Immigration to Ontario
Ontario receives more immigrants than any other Canadian province. Important update: on June 26, 2026 Ontario closed all of its former OINP worker and graduate streams to new applicants as part of a program redesign. A new stream called Ontario Workforce Priority will replace them — it has not opened yet. Applications already submitted are still being assessed under the old rules. Check Ontario's official page for the reopening.
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) streams
We cover 8 OINP streams. Each links to a detailed page with eligibility criteria, documents, and processing times.
New to provincial programs? Read our plain-English guide to PNPs.
Ontario's Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream
Ontario's Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream is an immigration stream under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) that gives foreign workers with the required skilled work experie…
Ontario's Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream
Ontario's Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream is an OINP stream for foreign nationals with Ontario work experience in eligible skilled trades. Applicants must have a valid Express Entry profile and…
Ontario's Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream
Ontario's Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream is an immigration stream under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) that gives foreign workers with required skilled work exper…
OINP Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream
The Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream gives foreign workers with a job offer in a skilled occupation (NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3), or eligible physicians, the opportunity to apply to permanentl…
OINP Employer Job Offer: International Student stream
The Employer Job Offer: International Student stream gives international students with a job offer in a skilled occupation (NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3) the opportunity to apply for permanent residence …
OINP Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream
The Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream allows foreign workers with a job offer in specific in-demand NOC TEER 4 or 5 occupations (such as agriculture, construction, and personal support wo…
OINP Masters Graduate stream
The Masters Graduate stream allows international graduates with an Ontario masters degree to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence in Ontario. Applicants must first register an …
OINP PhD Graduate Stream
The PhD Graduate stream allows international graduates with an Ontario PhD degree to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence in Ontario. Applicants must first register an Expressi…
Where Ontario is actually hiring
The sectors that drive Ontario's immigrant recruitment — and the occupations consistently in demand.
Tech (Toronto, Waterloo, Ottawa)
Canada's largest technology hub by absolute volume — Toronto and Waterloo together hold over 40% of national tech employment. Before the June 2026 redesign, the OINP Human Capital Priorities stream issued regular tech-targeted draws and was a major route for software engineers, developers, and data scientists. Tech workers aiming for Ontario should watch for the new Ontario Workforce Priority stream to open, or consider federal Express Entry directly.
Finance, accounting, and professional services
Bay Street is Canada's financial capital. Major banks (RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC), insurance, asset management, and the big four accounting firms recruit foreign-trained accountants, financial analysts, and consultants consistently. Until June 2026 the OINP's HCP and Employer Job Offer streams were the usual provincial routes; while Ontario's new stream is pending, federal Express Entry is the main path.
Healthcare (chronic shortage)
Ontario has the most consistent nursing shortage in the country — CNO actively recruits foreign-trained RNs through NNAS pathways, and until June 2026 the OINP HCP stream nominated healthcare professionals regularly. GTA, Ottawa, and Northern Ontario all have sustained demand across nursing, allied health, and specialist medicine — healthcare workers should watch for Ontario's new stream to open.
Manufacturing and automotive (Windsor-Hamilton corridor)
Southwestern Ontario remains Canada's manufacturing heartland — automotive, aerospace, steel, food processing. Until June 2026 the OINP In-Demand Skills and Employer Job Offer streams covered production workers, engineers, and tradespeople with offers from manufacturers across Windsor, London, Hamilton, and Cambridge. Those streams are closed to new applicants while Ontario's redesign is pending.
Ontario immigration — questions
How many OINP streams are there?+
As of June 26, 2026: none are open to new applicants. Ontario removed its former eight worker and graduate streams (three Express Entry-aligned, three Employer Job Offer, two graduate) as part of a redesign, and is replacing them with one new stream called Ontario Workforce Priority. It has not opened yet. If you already applied under an old stream, your application is still being assessed under the old rules.
Do I need to live in Ontario before applying to the OINP?+
The OINP is closed to new applicants right now (June 2026 redesign), so nobody can apply today. Under the former streams there was no general residency requirement — Express Entry-aligned streams accepted applicants worldwide, Employer Job Offer streams needed an Ontario job offer, and graduate streams needed an Ontario degree. The rules of the new Ontario Workforce Priority stream have not been published yet.
Is Ontario the easiest province for tech workers?+
Ontario has the largest tech labour market by absolute volume, but its nominee program is closed to new applicants right now (June 2026 redesign). Until the new Ontario Workforce Priority stream opens, tech workers who want a provincial nomination should look at Alberta's Accelerated Tech Pathway or BC's tech-focused streams — or go through federal Express Entry directly. If you're open to either Toronto/Waterloo or Calgary/Edmonton, check both province pages.
Is Ontario a fit for you?
Free, email required. About 5–10 minutes. We'll check your profile against Ontario's 8 OINP streams plus the broader programs we cover.