Ontario Workforce Priority Stream: 3 New Pathways to Permanent Residence in Canada 

As part of its revamp of its provincial immigration scheme, Ontario has introduced the first set of pathways to permanent residence.

The Ontario Workforce Priority Stream released regulation amendments outlining the three pathways on June 26, 2026 for foreign nationals to be eligible for provincial nomination for permanent residence under the recently established Ontario Workforce Priority Stream, according to a statement posted on its website:

• For employees in higher-skilled jobs, there is a TEER 0–3 pathway.
• For employees in lower-skilled jobs, there is a TEER 4–5 pathway.
• Self-employed physicians are certified medical professionals who can submit bills to the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).

Foreign nationals must wait until the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) relaunches its Expression of Interest (EOI) mechanism in order for the streams to be taken into consideration.

According to the OINP, the new EOI system “is projected to open later in the summer.”

As part of its second phase, the province is planned to provide three more streams: priority healthcare, entrepreneurs, and unique talent. As of this writing, no projected start date has been disclosed.

The OINP will continue to process applications from foreign nationals who have already applied for provincial nomination under the previous paths in accordance with the regulations in effect at the time the applications were submitted.

TEER 0–3 Pathway Under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream

Under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream, foreign nationals who have received job offers in fields that normally call for at least some post-secondary education or training.

A foreign national must fulfill the following criteria in order to be eligible for this pathway:

Job Offer: Be offered a full-time, permanent position in a TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation by a qualified Ontario employer.

Language or Graduate From Ontario:

Either be a recent graduate from Ontario or meet the minimum language proficiency requirements in all four language skills related to their line of work, either in English or French (CLB 6 or CLB 5).

Additionally, a foreign national needs to fulfill one of the following criteria:

• Licensing: Obtain a license to operate in an Ontario-regulated field; or Education and Work.

• Experience: Fulfill the prerequisites for both work experience and postsecondary education.

• Education: Possess a post-secondary degree or diploma from a program requiring a minimum of one year of full-time study, or be eligible for the skilled trades or nurse aid exemptions.

• Occupational Work Experience Minimum: Have at least two years of cumulative full-time work experience (which includes part-time work experience) in the same occupation as their job offer, or in a related occupation under a specific exemption, within the last five years.

• Minimum Work Experience Required For The Job Offer: While resident in Ontario, fulfill the minimum continuous work experience criteria during the previous 12 months in the same position with the same employer as their qualifying Ontario employment offer:

• Six months of continuous full-time employment; or, 
• For recent graduates from post-secondary institutions in Ontario, three months of continuous full-time employment. 

A valid Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) can be used to support an equivalent overseas degree or a postsecondary credential from a Canadian institution.

At least 30 hours a week in a single function is considered full-time work experience.

The cumulative total duration of necessary full-time equivalent work experience can be increased by part-time work experience, which can only be credited toward the occupational minimum, at a rate of

• One-for-one for times when the applicant worked at least thirty hours a week in multiple positions concurrently; or 

• Two-for-one for times when the applicant worked at least fifteen hours a week in a single role.

*A foreign national must have earned, within the last three years, from an Ontario post-secondary institution that qualifies in order to be considered a recent graduate.

• Degree or diploma from a program lasting at least two years (full-time); 
• A master’s degree; 
• A PhD; or 
• An Ontario college graduate certificate.

An Ontario college certificate from a program involving at least a year of full-time study is sufficient for a foreign person to meet the educational requirements for a job offer for NOC 33102 (Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates).

If the employment offer is for a NOC who fits into one of the following groups, the educational requirement can be met with just a secondary school diploma or its equivalent:

• Technical trades, transportation offices, and controllers make up Major Group 72 (apart from jobs falling within Sub-Major Group 726).

• General trades make up Major Group 73.

• Supervisors in agriculture, natural resources, and allied production make up Major Group 82.

• Occupations in natural resources and allied production make up Major Group 83.

• Major Group 93: Central control and process operators, as well as inspectors and assemblers of aircraft assemblies (apart from Sub-Major Group 932’s aircraft assemblers and inspectors).

• Cooks, butchers, and bakers make up Minor Group 6320.

• Chefs in Unit Group 62200.

A foreign national can also use CLB 5 to satisfy the minimum language requirement if they have a NOC in one of the aforementioned categories.

Job offers for NOC 73300 (transport truck drivers) or NOC 73301 (bus drivers, subway operators, and other transit operators) must meet the minimum work experience requirement of six consecutive months.

Occupational job experience minimal exemptions:

Pharmacy Assistants: Work experience may be eligible under NOC 31120 (Pharmacists) for a job offer for NOC 33101 (Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants).

Nurse AIdes and Orderlies: Work experience may be eligible under NOC 32101 (Licensed Practical Nurses) or NOC 31301 (Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses) for a job offer under NOC 33102 (Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates).

Engineering Technician Vocations: Work experience may be eligible under a NOC under Sub-Major Group 213 (Professional occupations in engineering) for a job offer falling within NOC Sub-Major Group 223 (Technical occupations connected to engineering).

If any of the work’s actions call for a license or other authorization under Ontario or federal law, the foreign national must possess the necessary authorization in order to carry out the job.

TEER 4-5 Pathway Specifications

This route is intended for foreign nationals who have been offered jobs in fields that normally only require a secondary education and/or a few weeks of on-the-job training.

A foreign national must fulfill the following criteria in order to be eligible for this pathway:

• Obtain a full-time, permanent position in a TEER 4 or 5 occupation from a qualified Ontario company that pays at least the median wage for that occupation.

• Work experience for a job offer: Have at least nine months of cumulative work experience in the same position with the same company during the previous two years in order to be eligible for an Ontario job offer.

• Education: Possess a secondary school diploma or its equivalent.

• Language: Be at least CLB 4 in each of the four talents in either French or English.

Pathway Requirements For Self-Employed Physicians

A foreign national must fulfill the following criteria in order to be eligible for this pathway:

• Possess a current certificate of registration as an independent, academic, or provisional practitioner and be licensed and in good standing as a physician in Ontario.

• Be able to charge via OHIP.

Taking Into Account The New EOI System

After the EOI system reopens, a foreign national must submit a new EOI in the province’s online system in order to be eligible for provincial nomination under the Ontario Workforce Priority stream.

When the Employer Portal reopens, the employer of an eligible foreign national must start a new EOI for their employee by submitting a fresh job offer and application for approval of an employment position.

If an employer already has a registration on the Employer Portal, they will not need to re-register.

An eligible candidate must be chosen by the OINP from the EOI pool and invited to submit a full application for provincial nomination to the OINP following the reopening of the EOI system.

A candidate can anticipate that the OINP will process their application when they reply to an invitation with a completed application. 

Obtaining permanent residency via the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

A foreign national must intend to live in a province or territory outside of Quebec, obtain a nomination from the province or territory they plan to settle in, and then apply to the federal government for permanent residence as a provincial nominee in order to obtain permanent residence through a PNP.

The general procedure for the OINP would be as follows:

1. Fulfill every prerequisite for a minimum of one OINP permanent residence pathway.

2. To submit an eligible expression of interest (EOI) profile in the OINP online EOI system, collaborate with your employer.

3. Receive an invitation to submit an application for provincial nomination after being chosen by the OINP.

4. Send the OINP an application for provincial nomination.

5. Become a provincial nominee after winning a nomination from the OINP.

6. Apply for permanent residence under the provincial nominee class at Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

7. After becoming successful, get an IRCC confirmation of permanent residence (COPR).

8. To obtain PR, finish the landing procedure in Canada.

The procedure for step 6 will differ based on whether you apply using the base PNP or the enhanced PNP stream, which is connected with the federal government’s Express Entry system.

The procedure for step 8 will change based on whether you will be arriving from outside Canada to land or if you are already in Canada at the time the immigration officer is making a judgment regarding your application for permanent residence. 

Final Verdict

Ontario Workforce Priority Stream introduces three pathways to permanent residence for skilled workers, lower-skilled employees, and self-employed physicians. While applications have not yet opened, eligible candidates should prepare in advance. These new pathways could significantly expand opportunities for foreign nationals seeking Canadian permanent residence through provincial nomination.