- Job offer
- Required except self employed physicians
- Experience TEER 0 to 3
- 6 months consecutive in the position
- Experience TEER 4 to 5
- 9 months cumulative within 2 years
- Language TEER 0 to 3
- CLB 6 (CLB 5 for listed trades)
- Language TEER 4 to 5
- CLB 4
- Language validity
- Under 2 years old
- Education
- Post secondary + ECA if foreign (under 5 years)
- Employer
- 3+ years in business, revenue/staffing thresholds, files first
Why this page exists separately
The most common misunderstanding about the OINP is that a good score means you qualify. It doesn't. Ontario runs two independent tests: eligibility decides whether you may apply at all, and scoring decides where you rank among those who may. Failing the first makes the second irrelevant.
A software developer in Waterloo at $52/hour with a master's degree and two years in-role scores in the nineties. If their lowest language ability is CLB 5, they cannot apply: the floor for a TEER 1 offer is CLB 6. The 90 point profile is worth nothing until that one band moves.
Interactive checklist
Pick your pathway and tick every requirement that already applies.
Requirements that apply to you
Work experience
- TEER 0 to 3: at least 6 months of consecutive work experience in the job offer position, within a set window before applying.
- TEER 4 to 5: at least 9 months of cumulative experience in the position within the last 2 years.
- The experience must be in the same occupation as the job offer; a different NOC doesn't count, however senior.
- Limited exceptions exist for recent Ontario graduates and for licensed occupations; these are fact-specific and worth confirming.
Language
- TEER 0 to 3: CLB / NCLC 6 in all four abilities, or CLB 5 for listed skilled trades occupations.
- TEER 4 to 5: CLB / NCLC 4 in all four abilities.
- Results must be less than two years old when you apply. Accepted tests: IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, PTE Core, TEF Canada, TCF Canada.
- Eligible recent Ontario graduates may be exempt from submitting a test in some circumstances.
Convert your test scores to CLB →
Education
- A post secondary credential is required, or a Canadian equivalent established by an ECA less than 5 years old for foreign qualifications.
- For occupations that are regulated in Ontario, you must hold the required licence or certificate; this is a hard requirement, not a scoring bonus.
Status and intent
- If you are in Canada, your status must be valid, not expired, not implied unless properly maintained, and not restoration-pending.
- You must show genuine intention to live and work in Ontario.
- Applicants outside Canada may apply, but must still meet every other requirement.
Requirements that apply to your employer
Roughly half the reasons applications fail have nothing to do with the applicant. Your employer must independently qualify, and they file before you register your EOI.
| Employer test | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Years in business | Generally at least three years of active operation. |
| Revenue threshold | Minimum gross annual revenue, with a lower bar outside the GTA than inside it. |
| Staffing | A minimum number of permanent full time employees, again scaled by location. |
| Physical premises | The job must be at a business location in Ontario where you will actually work. |
| Recruitment effort | Evidence the role was advertised and that hiring you does not displace Canadian workers. |
| Compliance history | Good standing under employment standards, health and safety and labour law. |
What makes a job offer "eligible"
- Full time, generally at least 1,560 hours a year.
- Permanent, no fixed end date.
- Wage at or above the prevailing level for that occupation in that region.
- In the same occupation as your qualifying work experience.
- Genuine, a real, currently needed role, not created for the application.
If you're a self employed physician
The physician pathway removes the two hardest requirements and adds two of its own:
- No job offer and no employeris required; this is the only pathway where that's true.
- You need an OHIP billing number and an eligible certificate of registration from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.
- Your practice location determines your region points, so practising outside the GTA is worth up to 15.
- Your maximum possible score is 115, because the wage factor doesn't apply.
Open the physician calculator →
The five most avoidable disqualifiers
- Language results expiring. Two years passes faster than an application does. Check the date before you do anything else.
- An ECA older than five years. Common for people who assessed credentials for an earlier application.
- Changing jobs before the EOI. This can reset your consecutive experience in the position and cost eligibility, not just points.
- Status lapsing mid process. Renewal timelines and the 30 day EOI window have a habit of colliding.
- An employer who doesn't qualify.Ask about years in business, revenue and premises early, not after you've built your plan around the offer.
Eligibility FAQ
What people ask when they realise points alone are not enough.
What are the OINP eligibility requirements in 2026?
Under the Workforce Priority stream you need an eligible Ontario job offer (except self employed physicians), qualifying work experience in that same occupation, minimum language ability, a post secondary credential with an ECA if it is foreign, valid status if you are in Canada, and an employer who independently meets Ontario's criteria.
How much work experience do I need for the OINP?
Six months of consecutive experience in the job offer position for TEER 0 to 3 job offers, or nine months of cumulative experience within the last two years for TEER 4 to 5. The experience must be in the same occupation as the job offer.
What is the minimum CLB for the OINP?
CLB or NCLC 6 in all four abilities for TEER 0 to 3 job offers, CLB 5 for listed skilled trades occupations, and CLB 4 for TEER 4 to 5 job offers. Test results must be less than two years old.
Do I need a post secondary credential?
Yes. Foreign credentials require an Educational Credential Assessment less than five years old. If your occupation is regulated in Ontario you must also hold the required licence or certificate; that is a hard requirement, not a scoring bonus.
Can I qualify without a job offer?
Only as a self employed physician with an OHIP billing number and an eligible certificate of registration from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Every other pathway requires an eligible Ontario job offer.
Is a good score enough to qualify?
No, and this is the most common misunderstanding. Eligibility and scoring are separate tests. Eligibility decides whether you may apply; scoring decides where you rank among those who may. A 90-point profile with CLB 5 on a TEER 1 job offer cannot apply at all.
Does my employer affect my eligibility?
Substantially. Employers must generally have three or more years in business, meet revenue and staffing thresholds that are lower outside the GTA, operate from physical Ontario premises, show recruitment effort, and be in good standing under employment law. They file before you register.
What disqualifies an OINP application most often?
Expired language results, an ECA older than five years, changing jobs before the EOI in a way that resets consecutive experience, status lapsing mid process, and an employer who does not meet Ontario's criteria.