What Changed
Ontario eliminated all eight former OINP streams and replaced them with one new stream, the Ontario Workforce Priority (OWP) Stream, effective June 26, 2026 — the biggest structural overhaul in OINP's history (Phase 1 of a two-phase redesign). It covers job offers across every TEER level (0 through 5) through three pathways: TEER 0–3, TEER 4–5, and self-employed physicians. All pathways require a full-time, indeterminate (permanent) Ontario job offer except the physician pathway. (For the story of how the old streams were closed, see our June article on the OINP overhaul.)
Quick Reference: The Three Pathways
| Pathway | Job Offer | Language | Education | Work Experience | Express Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEER 0–3 | Required | CLB 6 (CLB 5 some trades; waived for recent grads) | 1-year+ post-secondary | One of 4 options | Optional |
| TEER 4–5 | Required | CLB 4 | Secondary school | 9 months with employer | No (non-EE only) |
| Physicians | Not required | N/A | Medical licensing | N/A | Optional |
Eligibility Requirements
Within each pathway, job offer, education, and language requirements all apply together (AND) — every one of them must be met. Work experience is the one exception: applicants only need to satisfy one of several listed options (OR).
General Job Offer & Employer Requirements (All Pathways Except Physicians)
- Job offer: full-time (30+ hours/week), indeterminate duration, wage at or above the prevailing median for the occupation (via Job Bank), and for work that occurs primarily in Ontario
- Employer: operating in Ontario for at least 3 years, meets minimum revenue and staffing thresholds (below), no outstanding Employment Standards Act or Occupational Health and Safety Act orders
- Ownership: neither the applicant nor family members may hold 10%+ equity in the employer's business
TEER 0–3 Pathway — Skilled Workers
All of the following are required:
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Job offer | Full-time, permanent Ontario job offer in a TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation |
| Language | CLB 6 (CLB 5 for occupations in certain trade NOC groups) — waived entirely for recent Ontario graduates (see below) |
| Education | Post-secondary degree or diploma of at least one year (secondary school diploma accepted for a defined list of trades NOCs); foreign credentials need an ECA (e.g. WES) |
| Wage | Regional median wage for the occupation — recent Ontario graduates may qualify at a lower "low-wage" level instead |
Work Experience — ONE of the Following Options Is Sufficient
| Option | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 1 | 6 consecutive months in the last 12, in the job-offer role, with the job-offer employer |
| 2 | 3 consecutive months in the last 12, same employer/role — recent Ontario graduates only |
| 3 | 2 years cumulative in the last 5 years in the same NOC occupation — anywhere in the world, any employer (a few related-occupation exceptions apply, e.g. engineering, nursing, pharmacy) |
| 4 | Exempt entirely if already licensed to practise in a regulated Ontario profession |
Who Counts as a "Recent Ontario Graduate"?
This status matters because it unlocks three separate benefits at once: the reduced 3-month work-experience option, a full exemption from the language requirement, and the lower "low-wage" threshold instead of the regional median wage. Under O. Reg. 204/26, a recent Ontario graduate is someone who, within the last three years, obtained one of the following credentials from an eligible Ontario post-secondary institution:
- A two-year (or longer) full-time degree or diploma
- An Ontario college graduate certificate
- A master's degree
- A PhD
Book a consultation before the EOI portal reopens. We'll assess your eligibility under the new rules, score your profile against the official grid, and prepare your file so you can register the moment the system opens.
Book a Consultation →TEER 4–5 Pathway — Essential Workers
All of the following are required — there is no alternative work-experience option here, and no "recent graduate" relief:
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Job offer | Full-time, permanent Ontario job offer in a TEER 4 or 5 occupation (open to any TEER 4–5 occupation — a major broadening vs. the old In-Demand Skills stream's fixed list) |
| Language | CLB 4, all four skills — new requirement (the old In-Demand Skills stream had no language floor) |
| Education | Canadian secondary school diploma or equivalent |
| Wage | Regional median wage for the occupation |
| Work experience | 9 months cumulative in the last 2 years, specifically in the job-offer position with the job-offer employer — no outside-employer option |
Self-Employed Physicians
No job offer needed. Required: active membership in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO), a valid certificate of registration (independent, academic, or provisional class), and eligibility to bill through OHIP.
Wage Calculation — Clarified
The job offer wage must meet or exceed the prevailing median wage for that occupation and region, as published by Job Bank Canada, assessed at application time — it's a pass/fail threshold, not a sliding scale. It must also be at least equal to whatever the employer is currently paying the applicant in that role, if applicable.
The only exception is recent Ontario graduates under the TEER 0–3 pathway: they can qualify at a separate, lower "low-wage" level instead of the full regional median. This exception is tied specifically to recent-graduate status (defined above) — it doesn't apply to TEER 4–5 workers or to TEER 0–3 applicants who qualify through the 6-month or 2-year experience options.
Employer Eligibility — Revenue & Staffing Thresholds
| Employer Location | Minimum Annual Revenue | Minimum Full-Time Canadian/PR Staff |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Toronto Area (GTA) | $1,000,000 (most recent fiscal year) | 5 |
| Major CMA outside GTA (Ottawa, Waterloo, Hamilton, Niagara, Essex, Wellington, Greater Sudbury, Frontenac, Brant, Peterborough, Hastings, Thunder Bay) | $500,000 (most recent fiscal year) | 3 |
| Outside GTA and major CMAs (incl. rural, population under 150,000) | $250,000 in each of the past two fiscal years | 3 |
Express Entry vs. Non-Express Entry Nomination
Once approved, applicants can choose how their nomination is used — but the choice isn't open to everyone:
- TEER 0–3 pathway and self-employed physicians: applicants who hold a valid Express Entry profile at the time of nomination can choose to be nominated through IRCC's Express Entry system, which routes them into an Express Entry invitation round for Provincial Nominee candidates and generally means faster federal processing. If they don't choose this route (or don't have an EE profile), the nomination proceeds through the standard non-Express Entry PR application process instead.
- TEER 4–5 pathway: Ontario's guidance lists the Express Entry option only for TEER 0–3 and physician applicants. TEER 4–5 nominees go through the non-Express Entry PR process only.
- If you accept an Express Entry nomination, you receive an additional 600 points toward your CRS score, which puts you into the next Express Entry invitation round. You then have 60 days to submit your PR application to IRCC.
EOI Scoring — Official Grid (Published July 20, 2026)
Ontario posted the full EOI scoring grid on ontario.ca on July 20, 2026. Every EOI you register gets scored against the factors below, broken out here by category so you can see where your points actually come from. If you're invited to apply, you'll need documents backing up whatever you claimed.
Job & Work Factors
NOC TEER category. TEER measures how much training, education, experience, and responsibility the job needs. It's the same number that sorts you into the 0–3 or 4–5 pathway earlier in this guide, and it's pulled automatically from your job offer's NOC code.
| TEER Category | Points |
|---|---|
| 0 or 1 | 9 |
| 2 or 3 | 6 |
| 4 or 5 | 0 |
Broad occupational category. This is a separate NOC classification from TEER — it groups your job into one of ten broad categories (0 through 9) rather than ranking it by skill level. Both numbers come from the same NOC code but are scored independently.
| Occupational Category | Points |
|---|---|
| Category 3 | 10 |
| Category 7 | 8 |
| Category 2 | 6 |
| Category 0, 1, 4, 8, or 9 | 4 |
| Category 5 or 6 | 2 |
Wage. This one only applies if you have a job offer. Self-employed physicians skip it entirely.
| Hourly Wage | Points |
|---|---|
| $40 or more | 15 |
| $35 to $39.99 | 12 |
| $30 to $34.99 | 10 |
| $25 to $29.99 | 8 |
| $20 to $24.99 | 5 |
| Under $20 | 0 |
Ontario work experience — job offer applicants. Scored on time spent in the actual job-offer position. If you've worked in that specific position for less than 6 months, Ontario falls back to a second scale based on general Ontario work experience instead.
| Time in Job-Offer Position | Points |
|---|---|
| Over 24 months | 18 |
| 13 to 24 months | 15 |
| 6 to 12 months | 12 |
| Under 6 months (see fallback below) | 0 |
Fallback scale, general Ontario experience: 24+ months = 12, 13–24 months = 9, 6–12 months = 6, under 6 months = 0.
Ontario work experience — self-employed physicians.
| Time Practising Medicine in Ontario | Points |
|---|---|
| Over 24 months | 18 |
| 13 to 24 months | 15 |
| 6 to 12 months | 12 |
| Under 6 months | 0 |
Earnings history. Based on your Notice of Assessment from the CRA, looking at the last five years.
| Annual Earnings | Points |
|---|---|
| $70,000 or more | 8 |
| $50,000 to $69,999 | 6 |
| $30,000 to $49,999 | 4 |
| Under $30,000 | 0 |
Legal status in Canada.
| Status | Points |
|---|---|
| Valid work permit | 10 |
| Valid study permit | 5 |
| Neither | 0 |
Education
Highest credential.
| Credential | Points |
|---|---|
| Doctorate, MD, DDS, DVM, or OD | 10 |
| Master's degree | 8 |
| University credential above bachelor's, or a Bachelor's degree | 6 |
| Ontario College Graduate Certificate, university credential below bachelor's, other college/CEGEP credential, or apprenticeship/trades certificate | 5 |
| Below college or trade certificate | 0 |
Number of Canadian credentials.
| Canadian Credentials | Points |
|---|---|
| More than one | 10 |
| One | 5 |
| None | 0 |
Language
Official language ability. Scored on your lowest CLB across all four skills: reading, writing, listening, speaking. If you've taken both an English and a French test, Ontario uses whichever one scores higher.
| CLB Level | Points |
|---|---|
| CLB 9 or higher | 15 |
| CLB 8 | 12 |
| CLB 7 | 8 |
| CLB 6 | 4 |
| CLB 5 or lower | 0 |
Knowledge of two official languages. You need at least CLB 6 across all four skills in both English and French to qualify for this one.
| Languages | Points |
|---|---|
| Two official languages | 10 |
| One official language | 5 |
Regionalization
Based on where your job offer (or physician practice) is located, not where you currently live.
| Location | Points |
|---|---|
| Northern Ontario | 15 |
| Eastern Ontario | 10 |
| Central Ontario (outside GTA) | 10 |
| Southwestern Ontario | 10 |
| Inside GTA (except Toronto) | 5 |
| Toronto | 0 |
The new grid generally weights work experience, wage, language, and regional location more heavily than the old streams did, and adds more granular tiers. Total EOI cutoff scores for invitations have not been announced — those will emerge once the first OWP draws take place.
Status of Applications & Draw Competitiveness
The EOI portal closed June 25, 2026 and hasn't reopened yet — expected sometime this summer (July–August), though no firm date has been set. Pending EOIs that hadn't yet received an invitation to apply are being automatically withdrawn by the province; applications already submitted before June 26 are grandfathered under the old rules. Once the EOI system reopens, everyone registers a fresh profile — old scores and profiles do not carry over.
Worth tempering expectations: of Ontario's 14,119 total nomination allocation for 2026, roughly 13,278 had already been invited to apply earlier in the year under the old streams before they closed — leaving only about 6–10% of the year's allocation for the new OWP stream's remaining draws.
What's Next: Phase 2
Ontario has signaled a second phase adding three more streams — a Priority Healthcare Stream (no job offer required), a redesigned Entrepreneur Stream, and an Exceptional Talent Stream (assessed qualitatively rather than by job offer or points). These are proposed only: no regulation, eligibility criteria, or launch date has been confirmed.
Note on Sourcing
Eligibility criteria and the EOI scoring grid are both drawn directly from the official ontario.ca "Ontario Workforce Priority stream" page, last updated July 20, 2026. Supporting context (employer revenue thresholds, draw-competitiveness figures, comparisons to the old streams) comes from immigration lawyers and industry trackers citing the official regulation (O. Reg. 422/17, as amended by O. Reg. 204/26). The EOI portal itself has not reopened yet, so invitation cutoff scores are not yet known — worth checking ontario.ca again once the first draws take place.
This article is for general information purposes and reflects the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream rules as announced, updated July 2026. It does not constitute legal or immigration advice. For guidance specific to your situation, consult a licensed immigration consultant.