Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) Changes, Actual and Pending:How They Could Impact You
Provincial nominee programs (PNPs) are among the best opportunities for the provinces to attract the labour and skills they require. They also present opportunities for aspiring permanent residents to obtain the coveted Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points that lead to an invitation to apply (ITA) through the federal Express Entry system.
Canada is a big country with vastly different economies in each region, so this kind of flexibility makes a lot of sense on a more local level to direct talent where it’s needed. Ontario receives the largest number of provincial nominees in Canada and yet those inthe pool hoping for a nomination had a long wait between October 2024 and June 2025while ITAs stalled. In June the program resumed its nominations, issuing 3,795 ITAs thatmonth.
Under the current Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) there are 5 streams through which applicants could receive an ITA:
Employer job offer: foreign worker stream
Employer job offer: international student stream
Employer job offer: in-demand skills stream
Masters Graduate stream
Ph.D. Graduate stream
There are also three streams that require the creation of an Expression of Interest in the federal Express Entry system:
Human Capital Priorities Streams
Skilled Trades Stream
French-speaking Skilled Worker Stream
If these federal Express Entry candidates receive a notification of interest from the OINP, they may then apply through the Ontario Express Entry system. As of July 2, 2025, the OINP’s new Employer Portal requires employers to initiate the application process for those in one of the three job offer streams. Applicants will then work with their employers to register their Expression of Interest (EOI).
While the applicant-initiated OINP e-filing portal is still available for the Masters and Ph.D. Graduate streams, this may change soon. The last time ITAs for these streams were issued was in September, 2024, ten months ago, with just over 6000 allotted in the entire year, indicating limited interest in these profiles at the provincial level.
The recently introduced Working for Workers Seven Act could also impact the Masters and Ph.D. streams through an amendment of section 37(1)(h) of the Ontario Immigration Act that would give the Minister the power to change the selection streams of the OINP to meet the needs of the province. Applications already submitted and caught in these changes could be returned to applicants without processing if they no longer match the needs of the job market.
Given the new emphasis on employer initiation of expressions of interest, the elimination of the Masters and Ph.D. Graduate streams could be on the horizon; however, those with Masters and Ph.D.s would still be eligible to apply through any of the employer job offer streams.
It’s not yet clear whether the Human Capital Priorities, Skilled Trades or French-speaking Skilled Worker streams will be impacted by the Working for Workers Seven Act. As with the job offer streams, the Ontario Government has clearly indicated a desire to focus on employer needs, which could result in these streams requiring job offers and applications initiated by employers as well. The last time one of these streams received ITAs was in October 2024.
The other significant area of proposed changes is section 23(3)(b) of the Act that would give inspectors the power to interview applicants to ensure the job they were offered was genuine and to better identify employers and/or recruiters abusing the system.
2025 is proving to be a year of uncertainty and surprises, so it’s best to be prepared and plan for any outcome. It may be a good idea not to put all one’s proverbial eggs in one immigration basket and to shop around and see what else might work.
If you have submitted an expression of interest to the OINP, are considering applying, or wanting to explore your options, reach out to us at COMPASS Immigration Solutions to help you plan your immigration moves.