer, a secondary school education or equivalent and a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark score of 4.
Receiving a provincial nomination does not automatically grant permanent residence. Successful candidates must still submit a permanent residence application to the federal government, which makes the final immigration decision.
Some nominees under the higher-skilled pathway and eligible self-employed physicians may be able to continue through Express Entry, which can provide faster federal processing where the candidate meets the relevant requirements.
Job-offer nominees may also receive a provincial support letter that can be used when applying for a work permit while their permanent residence application is being processed.
Ontario closed its previous nomination streams as part of the programme overhaul. Applications already submitted under those former pathways will continue to be assessed according to the rules in effect when they were filed.
The province plans to introduce three additional pathways in the next phase of the redesign. These are expected to target priority healthcare workers, entrepreneurs and individuals with exceptional achievements in areas such as science, technology, innovation, academia and the arts. Full eligibility rules and launch dates have not yet been announced.
Applicants and employers who need guidance on the new process can book a consultation with Sehli Global.
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