The Government of Ontario is making changes to the Ontario Immigration Act that will overhaul all of its existing immigration streams under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), introduce targeted draws and subject applications supported by Ontario employers to new verification steps.
The OINP is the province of Ontario’s economic immigration Program.
Eligible candidates, including international students and foreign workers, who have the skills, experience and education needed by the province can receive a nomination to facilitate their application for permanent residency to Canada.
Changes to the regulations are intended to allow the province to select candidates who have the potential to make a meaningful contribution to Ontario’s economy without displacing Canadian citizens and permanent residents by updating the OINP to better target provincial labour needs.
The changes will take effect on May 30, 2026.
EXISTING CATEGORIES ELIGIBLE FOR NOMINATION WILL BE REVOKED
The following categories will no longer be eligible for nomination effective May 30, 2026.
- Foreign worker
- International student with job offers
- In-demand skills
- Master’s graduate
- PhD graduate
- Human capital priorities
- French-speaking skilled worker
- Skilled trades
- Entrepreneur
Temporary residents who previously qualified under those categories will no longer be eligible.
OTHER CHANGES TO ONTARIO REGULATION 421/17 – APPROVALS UNDER THE ONTARIO IMMIGRANT NOMINEE PROGRAM AND OTHER MATTERS
Categories of applicants
Original:
- (1) The following categories of applicants for a certificate of nomination are established:
- The foreign worker category.
- The international student with a job offer category.
- The in-demand skills category.
- The master’s graduate category.
- The Ph.D. graduate category.
- The human capital priorities category.
- The French-speaking skilled worker category.
- The skilled trades category.
- The entrepreneur category.
On May 30, 2026, section 2 of the Regulation is revoked.
Certificate of nomination: Entrepreneur
(2) An applicant in the international student with a job offer category or the in-demand skills category shall not register an expression of interest unless the applicant’s employer has registered as an employer with the director and submitted to the director a copy of the job offer that was given to the applicant. O. Reg. 149/25, s. 2 (2).
On May 30, 2026, section 3 of the Regulation is revoked.
Certificate of nomination: expression of interest categories
Original:
3.1 (1) Subject to subsection (2), the following process applies to applicants in the international student with a job offer category, in-demand skills category, master’s graduate category and Ph.D. graduate category:
Replaced with:
Certificate of nomination: expression of interest categories
(1) The following process applies to an applicant in any category if the applicant is required to have been issued an invitation to apply before submitting their application to the director:
Original:
(2) An applicant in the international student with a job offer category or the in-demand skills category shall not register an expression of interest unless the applicant’s employer has registered as an employer with the director and submitted to the director a copy of the job offer that was given to the applicant. O. Reg. 149/25, s. 2 (2).
Replaced with:
(2) An applicant in any category who is required to have obtained a job offer for an employment position that has been approved by the director in accordance with the Act shall not apply for a certificate of nomination unless the applicant has been issued a job offer from an employer who has registered with the director. O. Reg. 47/26, s. 2 (4).
Original:
(3) For applicants in the foreign worker category, the process described in subsection (1) applies, in addition to the following for applicants who are or will be employees:
- The applicant shall not register an expression of interest unless the applicant’s employer has registered as an employer with the director and submitted to the director a copy of the job offer that was given to the applicant. O. Reg. 149/25, s. 2 (2).
Replaced with:
(3) Before applying for an approval of an employment position, an employer applicant must register as an employer with the director and submit a job offer for the applicant for a certificate of nomination to the director. O. Reg. 47/26, s. 2 (4).
Original:
(4) For employer applicants seeking approval of an employment position and for employed foreign national applicants for a certificate of nomination in any of the categories listed in paragraphs 1 to 3 of subsection 2 (1), the process described in subsection (1) applies, in addition to the following:
- Before applying for an approval of an employment position, an employer applicant must first register as an employer with the director and submit a job offer for the foreign national applicant for a certificate of nomination to the director.
- Before applying for a certificate of nomination, an employed foreign national applicant must have been issued a job offer from an employer who has registered with the director. O. Reg. 149/25, s. 2 (2).
On May 30, 2026, subsection 3.1 (4) of the Regulation is revoked. (See: O. Reg. 47/26, s. 2 (4))
Certificate of nomination: Express Entry categories
Original:
3.2 The following process applies to applicants in the human capital priorities category, the French-speaking skilled worker category and skilled trades category:
Replaced by:
3.2 The following process applies to an applicant in any category who is required to have been issued a notification of interest from the director before submitting their application to the director:
VERIFICATION OF EMPLOYER JOB OFFERS
The changes will also see new verification measures for employer job offers, including:
- employers must first register with OINP director and submit an eligible job offer
- job offers must first be approved by the OINP director before a candidate can apply for a nomination.
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