OINP

Ontario has introduced major regulatory amendments to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), granting the province wider authority to suspend or return applications before issuing nominations.

Ontario has recently made a significant update to the International Student Stream, opening new doors for those seeking permanent residence in Canada. Now, the program has eliminated the bachelor’s degree minimum requirement, making it accessible to a wider range of academic qualifications. Whether you've completed a one-year program or more, you may be eligible to apply.

This week, Ontario, British Columbia (BC), and Manitoba have actively participated in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), inviting a significant number of candidates to apply for nominations, vital for their integration into the provincial economies.

Ontario has simplified permanent residence access for some self-employed physicians under its Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream. The updated rules took effect on January 1, 2026.

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has launched the Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) pilot program, aimed at addressing labor shortages in four rural and northern regions: Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, Sarnia-Lambton, and Thunder Bay. Running from January 2 to December 31, 2025, the program will bring up to 800 highly skilled immigrants to Ontario.

Ontario issued 1,334 invitations through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program on April 15 under the Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream.

• Agriculture jobs: 315 invitations, score 35
  Other in-demand jobs: 1,024 invitations, score 36

About 77% went to non-agriculture roles. Profiles had to be created between July 2, 2025 and April 13, 2026.

Candidates needed a valid job offer and must have been in Canada with a work or study permit.

Ontario is planning major changes to the program on May 30, 2026, possibly replacing current streams with one new system.

In its most recent draw under the Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) invited 1,307 candidates with CRS scores between 405 and 435. The draw targeted 47 skilled trade occupations for Express Entry profiles created between October 17, 2023, and October 17, 2024.

Ontario is investing $25 million more over the next three years, on top of the $15 million over three years that was announced in Budget 2022, to double Ontario’s skilled immigrant intake. The investment will work to address labour shortages and promote economic growth in the province.

Ontario has publicly named applicants, representatives, and consultancies that violated the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015 during 2025. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) issued major fines and multi-year bans for misrepresentation, unlicensed immigration advice, and failure to verify client information.

Ontario says it will soon launch new immigration streams under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).

Ontario is preparing a major rewrite of its provincial immigration program, with sweeping changes expected to take effect on May 30, 2026.

On November 4, Ontario officially closed its Entrepreneur stream within the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). This decision follows a suspension of new applications since December 2023 as the province moves to finalize amendments aimed at winding down the program.

Ontario has suspended the OINP Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream immediately after finding widespread misrepresentation in applicant files. All pending applications will be returned with full refunds, and no new submissions will be accepted. The province has not said whether the stream will reopen.

Three provinces have issued ITAs under Provincial Nominee Programs.

Five provinces have issued invitations in the most recent round of draws through provincial immigration programs.

Ontario is planning a major overhaul of its immigration system under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) through amendments to the Ontario Immigration Act, which are expected to take effect on May 30, 2026.