Ontario, Canada, has opened applications for a new immigration programme offering eligible foreign workers a pathway to permanent residence.
The province said eligible foreign nationals can now register an Expression of Interest through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program’s e-Filing Portal, provided they have a qualifying job offer from an eligible Ontario employer.
The new Workforce Priority Stream, which became operational on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, is part of Ontario’s overhaul of its immigration programme.
The stream has three pathways targeting higher-skilled workers, lower-skilled workers and self-employed physicians.
Under the physician pathway, applicants must be registered to practise medicine in Ontario and eligible to bill the province’s public health insurance programme, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.
Applicants must first create an Expression of Interest through Ontario’s e-Filing Portal.
The EOI must be linked to a qualifying job offer created by an eligible employer through the OINP Employer Portal.
Candidates with active EOIs will be ranked using a points-based scoring system.
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Ontario introduced the scoring system on July 20, 2026, and will issue invitations to apply through periodic draws. An EOI remains valid for up to 12 months.
Candidates who do not receive an invitation within the 12-month validity period will have to submit a new EOI to remain under consideration.
Applicants who receive an invitation will have 17 calendar days to submit a complete application.
Their prospective employers must, however, apply for approval of the employment position within 14 calendar days of the invitation.
Successful job-offer nominees will receive a provincial support letter, which can be used to apply for a federal work permit while their permanent residence application is being processed.
Ontario said successful applicants under the higher-skilled worker and self-employed physician pathways may also qualify for its Enhanced Provincial Nominee Program linked to Express Entry, potentially allowing them to benefit from faster permanent residence processing.
The Workforce Priority Stream was launched on June 26, 2026, but candidates could not enter the selection pool until the online portal opened this week.
The programme is the first immigration pathway introduced under Ontario’s overhaul of the OINP after the province closed all previous streams on May 30, 2026.
Ontario said further pathways, including a Priority Healthcare Worker Stream, Entrepreneur Stream and Exceptional Talent Stream, would be introduced during the second phase of the programme’s modernisation.
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