Ontario Reveals New OINP Scoring System for PR Pathways
Ontario has published the new Expression of Interest scoring system that will be used to rank candidates under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream.
Eligible candidates with Ontario job offers can receive up to 130 points. Points are available for factors such as the location of the job, occupation, hourly wage, Ontario work experience, education, official-language ability, Canadian income and temporary resident status.
The highest-ranking eligible candidates may receive invitations to apply for a provincial nomination through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program. A successful provincial nomination can then allow the candidate to apply to the federal government for Canadian permanent residence.
The scoring system applies to the new Ontario Workforce Priority Stream, which includes pathways for workers in TEER 0–3 occupations, workers in TEER 4–5 occupations and eligible self-employed physicians.
Quick Answer
Ontario will rank eligible candidates under its new Workforce Priority Stream using an Expression of Interest score. Job-offer candidates can receive up to 130 points. The highest scores are available for jobs in Northern Ontario, healthcare occupations, wages of at least $40 per hour, longer Ontario work experience, strong language results, Canadian education and valid work permits.
What Has Ontario Announced?
Ontario has released the detailed scoring factors that will be used to rank candidates in the Expression of Interest pool for the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream.
The new stream forms the first phase of Ontario’s 2026 redesign of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program.
Ontario retired its previous immigration streams in May 2026 and introduced the Workforce Priority Stream in June. The province has now explained how eligible profiles will receive points when the new Expression of Interest system begins operating.
Candidates should understand that the scoring factors are not the same as the stream’s eligibility requirements.
A person must first meet all eligibility conditions for one of the new pathways. The scoring system is then used to rank eligible profiles and help Ontario decide which candidates should receive invitations to apply.
Learn more about Canadian Provincial Nominee Programs through Always Canada Group.
What Are Ontario’s Three New Permanent Residence Pathways?
The Ontario Workforce Priority Stream currently contains three pathways.
| Pathway | Designed for | Job offer |
|---|---|---|
| TEER 0–3 pathway | Workers in management, professional, technical, supervisory and other higher-skilled occupations | Required |
| TEER 4–5 pathway | Workers in intermediate- and entry-level occupations that may require secondary education, workplace training or short-term demonstrations | Required |
| Self-employed physicians pathway | Eligible physicians licensed in Ontario and authorized to bill through the Ontario Health Insurance Plan | Not assessed in the same manner |
TEER 0–3 pathway
This pathway generally requires a full-time and permanent job offer from an eligible Ontario employer in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation.
Depending on the applicant’s situation, eligibility may also involve language ability, education, relevant work experience, Ontario licensing or recent graduation from an eligible Ontario institution.
TEER 4–5 pathway
This pathway is for eligible candidates with permanent, full-time Ontario job offers in TEER 4 or TEER 5 occupations.
Candidates generally require relevant experience with the employer, secondary-school education or its equivalent, and at least CLB 4 in English or French.
Self-employed physicians pathway
This pathway is intended for qualifying physicians who hold an eligible Ontario certificate of registration, remain in good standing and are eligible to bill through OHIP.
Ontario Workforce Priority Stream Scoring Summary
A job-offer candidate can receive a maximum of 130 points across the following factors.
| Scoring factor | Maximum points |
|---|---|
| Ontario work region | 15 |
| Occupation TEER level | 9 |
| Hourly wage | 15 |
| Broad occupational category | 10 |
| Ontario work experience | 18 |
| Canadian income-tax history | 8 |
| Highest level of education | 10 |
| Canadian educational credentials | 10 |
| Highest official-language proficiency | 15 |
| Official-language bilingualism | 10 |
| Temporary resident status | 10 |
| Maximum possible score | 130 points |
Ontario has not announced a minimum score that guarantees an invitation. Future cutoff scores will depend on the number of eligible profiles, labour-market priorities, targeted occupations and the number of invitations issued.
OINP Points for the Location of the Ontario Job
Ontario awards more regional points to candidates whose jobs are located outside Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area.
| Work region | Points |
|---|---|
| Northern Ontario | 15 |
| Eastern Ontario | 10 |
| Central Ontario outside the GTA | 10 |
| Southwestern Ontario | 10 |
| Within the GTA but outside Toronto | 5 |
| City of Toronto | 0 |
The structure gives the largest regional advantage to candidates with employment in Northern Ontario.
A Toronto job can still qualify where all stream requirements are met, but it does not receive points under the regional-location factor.
Points for Occupation Skill Level, Wage and Occupational Category
Occupation TEER level
| NOC TEER | General occupation type | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Management occupations | 9 |
| 1 | Occupations generally requiring a university degree | 9 |
| 2 | Supervisory, college-diploma or longer apprenticeship occupations | 6 |
| 3 | College, shorter apprenticeship or significant workplace-training occupations | 6 |
| 4 | Occupations generally requiring secondary education or workplace training | 0 |
| 5 | Occupations generally requiring short-term work demonstration | 0 |
Hourly wage
| Hourly wage | Points |
|---|---|
| $40 or more | 15 |
| $35 to $39.99 | 12 |
| $30 to $34.99 | 10 |
| $25 to $29.99 | 8 |
| $20 to $24.99 | 5 |
| Below $20 | 0 |
Receiving wage points does not replace the stream’s wage-eligibility requirement. The job offer must separately meet the wage rules applicable to the candidate’s pathway, occupation and work location.
Broad occupational category
| NOC broad category | Occupational field | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Health occupations | 10 |
| 7 | Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations | 8 |
| 2 | Natural and applied sciences and related occupations | 6 |
| 0, 1, 4, 8 or 9 | Management, business and administration, education and social services, natural resources, manufacturing and utilities | 4 |
| 5 or 6 | Arts, culture, recreation, sport, sales and service occupations | 2 |
Healthcare occupations receive the maximum 10 points under the occupational-category factor.
Points for Ontario Work Experience and Canadian Income
Experience in the Ontario job-offer position
Candidates who have already worked for at least six months in the same position connected to their Ontario job offer may receive the following points.
| Experience in the position | Points |
|---|---|
| More than 24 months | 18 |
| 13 to 24 months | 15 |
| 6 to 12 months | 12 |
Other Ontario work experience
Candidates who are not being scored under the job-offer-position table may receive points for other qualifying Ontario work experience.
| Ontario work experience | Points |
|---|---|
| More than 24 months | 12 |
| 13 to 24 months | 9 |
| 6 to 12 months | 6 |
| Less than six months | 0 |
Canadian income-tax history
Ontario will use a Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment to determine the candidate’s highest annual Canadian income during the previous five years.
| Highest annual income | Points |
|---|---|
| $70,000 or more | 8 |
| $50,000 to $69,999 | 6 |
| $30,000 to $49,999 | 4 |
| Below $30,000 | 0 |
Education and Official-Language Scoring
Highest level of education
| Education | Points |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 10 |
| Professional degree in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or optometry | 10 |
| Master’s degree | 8 |
| Post-bachelor university certificate or diploma | 6 |
| Bachelor’s degree or equivalent | 6 |
| Ontario College Graduate Certificate | 5 |
| University certificate or diploma below bachelor’s level | 5 |
| College, CEGEP or non-university credential | 5 |
| Apprenticeship or trades certificate | 5 |
| Below college or trades-certificate level | 0 |
Canadian post-secondary credentials
| Eligible Canadian credentials | Points |
|---|---|
| Two or more | 10 |
| One | 5 |
| None | 0 |
To receive these points, the credential must generally be from an eligible Canadian post-secondary institution and from a program requiring at least one year of full-time study.
Highest official-language proficiency
The candidate’s score is based on the lowest result across speaking, listening, reading and writing in their strongest official language.
| Minimum CLB or NCLC in all abilities | Points |
|---|---|
| CLB/NCLC 9 or higher | 15 |
| CLB/NCLC 8 | 12 |
| CLB/NCLC 7 | 8 |
| CLB/NCLC 6 | 4 |
| CLB/NCLC 5 or lower | 0 |
Language results must come from an approved immigration language test and must remain valid when required by the program.
English-French bilingualism
| Languages with at least CLB/NCLC 6 | Points |
|---|---|
| Both English and French | 10 |
| One official language | 5 |
Points for Temporary Resident Status in Canada
| Current status | Points |
|---|---|
| Valid work permit | 10 |
| Valid study permit | 5 |
| Neither | 0 |
Receiving zero points for this factor does not automatically make a candidate ineligible. However, a person in Canada must maintain legal immigration status as required by the stream.
How Are Self-Employed Physicians Scored?
Eligible self-employed physicians are not scored under the hourly-wage factor.
Instead, Ontario uses a separate work-experience calculation based on cumulative medical practice in Ontario.
| Ontario medical practice | Points |
|---|---|
| 24 months or more | 18 |
| 13 to 24 months | 15 |
| 6 to 12 months | 12 |
| Less than six months | 0 |
Physicians must still satisfy the pathway’s licensing, good-standing and OHIP-billing requirements.
Example of a Possible OINP Score
Consider a hypothetical candidate with the following profile:
- A job in Southwestern Ontario: 10 points;
- A TEER 1 occupation: 9 points;
- An hourly wage of $37: 12 points;
- A natural and applied sciences occupation: 6 points;
- Between 13 and 24 months in the offered position: 15 points;
- Highest Canadian income between $50,000 and $69,999: 6 points;
- A bachelor’s degree: 6 points;
- One eligible Canadian credential: 5 points;
- CLB 8 in the strongest official language: 12 points;
- At least CLB 6 in one official language: 5 points;
- A valid work permit: 10 points.
The hypothetical Expression of Interest score would be 96 points.
This example does not represent an invitation cutoff and does not confirm eligibility. Ontario may conduct general or targeted invitation rounds with different selection criteria.
How Will the Ontario Application Process Work?
The expected process under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream involves both a provincial and a federal stage.
- Confirm pathway eligibility. The candidate and employer should verify that the job offer, occupation, wage, experience, education and language requirements are satisfied.
- Create an Expression of Interest. For job-offer pathways, the employer is expected to initiate the process through Ontario’s Employer Portal.
- Receive an EOI score. Ontario assigns points based on the information declared in the profile.
- Wait for an invitation. Ontario may invite high-ranking candidates or conduct targeted rounds based on occupations, regions or labour-market needs.
- Submit the provincial application. An invited candidate must provide documents supporting both eligibility and every scoring factor claimed.
- Receive an Ontario nomination. Approval by Ontario makes the candidate a provincial nominee.
- Apply for permanent residence. The nominee submits a separate permanent residence application to IRCC.
A provincial invitation or nomination is not the same as permanent residence approval. IRCC conducts the final federal assessment, including admissibility checks.
Is Ontario’s New Expression of Interest System Open?
Ontario’s new Expression of Interest system was still closed to new profiles when the scoring details were published.
The province stated that the system was expected to reopen later in the summer of 2026. No exact reopening date or first invitation-round date had been confirmed.
Candidates should not submit information through unofficial portals or pay anyone who claims to guarantee an early registration or invitation.
Monitor Ontario’s official program-update and invitation pages for the reopening announcement.
How Can Candidates Prepare or Improve Their Score?
Candidates cannot change every scoring factor, but they can prepare a stronger and more accurately documented profile.
- Confirm that the job’s NOC code reflects the actual duties rather than only the job title.
- Verify that the wage meets the stream requirement and is accurately stated in the employment documents.
- Obtain an approved language test and consider improving English or French results.
- Consider whether testing in both official languages could generate bilingualism points.
- Collect employment letters, pay records, tax documents and Notices of Assessment.
- Obtain an Educational Credential Assessment where a foreign credential must be demonstrated.
- Preserve evidence of Canadian and Ontario education.
- Maintain valid immigration status and apply for extensions before expiry where eligible.
- Ensure that the employer can satisfy Ontario’s business, revenue, staffing and job-offer requirements.
Candidates should never claim points that cannot be supported with documentation.
What Other Ontario Immigration Streams Are Planned?
Ontario has also announced plans for a second phase of its immigration program redesign.
The proposed future streams include:
- Priority Healthcare Stream: Intended for eligible healthcare professionals and expected not to require a job offer.
- Entrepreneur Stream: Intended for qualifying business owners or operators in Ontario.
- Exceptional Talent Stream: Intended for people with exceptional achievements in areas such as science, technology, academic research, literature and the arts.
Ontario had not confirmed the launch dates or complete eligibility requirements for these streams when the Workforce Priority scoring system was published.
How Always Canada Group Can Help
Always Canada Group is a Canadian immigration consultancy led by Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants.
Our team can help candidates and Ontario employers understand the new Workforce Priority Stream and prepare for the reopening of the Expression of Interest system.
Our services may include:
- Reviewing eligibility for the TEER 0–3 pathway;
- Reviewing eligibility for the TEER 4–5 pathway;
- Assessing self-employed physician eligibility;
- Identifying the correct NOC and TEER classification;
- Calculating a preliminary OINP Expression of Interest score;
- Reviewing wage and work-location factors;
- Reviewing employer eligibility;
- Preparing supporting employment and education documents;
- Assisting with the provincial nomination application;
- Preparing the subsequent federal permanent residence application.
An eligibility assessment, Expression of Interest score or provincial invitation does not guarantee nomination or permanent residence. Final decisions remain with Ontario and IRCC.
Book an Ontario immigration consultation to review your job offer, occupation, eligibility and potential score.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum score under the new Ontario system?
An eligible job-offer candidate can receive up to 130 Expression of Interest points.
Which Ontario jobs receive the most regional points?
Qualifying jobs in Northern Ontario receive 15 regional points, the highest amount available under the work-location factor.
Does a job in Toronto receive location points?
A job located in the City of Toronto receives zero points for the regional-location factor, although the candidate may still receive points under other factors.
Which occupational category receives the most points?
Health occupations under NOC broad occupational category 3 receive the maximum 10 occupational-category points.
How many points are available for a valid work permit?
A candidate with a valid work permit may receive 10 points under the temporary-resident-status factor.
Is a job offer required for every Workforce Priority pathway?
A qualifying job offer is required for the TEER 0–3 and TEER 4–5 pathways. Eligible self-employed physicians are assessed under separate requirements.
Does receiving a high score guarantee an Ontario invitation?
No. Invitations depend on Ontario’s draw criteria, available nominations, labour-market priorities and the scores of other eligible candidates.
Is the new OINP Expression of Interest system open?
The system was still closed when the scoring details were published. Ontario stated that it was expected to reopen later in the summer of 2026, but no exact date had been confirmed.
Is an Ontario nomination the same as permanent residence?
No. After receiving an Ontario nomination, the candidate must submit a separate permanent residence application to the federal government.
Final Takeaway
Ontario’s new scoring system provides a clearer picture of how candidates will be ranked under the Workforce Priority Stream.
Job-offer candidates can receive up to 130 points. Strong advantages are available for Northern Ontario jobs, healthcare occupations, higher wages, longer Ontario experience, Canadian education, strong language ability, bilingualism and valid work permits.
A high score alone is not enough. Candidates must first qualify for one of the new pathways and must later provide documents supporting every claimed scoring factor.
Review Provincial Nominee Program options or book a consultation with Always Canada Group to assess your Ontario immigration options.
