Ontario Workforce Priority stream
Ontario's single employer-driven nomination stream since the June 2026 redesign. It replaced eight older streams. It has a job-offer pathway for TEER 0-3 and TEER 4-5 workers, and a separate pathway for self-employed physicians. Candidates enter an expression-of-interest pool and are ranked on a points grid that favours higher wages, Ontario experience, higher language and education levels, and jobs outside Toronto.
Who it suits
- Workers with a full-time permanent job offer from an eligible Ontario employer in a TEER 0-5 occupation
- Recent Ontario graduates with a job offer (shorter work-experience and language relief on the TEER 0-3 pathway)
- Self-employed physicians in Ontario with a CPSO certificate and OHIP billing eligibility (no job offer needed)
Requirements
- Job offerA full-time, permanent job in Ontario that the employer shows is urgently necessary, paying at least the required wage for the location. Employer registers the offer in the Employer Portal and receives a job offer ID; the candidate then registers an EOI within 30 calendar days. ↗ ontario.ca
- LanguageCLB 6 in all four abilities for TEER 0-3 non-trades jobs; CLB 5 for TEER 0-3 skilled trades; CLB 4 for TEER 4-5. Accepted tests: IELTS General Training, CELPIP General, PTE Core, TEF Canada, TCF Canada, taken within 2 years of applying. Recent Ontario graduates with a qualifying credential are exempt on the TEER 0-3 pathway. ↗ ontario.ca
- EducationTEER 0-3 non-trades: post-secondary credential of at least 1 year full-time from an eligible Canadian institution, or a foreign credential with an ECA (under 5 years old). Skilled trades and TEER 4-5: secondary diploma or equivalent. NOC 33102: Ontario college certificate of at least 1 year. ↗ ontario.ca
- Work experienceTEER 0-3: 6 consecutive months full-time in the job-offer position within the last 12 months (or 3 months for a recent Ontario graduate, or 2 years cumulative in the same NOC within 5 years, or a mandatory licence). TEER 4-5: 9 months cumulative full-time in the offered position within the last 2 years. Experience is not restricted to Canada. ↗ ontario.ca
- StatusApplicants living in Canada must hold a visitor record, study permit or work permit at the time of applying; maintained status is accepted. ↗ ontario.ca
- Intent to resideMust intend to live and work in Ontario after becoming a permanent resident; this is assessed from ties such as work, studies, property, family and professional networks. ↗ ontario.ca
- EmployerEmployer must have operated for at least 3 years, have Ontario premises, meet revenue and Canadian-staff requirements for its location (lower revenue thresholds apply in rural census divisions under 150,000 people), and show recruitment effort when hiring from outside Canada or outside Ontario. Ontario Public Service bodies are excluded. ↗ ontario.ca
- PhysicianSelf-employed physician pathway: member in good standing of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (independent, academic or provisional certificate; postgraduate education licence holders are ineligible) and eligible for OHIP billing. No language, education or work-experience test. ↗ ontario.ca
- FeesNo fee to register an EOI. Application fee is CAD 1,500 if the job is outside the GTA and CAD 2,000 if inside the GTA (City of Toronto, Durham, Halton, Peel, York). ↗ ontario.ca
- DocumentsLanguage test and ECA must be recent (test within 2 years, ECA under 5 years); Notice of Assessment for earnings history covers the last 5 years. ↗ ontario.ca
How candidates are selected
Expression-of-interest pool. Eligible candidates get points for job-offer and labour-market factors (TEER, NOC broad category, hourly wage, Ontario work experience, Canadian earnings, work/study permit), education (level and number of Canadian credentials), language (CLB level, knowledge of both official languages) and region of work (Northern 15, Eastern/Central/Southwestern 10, GTA outside Toronto 5, Toronto 0). Ontario issues invitations to apply from the pool; meeting the criteria alone does not guarantee an invitation. An EOI stays valid 12 months unless invited.
Location requirement: Job must be in Ontario and the applicant must intend to live and work there. Applicants outside Canada can qualify (the employer must show recruitment effort); Ontario experience earns points.
Processing: IRCC's service standard for the federal PR stage after nomination is 180 days for Express Entry-linked nominees and 11 months for paper (non-Express Entry) nominees, not counting the province's own processing. Ontario publishes no overall processing time on its application-process page.
Related pathways
Official sources
- ontario.caOntario Workforce Priority streamChecked 2026-10-01
- ontario.caOINP application processChecked 2026-10-01
- ontario.caWorkforce Priority applicant checklistChecked 2026-10-01
- ontario.ca2026 OINP updatesChecked 2026-10-01
- ontario.caOINP streams (closed streams)Checked 2026-10-01
- ontario.caOINP main pageChecked 2026-10-01
- ontario.caOINP invitations to applyChecked 2026-10-01
Program rules change often. This page summarizes the official pages listed above; the official page always takes precedence.