- Stream
- Ontario Workforce Priority stream
- Launched
- June 26, 2026
- Replaced
- All 8 previous OINP streams
- Pathways
- Skilled (TEER 0 to 3), Essential (TEER 4 to 5), Self employed physicians
- Scoring
- 11 factors / 130 points (115 for physicians)
- Job offer
- Required except self employed physicians
- Heaviest factor
- Ontario work experience (18 points
- Biggest structural change
- Regionalization, up to 15 points
- Age scored?
- No
- Draws so far
- None: EOI system not reopened yet
What happened
Ontario did not tweak its nominee program; it rebuilt it. Every stream that let a worker or graduate apply was closed on June 26, 2026, and expressions of interest sitting in the pool were withdrawn rather than migrated. In their place is a single stream, the Ontario Workforce Priority stream, with one scoring grid and one set of eligibility rules.
The consolidation is not cosmetic. Three things changed in substance, and each one moves points around:
The Master's and PhD Graduate streams are gone. A Canadian credential is now worth points, not a pathway. Everyone needs a job offer, except physicians.
Regionalization is the loudest new signal. The identical job scores 15 in Northern Ontario and 0 in the City of Toronto.
Unlike Express Entry's CRS, the OINP grid contains no age factor at all. Older applicants with Ontario experience are structurally better off here than federally.
The three pathways
One stream, but your job offer's TEER level routes you down one of three paths. These are not separate applications; they change which rules and which point ceilings apply to you.
| Pathway | Who it's for | Job offer | Work experience | Language floor | Max score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled pathway, TEER 0 to 3 | Managers, professionals, technical & skilled trades | Required | 6 months consecutive in the position | CLB 6 (CLB 5 for listed trades) | 130 |
| Essential pathway, TEER 4 to 5 | PSWs, drivers, food service, general labour | Required | 9 months cumulative in the last 2 years | CLB 4 | 130 |
| Self employed physician | Doctors with OHIP billing + CPSO certificate | Not required | Cumulative Ontario practice | CLB 6 | 115 |
The 130 point grid at a glance
Eleven factors, grouped by what they actually measure. The weights tell you what Ontario is optimizing for: people already working in the province, outside Toronto, in health and the trades.
| Factor | What it rewards | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario work experience | Time in the job offer position, in Ontario | 18 |
| Hourly wage | $40+/hr earns the maximum | 15 |
| Language ability | CLB 9+ across all four abilities | 15 |
| Work region | Northern Ontario 15 · Toronto 0 | 15 |
| Occupational category | Health 10 · trades 8 · sciences 6 | 10 |
| Education level | Doctorate or medical degree | 10 |
| Canadian credentials | Two or more eligible credentials | 10 |
| Bilingualism | CLB 6+ in English and French | 10 |
| Legal status in Canada | Valid work permit | 10 |
| TEER level | TEER 0 to 1 nine points, 2 to 3 six | 9 |
| Income tax history | $70k+ on a CRA Notice of Assessment | 8 |
Full point tables for every factor →
What this means for you, concretely
If you're already working in Ontario
You are the profile this stream was designed around. Ontario experience (18), legal status (10) and tax history (8) are worth 36 points that no overseas applicant can touch. Your job is to protect them: don't change employers before your EOI if it resets your time in the position.
If you're a recent master's or PhD graduate
Your old pathway is gone and it's worth saying plainly. The route now runs through employment: get a job offer, and your degree converts into education points (8 to 10) plus Canadian credential points (5 to 10) rather than being a qualification in itself.
If you're applying from outside Canada
You start at zero on Ontario experience, legal status and tax history (36 points unavailable. To be competitive you need the controllable factors near maximum: language at CLB 9, a job outside the GTA, and a wage at or above $40/hour.
If you're in an essential occupation
TEER 4 to 5 offers score zero on both occupation factors, so 19 points are off the table before you start. The trade off is a much lower language floor (CLB 4) and a longer, more flexible experience window. Region and wage are where these profiles are won.
Ontario has published the scoring framework but the EOI system has not reopened, so no draws have been held and no cut off scores exist. Anyone quoting you a required score for this stream is guessing. We're logging every draw the day it happens on the draw history page.
How to use the gap before the system opens
- Book language testing now. Results take weeks and are valid for two years. This is the only factor you can move by 15 points on your own.
- Order your ECA if any credential is foreign. It must be less than five years old at the time of application.
- Get your employer moving. They file first, and their eligibility checks (years in business, revenue, recruitment) take longer than most applicants expect.
- Pull your CRA Notices of Assessment for the last five years and identify your highest-earning year: the factor uses your best year, not your latest.
- Ask about work location. If your employer has sites outside the GTA, which address goes on the job offer is worth up to 15 points.
Workforce Priority stream FAQ
The specific questions people search after the June 2026 announcement.
What is the Ontario Workforce Priority stream?
The Ontario Workforce Priority stream is the single OINP stream for workers, launched on June 26, 2026. It replaced all eight previous OINP streams and covers job offers at every NOC TEER level from 0 to 5, plus self employed physicians who apply without a job offer.
When did the Ontario Workforce Priority stream start?
June 26, 2026. On the same day Ontario closed the three Employer Job Offer streams, the Master's and PhD Graduate streams and the three Express Entry streams. Expressions of interest sitting in the pool under those streams were withdrawn rather than transferred.
Which OINP streams were closed in June 2026?
All eight: Employer Job Offer, Foreign Worker, International Student and In-Demand Skills; Master's Graduate; PhD Graduate; and the Express Entry Human Capital Priorities, French-Speaking Skilled Worker and Skilled Trades streams.
What are the three Workforce Priority pathways?
Skilled job offers at NOC TEER 0 to 3, essential job offers at TEER 4 to 5, and self employed physicians. They are not separate applications; they are rules and score ceilings that apply within one stream, determined by your job offer's TEER level.
How is the Workforce Priority stream scored?
On 11 factors totalling 130 points: Ontario work experience (18), hourly wage (15), language (15), work region (15), occupational category (10), education (10), Canadian credentials (10), bilingualism (10), legal status (10), TEER level (9) and income tax history (8).
Is a job offer required for the Workforce Priority stream?
Yes for every pathway except self employed physicians. The job offer must be permanent, full time, generally at least 1,560 hours a year, at or above the prevailing wage for that occupation and region, and in the same occupation as your qualifying experience.
What score do I need for the Workforce Priority stream?
No minimum has been published. The EOI system for the stream has not reopened, so no draws have been held and no cut off scores exist. Any figure quoted elsewhere either belongs to a closed stream or is invented.
Does the Workforce Priority stream score age?
No. Age is not among the 11 factors. This is one of the biggest structural differences from federal Express Entry, where age is heavily weighted and declines sharply after 29.
How does regionalization work in the new stream?
The work location on your job offer is worth up to 15 points: Northern Ontario 15, Eastern, Southwestern and Central Ontario outside the GTA 10, the GTA excluding Toronto 5, and the City of Toronto 0. The identical job scores 15 points more in Thunder Bay than in Toronto.