Ontario has shut down several immigration streams under its provincial nominee programme as part of a major overhaul of its economic immigration system, creating uncertainty for prospective applicants awaiting details of replacement pathways.
The changes, which took effect on May 30, 2026, affect multiple streams under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), the province’s economic immigration programme that allows Ontario to nominate foreign nationals for permanent residence in Canada.
The discontinued streams include the Foreign Worker, International Student, In-Demand Skills, Master's Graduate, PhD Graduate, Human Capital Priorities, French-Speaking Skilled Worker, Skilled Trades and Entrepreneur categories. Individuals who may have qualified under these pathways will need to assess their eligibility under new streams once the province releases further details.
Province moves ahead with programme redesign
The latest changes form part of Ontario's broader effort to redesign the OINP, following proposals unveiled in December 2025.
The province had proposed a two-phase overhaul that would consolidate existing Employer Job Offer streams into a single programme with separate tracks for higher-skilled occupations and jobs facing labour shortages. The proposal also included plans for dedicated healthcare, entrepreneur and exceptional talent streams.
However, Ontario has not yet confirmed whether it will proceed with the proposed phased approach. The government has also not released details on eligibility criteria, implementation timelines, transition measures or the structure of the replacement streams.
Existing applications remain protected
Ontario has confirmed that applications submitted before May 30 will continue to be assessed under the rules that were in place when they were filed.
The province has also kept existing job offer-based Expressions of Interest (EOIs) active in the OINP pool. New registrations for job offer-based EOIs continue to be accepted through the online system.
Alongside the closure of existing streams, Ontario has formally incorporated several practices already used by the OINP into its regulations. These include the authority of the OINP Director to conduct both general and targeted invitation rounds and the requirement for employers to register through an Employer Portal.
The OINP Director will continue issuing invitations to candidates who meet specific labour market or human capital requirements, with invitations going to the highest-ranking eligible candidates. Under the revised rules, applicants in future job offer-based streams will need an employer registered with the OINP Director.
