- Full name
- Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program
- Run by
- Government of Ontario, in agreement with IRCC
- Current worker stream
- Ontario Workforce Priority stream (since June 26, 2026)
- Scoring
- 130 points across 11 factors (115 for self employed physicians
- Job offer needed
- Yes, except self employed physicians
- Is age scored?
- No, unlike the federal CRS
- What a nomination gives you
- 600 CRS points, and a route to permanent residence
- Cost of the calculator
- Free, no sign up
The one paragraph version
Canada sets national immigration rules, but each province gets a share of permanent residence spots to hand out for its own labour market needs. Ontario's share is run through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). If Ontario nominates you, you are not a permanent resident yet; you have a very strong recommendation letter that you then take to the federal government. That recommendation is worth a lot: through Express Entry it adds 600 points to your federal score, which in practice means an invitation at the next draw.
Nomination ≠ permanent residence. Ontario decides who it wants. IRCC decides who gets status, and runs its own admissibility, medical and security checks. Two governments, two applications, two timelines.
What changed in June 2026
Almost every guide you'll find online, and most calculators, still describe an OINP that no longer exists. On June 26, 2026, Ontario closed all eight of its previous streams and replaced the worker side of the program with a single stream: the Ontario Workforce Priority stream. Pending expressions of interest under the old streams were withdrawn.
- Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker
- Employer Job Offer: International Student
- Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills
- Master's Graduate & PhD Graduate
- Three separate Express Entry streams
- Ontario Workforce Priority stream, one stream, three pathways
- Skilled job offers (NOC TEER 0 to 3)
- Essential job offers (NOC TEER 4 to 5)
- Self employed physicians, no job offer needed
Who the OINP is actually for
The 2026 program is unambiguous about its purpose: it is a workerprogram. The old routes that let recent master's and PhD graduates apply on the strength of their studies alone are gone. In practice you're a fit if one of these describes you:
- You already work in Ontario on a valid work permit and your employer will support you. This is the strongest starting position; you score on Ontario experience, legal status and tax history simultaneously.
- You have an Ontario job offer from abroad. Possible, but you start with zero on three factors, so wage, occupation and region have to carry your profile.
- You studied in Ontario and are now working on a post graduation work permit. Your Canadian credential is worth points, and a graduate certificate can waive the language test requirement in some cases.
- You're a physician with an OHIP billing number and a College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario certificate; you can apply self employed, with no job offer at all.
How the process runs, step by step
- Your employer files first.They submit the job offer through Ontario's Employer Portal and pass their own checks, years in business, revenue, staffing and recruitment effort. Nothing happens until this is done.
- You register an Expression of Interest. Once the offer is filed you get roughly 30 days to register your EOI. This is where your score is calculated.
- Ontario runs a draw. Candidates are ranked by score, and the province invites from the top down.
- You apply for nomination. If invited, you have about 17 days to submit the full application with documents proving every point you claimed.
- You apply to IRCC for permanent residence, through Express Entry (with your +600 points) or the paper based route.
Thirty days to register, seventeen to apply. Those windows assume you already have language results, an ECA for foreign credentials, reference letters and tax documents in hand. People lose this program to paperwork, not to points.
Where the score comes in
The Workforce Priority stream ranks candidates on 11 factors worth 130 points (115 for physicians, who have no wage factor). Unlike the federal system, age is not scored at all, and unlike the old OINP, where your job is located now matters enormously.
See every factor and its point table →
What to do next
Score yourself first; it takes two minutes and turns an abstract program into a number you can act on. Then read the eligibility page, because points and eligibility are separate tests and it's entirely possible to score well and still not qualify.
OINP questions, answered
The questions people search for most when they first encounter the program.
What is the OINP?
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is Ontario's provincial nominee program. It allows the province to nominate people for Canadian permanent residence based on Ontario's own labour market needs. Ontario nominates; the federal government, IRCC, makes the final permanent residence decision.
Is an OINP nomination the same as permanent residence?
No. A nomination is Ontario's recommendation, not status. You still apply to IRCC afterwards, either through Express Entry or the paper based process, and IRCC runs its own medical, security and admissibility checks. Two governments, two applications.
Do I need a job offer for the OINP in 2026?
Yes, in almost every case. Under the Workforce Priority stream that replaced the old streams in June 2026, every applicant needs an eligible Ontario job offer except self employed physicians, who can apply without an employer.
How many points is the OINP out of?
130 points across 11 scoring factors. Self employed physicians are scored out of 115 because the 15 point hourly wage factor does not apply to them.
Can I still apply through the OINP as a master's or PhD graduate?
Not on the strength of the degree alone. The Master's Graduate and PhD Graduate streams closed on June 26, 2026. A graduate degree now earns education and Canadian credential points inside the Workforce Priority stream, but you need a job offer like everyone else.
How long does the OINP take?
The published windows are tight: your employer files the job offer first, you then have roughly 30 days to register your expression of interest, and if invited, about 17 days to submit the full nomination application. After nomination you apply separately to IRCC for permanent residence.
Does the OINP score my age?
No. Unlike the federal Comprehensive Ranking System, the OINP grid contains no age factor at all. This makes the provincial route structurally more favourable than Express Entry for applicants over 35 who have an Ontario job offer.
Is the OINP worth it if my CRS score is low?
Often yes; that is precisely when it matters most. An accepted provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points, which exceeds every federal draw cut off ever published. A modest OINP profile with a nomination beats a strong federal profile without one.