Ontario Scraps Nine OINP Streams In Major Overhaul

Ontario made one of the biggest changes in its provincial immigration program on May 30, 2026, when all nine Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program nomination streams lost their legal basis under new regulations.

The change revoked every existing pathway to provincial nomination in Ontario, including employer job offer, graduate, Express Entry-linked, skilled trades, and entrepreneur streams. The province has not released final details on what will replace the old system.

Nine Streams Revoked

Changes came through amendments to Ontario Regulation 421/17. As of May 30, the following OINP categories were revoked: Foreign Worker, International Student with a Job Offer, In-Demand Skills, Master’s Graduate, PhD Graduate, Human Capital Priorities, French-Speaking Skilled Worker, Skilled Trades, and Entrepreneur.

Candidates who met the old eligibility rules no longer qualify for nomination under those revoked categories after May 30. This matters for people who had planned to register or apply through previous streams.

New Invitation Powers

The amended rules also gave the OINP director broader authority to issue invitations to apply. Ontario can now hold general and targeted invitation rounds across categories.

Under targeted draws, candidates may be considered only if they meet specific labour market or human capital factors chosen by the director. Among those who meet the target, the highest-ranking candidates can receive invitations to apply.

This gives Ontario more room to select candidates for workforce needs.

Employer Verification Now Formalized

Ontario also added formal rules for employer verification. Candidates applying through any category that requires an Ontario job offer cannot apply unless their employer is registered with the OINP director.

Employers must register and provide an eligible job offer before the candidate submits an application. This process had already become part of OINP operations through the employer portal, but it is now written into the regulations.

Replacement Streams Still Unclear

Ontario has not confirmed final replacement streams. In December 2025, the province consulted stakeholders on a two-phase redesign.

In the first proposed phase, Ontario would merge its three employer job offer streams into one stream with two tracks. One track would cover TEER 0 to 3 occupations, while the other would cover TEER 4 to 5 jobs.

In the second proposed phase, Ontario would replace the remaining streams with three new pathways: Priority Healthcare, Entrepreneur, and Exceptional Talent.

These remain proposals only. Ontario has not published eligibility rules, opening dates, or full program details.

Questions Remain For Candidates

The province has not confirmed whether existing Expression of Interest profiles will move into the new system, whether candidates must register again, or whether profiles will be withdrawn.

During the employer portal transition in July 2025, existing profiles were withdrawn. Ontario has not said whether the same process will apply here.

Pending applications filed before May 30 are generally expected to be assessed under the rules in place when they were submitted. However, the regulation does not clearly confirm that approach.

The overhaul follows the Working for Workers Seven Act, 2025, which gave Ontario’s immigration minister more power to create or remove OINP streams.