The Ontario government has released a proposed two-phase redesign of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), outlining significant changes to how the province nominates candidates for permanent residence. The proposal is currently open for public and stakeholder consultation. If adopted, the reforms would impact a wide range of applicants, including skilled workers, healthcare professionals, business investors, and individuals with exceptional achievements. The province has not yet stated how it plans to transition applications currently under review.

Phase One: Consolidating the Employer Job Offer Category

The first phase centers on merging the three existing Employer Job Offer streams into a single unified category, divided into two pathways based on National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER levels:

• TEER 0–3 Pathway (skilled and professional occupations)
• TEER 4–5 Pathway (occupations requiring high school education or on-the-job training)

TEER 0–3 Pathway: Targeting Skilled Workers with Strong Qualifications

Applicants must meet requirements across three areas: wage, work experience, and education.

1. Wage Requirement:

• The job offer must meet the median wage for the occupation in Ontario.
• Graduates of eligible Ontario institutions (within the past two years) may qualify with a low-wage job offer.

2. Work Experience (one of the following):

• At least six months of work experience in Ontario in the same NOC and with the same employer;
• Or two years of experience in the same NOC within the last five years;
• Or—if in a regulated profession—holding a valid license in good standing.

3. Education Requirement:

• A post-secondary credential is required;
• This can be waived if the applicant has six months of Ontario experience with the job-offer employer in the same occupation.

TEER 4–5 Pathway: Supporting Employers Facing Persistent Labour Shortages

This pathway is designed for roles that typically require high school education or on-the-job training, including service, manufacturing, and frontline occupations.

Key components include:

• Eligibility across all TEER 4–5 occupations, with selection guided by labour market needs.
• Targeted draws focusing on specific occupations or worker profiles based on provincial priorities.
• Minimum language requirement, likely defined through Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) standards.
• At least nine months of work experience with the same Ontario employer in the job-offer NOC.

Two flexibilities are also proposed:

1. Construction pathway option: Some construction trades workers may qualify with union support even without a permanent, full-time job offer.
2. Regional and sector-based draws: Ontario could issue invitations based on regional needs or specific occupational demands, expanding on its recent targeted draw approach.

Phase Two: Introducing Three New OINP Streams

In the second phase, Ontario proposes eliminating all existing streams—other than the new Employer Job Offer category—and replacing them with three new ones.

1. Priority Healthcare Stream

This dedicated pathway aims to attract healthcare professionals, particularly those working in regulated occupations.

Key features:

• No job offer required: Applicants with valid professional registration in a regulated healthcare field may apply directly.
• Support for new graduates: Individuals nearing completion of their licensing or registration process could also be eligible.

2. Entrepreneur Stream

This redesigned stream would replace the previously closed entrepreneur category and focus on business operators who contribute to economic development.

Eligible applicants include those who:

• Have established and are actively running a new business in Ontario; or
• Have purchased and are actively operating an existing Ontario business (business succession).

The goal is to foster investment, job creation, and regional economic growth.

3. Exceptional Talent Stream

This stream targets individuals whose contributions are highly valuable to Ontario but do not fit traditional employment or job-offer pathways. It is intended for experts in:

• Academia and research
• Science and innovation
• Technology
• Arts and creative sectors
• Other fields where significant societal or economic impact can be demonstrated

Possible qualifying achievements include:

• Significant academic publications or research breakthroughs;
• National or international awards;
• Notable innovations or technological contributions;
• Widely recognized artistic or creative works.

Assessment will rely on qualitative evaluation, focusing on the applicant’s proven impact and potential to contribute to Ontario’s economic, social, and cultural development.

Conclusion

Ontario’s proposed reforms would fundamentally reshape the structure of the OINP, creating clearer, more targeted pathways for healthcare workers, entrepreneurs, and individuals with exceptional achievements. With the proposal still in the consultation phase, further details—including transition plans and implementation timelines—will be released as the government refines the framework.