OINP Update: Detailed Point Breakdown of the New Ontario Workforce Priority (OWP) Stream Scoring System

Published: July 2026

Following the closure of Ontario’s legacy permanent residence pathways and the consolidation of its foreign-worker streams into the unified Ontario Workforce Priority Stream (OWPS, also referred to as the OWP stream), the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development has released the formal scoring matrix that will rank candidates under the new Expression of Interest (EOI) framework. The overhaul was made by Ontario Regulation 204/26, which amended Ontario Regulation 422/17 under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015; the amendments came into force on June 25, 2026, and the eight former OINP streams closed to new profiles on June 26, 2026.

Program Overview

Ontario has consolidated its previous eight nominee streams into a single framework. The Ontario Workforce Priority Stream is now the primary mechanism for employer-sponsored permanent residence in the province, divided into three pathways: higher-skilled occupations (TEER 0–3), lower-skilled occupations (TEER 4–5), and self-employed physicians with Ontario licensure.

As of June 26, 2026, the Expression of Interest system is closed while the Ministry transitions to the new framework, with reopening anticipated for late summer 2026. When it reopens, job-offer candidates and self-employed physicians will be ranked out of a maximum of 130 points, and draws will invite the highest-scoring candidates to apply for provincial nomination. Ontario has not published a fixed cut-off score; it will invite the top-ranked profiles based on the number of positions available in each draw.

Employer requirements: To sponsor a candidate, a business must have operated for at least three years and must maintain, inside the Greater Toronto Area, at least five full-time Canadian citizen or permanent resident employees and a minimum annual revenue of $1 million; outside the GTA, at least three full-time Canadian citizen or permanent resident employees and minimum revenue in the $250,000 to $500,000 range, with lower revenue requirements for employers in rural communities (census divisions with populations under 150,000). Employers must also be compliant with the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Applicant eligibility: A candidate generally needs six months of recent consecutive employment with the sponsoring employer, or two years of cumulative experience in the same NOC, or the relevant professional licence, together with the required language proficiency (broadly CLB 5–6 depending on the occupation’s TEER level) and a post-secondary credential.

What changed: The graduate-specific pathways (Master’s and PhD) have been eliminated. All applicants now require a qualifying job offer from an employer that meets the thresholds above, and every profile is ranked competitively against the 130-point matrix below.

Complete Breakdown of the 130-Point Scoring Framework

1. Work Region (maximum 15 points)

Points are allocated based on the physical location of the job offer within Ontario’s census divisions:

• Northern Ontario (15 points): Muskoka, Haliburton, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Manitoulin, Sudbury, Greater Sudbury, Timiskaming, Cochrane, Algoma, Thunder Bay, Rainy River, and Kenora.
• Eastern Ontario (10 points): Frontenac, Hastings, Kawartha Lakes, Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, Lennox and Addington, Northumberland, Ottawa, Peterborough, Prescott and Russell, Prince Edward, Renfrew, and Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.
• Central Ontario, outside the GTA (10 points): Dufferin, Grey, Simcoe, Waterloo, and Wellington.
• Southwestern Ontario (10 points): Brant, Bruce, Chatham-Kent, Elgin, Essex, Haldimand-Norfolk, Hamilton, Huron, Lambton, Middlesex, Niagara, Oxford, and Perth.
• Greater Toronto Area, outside the City of Toronto (5 points): Durham, Halton, Peel, and York.
• City of Toronto (0 points): Job locations within the municipality of Toronto.

2. Occupation Skill Level / TEER Category (maximum 9 points)

Scored according to the National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER system:

• TEER 0 or 1 (9 points): Management positions or roles typically requiring a university degree.
• TEER 2 or 3 (6 points): Supervisory, technical, skilled-trade, or specialized roles requiring college training or two or more years of apprenticeship.
• TEER 4 or 5 (0 points): Roles requiring high-school education, short-term training, or on-the-job demonstration.

3. Compensation / Hourly Wage (maximum 15 points)

• $40.00/hr or higher: 15 points
• $35.00 to $39.99/hr: 12 points
• $30.00 to $34.99/hr: 10 points
• $25.00 to $29.99/hr: 8 points
• $20.00 to $24.99/hr: 5 points
• Under $20.00/hr: 0 points

4. Broad Occupational Category (maximum 10 points)

Targeted scoring prioritizes sectors critical to Ontario’s economy:

• Category 3 — Health occupations: 10 points
• Category 7 — Trades, transport, and equipment operators: 8 points
• Category 2 — Natural and applied sciences: 6 points
• Categories 0, 1, 4, 8, or 9 (4 points): Senior management; business, finance and administration; education, law and social/government services; natural resources and agriculture; and manufacturing and utilities.
• Categories 5 or 6 (2 points): Art, culture, recreation and sport; and sales and service occupations.

5. Ontario Work Experience (maximum 18 points)

Evaluated on prior documented employment in Ontario:

• Candidates with at least 6 months in the job-offer position: over 24 months — 18 points; 13 to 24 months — 15 points; 6 to 12 months — 12 points.
• Other candidates (general Ontario work experience): over 24 months — 12 points; 13 to 24 months — 9 points; 6 to 12 months — 6 points; less than 6 months — 0 points.
• Self-employed physicians: cumulative medical practice in Ontario — over 24 months: 18 points; 13 to 24 months: 15 points; 6 to 12 months: 12 points; less than 6 months: 0 points.

6. Canadian Income Tax History (maximum 8 points)

Based on the highest annual income reported on a Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment within the past five years:

• $70,000 or higher: 8 points
• $50,000 to $69,999: 6 points
• $30,000 to $49,999: 4 points
• Under $30,000: 0 points

7. Level of Education (maximum 10 points)

Evaluated on the highest completed credential:

• Doctorate, or a professional degree in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, or optometry: 10 points
• Master’s degree: 8 points
• Bachelor’s degree, or a post-bachelor university certificate or diploma: 6 points
• Ontario College Graduate Certificate, college or CEGEP diploma, or apprenticeship/trades certificate: 5 points
• Lower than a college or trade credential: 0 points

8. Canadian Educational Credentials (maximum 10 points)

Recognizes study completed at eligible Canadian post-secondary institutions (minimum one-year full-time program):

• Two or more Canadian post-secondary credentials: 10 points
• One Canadian post-secondary credential: 5 points
• None: 0 points

9. Highest Official Language Proficiency (maximum 15 points)

Scored on Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) results across all four abilities — reading, writing, listening, and speaking — completed within the last two years:

• CLB 9 or higher in all four abilities: 15 points
• CLB 8 in all four abilities: 12 points
• CLB 7 in all four abilities: 8 points
• CLB 6 in all four abilities: 4 points
• CLB 5 or below: 0 points

10. Official Language Bilingualism (maximum 10 points)

• CLB 6 or higher in both English and French, across all four abilities: 10 points
• CLB 6 or higher in one official language: 5 points

11. Temporary Resident Status (maximum 10 points)

• Valid work permit held at the time of submission: 10 points
• Valid study permit held at the time of submission: 5 points
• Neither: 0 points

What This Means for Candidates and Employers

Two candidates with the same job offer can score very differently once region, wage, language, and Ontario experience are added up. A wage that clears the next threshold, a language retest that moves a CLB 6 to a CLB 7 or 8, or a position based outside the City of Toronto can each add meaningful points. Employers should understand that the location of the role and the wage they set now carry direct scoring consequences for the candidate they hope to nominate.

Strategic Guidance for Employers and Applicants

Re-registration is required. Profiles and job-offer registrations created under the legacy EOI system have been closed. Employers must submit new job-offer registrations through the OINP Employer Portal to establish eligibility under the Workforce Priority framework once the portal reopens.

Confirm employer compliance early. Confirm that the business meets the three-year operating history, the location-based revenue and full-time-employee thresholds set out above, and statutory compliance under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and the Occupational Health and Safety Act, before a registration is filed.

Maximize your EOI rank. Candidates can improve their competitive position by sitting a language test aimed at CLB 9 across all four abilities, ensuring every CRA Notice of Assessment is on file, and pursuing job opportunities outside the Toronto core, where regional points are highest.

Before you register an Expression of Interest, it is worth calculating your projected score against every factor and identifying where points can realistically be improved. Our firm assesses each candidate’s profile against the full OWPS grid, flags any eligibility gaps or missing documents, and advises on the steps that can move a borderline file into invitation range. If you would like us to assess your OWPS score or your eligibility as an employer, please contact Borders Law Firm.