How OINP works—and what is open now.
OINP is Ontario’s economic immigration program, operated with the Government of Canada. Ontario selects and nominates candidates whose skills and experience respond to provincial needs; IRCC alone makes the final permanent-residence and admissibility decision.
Ontario’s role
Assess the provincial stream requirements and, if approved, issue a provincial nomination.
IRCC’s role
Assess the permanent-residence application, including federal eligibility, medical, criminality and security requirements.
Current intake
Ontario Workforce Priority is the only stream open to new registrations. It has two job-offer pathways and one pathway for eligible self-employed physicians.
Closed streams
Former OINP streams are closed to new registrations. Applications already submitted are assessed under the rules that applied when they were filed.
- Employer-led job-offer pathway for TEER 0–3 occupations
- Employer-led job-offer pathway for TEER 4–5 occupations
- A separate no-job-offer pathway for eligible self-employed physicians
- Further redesign phases may be announced, but a proposed future stream is not an available pathway until Ontario officially launches it
Transition rule
A pending EOI under a former stream did not carry into the new system. Affected candidates generally need a new employer job offer and a new EOI. An application already submitted after an earlier invitation is assessed under the rules in force when it was submitted.
Which pathway matches the position?
Eligibility is different from EOI score. A strong score cannot cure a missing job-offer, work-experience, education, language, licence or employer requirement.
| Requirement | TEER 0–3 | TEER 4–5 | Self-employed physician |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job offer | Required | Required | Not required |
| Work experience | One of: 6 consecutive months in the offered position with the employer during the last 12 months; 3 consecutive months for an eligible recent Ontario graduate; or 2 cumulative years in the NOC during the last 5 years. A mandatory occupational licence may satisfy the alternate rule where Ontario permits it. | At least 9 cumulative months of paid full-time work in the offered position with the employer during the last 2 years, gained while legally living and working in Ontario. | The ordinary worker experience rule does not apply; medical registration and OHIP billing eligibility control this pathway. |
| Language | Normally CLB/NCLC 6 in all four abilities; CLB/NCLC 5 applies to specified occupations. Certain eligible recent Ontario graduates may be exempt under the detailed rules. | CLB/NCLC 4 in all four abilities; no graduate language exemption. | No separate language-test requirement under the physician pathway. |
| Education | Eligible post-secondary degree, diploma or credential; a valid ECA is generally required for foreign education. | Canadian secondary school diploma or equivalent; a valid ECA is generally required for a foreign credential. | CPSO registration in an eligible class replaces the ordinary education requirement. |
| Federal route | Base nomination or, if the applicant is eligible and maintains an active Express Entry profile, an enhanced nomination. | Base (non-Express Entry) nomination. | Base or eligible Express Entry nomination for the applicable physician NOC. |
Self-employed physician: fixed professional conditions
- Member in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO)
- Valid independent, academic or provisional class certificate of registration
- Eligible to receive payment for publicly funded medical services through OHIP
- Practice address—not a freely selected TEER—is used for the applicable regional and fee rules
The job offer must work before the score matters.
The job-offer pathways accept occupations across NOC TEER 0–5, but the employment position and the employer must both be approved.
Full-time
At least 30 paid hours per week and 1,560 hours per year.
Permanent
No end date. Seasonal and contract positions do not qualify.
Ontario position
The work location must be in Ontario and the position must be urgently necessary to the employer’s business.
Wage
Normally at or above the Job Bank median wage for the occupation and work region. An eligible recent Ontario graduate in a TEER 0–3 job may use the published low-wage level. Collective-agreement rules may apply separately.
Current employee
The offered wage must also be at least the wage currently paid to the employee in that position.
Genuine employment
The offer cannot affect a labour dispute and must reflect a real employer-employee relationship. Independent contracting is not eligible except for the physician pathway.
Do not copy a province-wide or national wage without checking the exact Job Bank region. Bonuses, commissions, vacation pay and non-cash compensation do not replace the required hourly base wage.
The employer is assessed separately.
The candidate can meet every personal requirement and still fail if the business or offered position is not approved.
| Work/reporting location | Gross annual revenue | Canadian/PR full-time employees |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Toronto Area: City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel and York | $1,000,000 in the most recently completed fiscal year | At least 5 at the work/reporting location |
| The 14 listed census divisions outside the GTA (full list below) | $500,000 in the most recently completed fiscal year | At least 3 at the work/reporting location |
| All other Ontario locations | $250,000 in each of the two most recently completed fiscal years | At least 3 at the work/reporting location |
Exactly where the $500,000 employer tier applies
Ontario names 14 census divisions for this middle revenue tier. The city examples help identify the area, but the legal census-division boundary—not the example list—controls.
| Official census division | Useful city / municipality examples |
|---|---|
| Ottawa (Census division) | Ottawa |
| Waterloo (Regional municipality) | Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge |
| Hamilton (Census division) | Hamilton |
| Simcoe (County) | Barrie, Orillia, Collingwood, Innisfil |
| Middlesex (County) | London, Strathroy-Caradoc, Middlesex Centre |
| Niagara (Regional municipality) | St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Welland |
| Essex (County) | Windsor, Leamington, Essex |
| Wellington (County) | Guelph, Centre Wellington, Erin |
| Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury (Census division) | Greater Sudbury |
| Frontenac (County) | Kingston, South Frontenac |
| Brant (Census division) | Brantford, County of Brant |
| Peterborough (County) | Peterborough, Selwyn, Cavan Monaghan |
| Hastings (County) | Belleville, Quinte West, Bancroft |
| Thunder Bay (District) | Thunder Bay, Marathon, Greenstone |
Do not classify the employer from a mailing address, the applicant’s home, or a familiar city name alone. Confirm the exact work/reporting address against the applicable census-division boundary.
If the employee works at more than one location, Ontario uses the report-to-work location: either where the immediate supervisor or manager works, or the administrative office that gives the employee work assignments. The Employer Portal’s head-office address is a separate field and may be different.
- At least three years of active business before applying
- Business premises in Ontario where the employee works or reports to work
- No outstanding orders under Ontario employment-standards or occupational-health-and-safety legislation
- Required revenue and employee headcount for the position’s location
- A genuine, urgently necessary full-time permanent position
- Reasonable domestic recruitment when the worker is not already authorized to work in Ontario and there is no positive LMIA for the same position
Recruitment evidence
Where required, Ontario expects at least two reasonable recruitment methods and generally at least four weeks of public advertising. The employer or an independent recruitment professional must conduct the recruitment. Recruitment carried out by the immigration representative creates a conflict and Ontario states the application will be refused.
EOI ranking is out of 130 points.
Registering an EOI is free and does not guarantee an invitation. Ontario may rank the whole pool or issue a targeted invitation round.
Employment & labour market
TEER, occupational category, hourly wage, Ontario experience, Canadian earnings and legal status
Education
Highest credential and eligible Canadian credentials
Language
Lowest official-language ability and knowledge of both official languages
Regionalization
Work location in the offer, or the medical practice address for a physician
A City of Toronto position receives 0 regionalization points; other GTA locations receive 5, Eastern/Central outside GTA/Southwestern Ontario receive 10, and Northern Ontario receives 15. These are score values—not employer-revenue categories or application-fee boundaries.
Open the OINP points calculatorThe employer and applicant have connected deadlines.
The employer starts the job-offer route. Supporting evidence should be ready before an invitation because the post-invitation windows are short.
- 01
Employer submits the job offer
The business registers in the Employer Portal and submits the position. Ontario emails the job-offer ID to the worker.
- 02
Worker registers the EOI
The worker uses the job-offer ID within 30 calendar days. The EOI can remain in the pool for up to 12 months.
- 03
Ontario may issue an invitation
Selection can depend on the EOI score, current provincial priorities, targeted criteria and nomination capacity.
- 04
Employer files within 14 days
After an invitation, the employer submits the application for approval of the employment position within 14 calendar days.
- 05
Applicant files within 17 days
The applicant submits the nomination application and fee within 17 calendar days from the invitation. The applicant cannot submit before the employer has filed.
- 06
Ontario assesses both sides
The program reviews the candidate, employer, position and supporting documents before deciding whether to nominate.
Worker registers an EOI after the employer submits the job offer
Maximum time an EOI remains in the selection pool
Employer filing deadline after an invitation
Applicant filing and payment deadline after an invitation
Standard deadline to apply to IRCC after nomination
Ontario application fee
Prepare both files before an invitation.
The official checklists control. Documents not in English or French require an acceptable translation, and dates, duties, wages and status must remain consistent across both filings.
Applicant documents
- Passport and civil-status documents
- Current Canadian status and work authorization, where applicable
- Signed job offer and employment records
- Reference letters, pay statements, T4s and Notices of Assessment supporting claimed experience and earnings
- Language results, education credentials and ECA, where required
- Occupational licence or authorization for a regulated profession
- Evidence of intention to live and work in Ontario
- CPSO registration and OHIP billing eligibility for a self-employed physician
Employer documents
- Business registration and ownership records
- Canada Revenue Agency schedules and financial evidence supporting revenue
- Employee headcount and work-location evidence
- Business premises and organizational information
- Position description, duties, wage and signed job offer
- Recruitment records and advertising evidence when required
- Commercial vehicle documents for specified truck-driver or transit positions, where applicable
Common failure points
Wrong NOC
The title alone is not enough; duties, experience, wage and the position must support the selected NOC.
Wrong wage region
The applicable work/reporting location—not the applicant’s home address—controls the wage check.
Employer not ready
Revenue, employee count, premises and recruitment should be checked before the job offer starts the 30-day clock.
EOI facts change
Material changes must be updated or reported. Points claimed at registration must be documentable at application.
Nomination is not permanent residence.
Ontario issues the provincial nomination; IRCC makes the permanent-residence and admissibility decision.
Enhanced nomination
Eligible TEER 0–3 candidates and physicians with a qualifying active Express Entry profile may request the Express Entry route. After acceptance, the nomination adds 600 CRS points.
Base nomination
TEER 4–5 candidates use the non-Express Entry PNP process. Other eligible nominees may also use the base route.
Employment conditions
Job-offer nominees must continue meeting the position and employment conditions. The employer and nominee must report material changes or termination.
Work permit support
Where issued, a provincial support letter may assist with a separate IRCC work-permit application; it is not itself a work permit.
Verify the current rules at the source.
General information only, not legal advice. OINP criteria, portal instructions, invitation priorities and document requirements can change. The legislation, current Ontario instructions and the facts supported by the evidence control each case.