Ontario's nominee program changed in 2026
If you used an OINP calculator before mid-2026, its points no longer apply. Ontario removed its existing streams and introduced a single new one, the Ontario Workforce Priority stream.
- Changes to Ontario's regulation came into force on June 25, 2026. They removed the eight existing streams and introduced the Ontario Workforce Priority stream.
- The old Expression of Interest system was closed, and registrations that had not led to an invitation were withdrawn.
- The Expression of Interest portal for the new stream opened on August 4, 2026.
- On October 5, 2026, Ontario updated the earnings history factor: $80,000 or more in a single year now earns 10 points.
Applications submitted after an invitation under a former stream are still assessed under the rules that applied when they were submitted.
Who the Ontario Workforce Priority stream is for
The stream has pathways for people with a job offer in any NOC TEER category, and for self-employed physicians, who can apply without a job offer. If you have a job offer, your employer starts the process through Ontario's employer portal. You then register an expression of interest and receive a score.
Scoring factors are not the same as the stream's requirements. You must meet every requirement for your TEER category, such as work experience, language and education, as well as score well enough to be invited.
Ontario Workforce Priority scoring factors
These are the scoring factors published by the Government of Ontario. Ontario does not publish an overall maximum; the highest values add up to 132.
| Factor | Points |
|---|---|
| NOC TEER category of the job | |
| TEER 0 or 1 | 9 |
| TEER 2 or 3 | 6 |
| TEER 4 | 0 |
| TEER 5 | 0 |
| NOC broad occupational category | |
| Category 3 (health occupations) | 10 |
| Category 7 (trades, transport and equipment operators) | 8 |
| Category 2 (natural and applied sciences) | 6 |
| Category 0, 1, 4, 8 or 9 | 4 |
| Category 5 or 6 | 2 |
| Hourly wage of the job offer | |
| $40 per hour or higher | 15 |
| $35 to $39.99 per hour | 12 |
| $30 to $34.99 per hour | 10 |
| $25 to $29.99 per hour | 8 |
| $20 to $24.99 per hour | 5 |
| Less than $20 per hour | 0 |
| Ontario work experience (maximum 18) | |
| Time working in the job offer position | |
| Over 24 months working full-time in the job offer position | 18 |
| 13 to 24 months working full-time in the job offer position | 15 |
| 6 to 12 months working full-time in the job offer position | 12 |
| Less than 6 months in the job offer position, or not currently working in it | 0 |
| If less than 6 months in the position: time working in Ontario | |
| Over 24 months working full-time (or part-time equivalent) in Ontario | 12 |
| 13 to 24 months working full-time (or part-time equivalent) in Ontario | 9 |
| 6 to 12 months working full-time (or part-time equivalent) in Ontario | 6 |
| Less than 6 months in Ontario, or not currently working in Ontario | 0 |
| Cumulative medical practice in Ontario | |
| Over 24 months | 18 |
| 13 months up to 24 months | 15 |
| 6 months up to 12 months | 12 |
| Less than 6 months | 0 |
| Canadian work experience: earnings in a single year | |
| $80,000 or more | 10 |
| $70,000 to $79,999 | 8 |
| $50,000 to $69,999 | 6 |
| $30,000 to $49,999 | 4 |
| Under $30,000 | 0 |
| Legal status in Canada | |
| With a valid work permit | 10 |
| With a valid study permit | 5 |
| Without a valid work or study permit | 0 |
| Factor | Points |
|---|---|
| Highest level of education | |
| Doctorate, or degree in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or optometry | 10 |
| Master's degree | 8 |
| University certificate or diploma above the bachelor level | 6 |
| Bachelor's degree or equivalent | 6 |
| Ontario College Graduate Certificate | 5 |
| University certificate or diploma below the bachelor level | 5 |
| College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma | 5 |
| Apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma | 5 |
| Less than a college or trade certificate | 0 |
| Number of Canadian education credentials | |
| More than one Canadian credential | 10 |
| One Canadian credential | 5 |
| No Canadian credential | 0 |
| Factor | Points |
|---|---|
| Official language ability: your lowest CLB level across the four abilities | |
| CLB 9 or higher | 15 |
| CLB 8 | 12 |
| CLB 7 | 8 |
| CLB 6 | 4 |
| CLB 5 or lower | 0 |
| Knowledge of official languages | |
| Two official languages (at least CLB 6 in every ability on both tests) | 10 |
| One official language | 5 |
| Factor | Points |
|---|---|
| Location of the job (or of your practice, for physicians) | |
| Northern Ontario | 15 |
| Eastern Ontario | 10 |
| Central Ontario outside the Greater Toronto Area | 10 |
| Southwestern Ontario | 10 |
| Inside the Greater Toronto Area (except Toronto) | 5 |
| Toronto | 0 |
How Ontario work experience is scored
If you have a job offer, you are scored first on how long you have been working full-time in the position you were offered: 12 points for 6 to 12 months, 15 for 13 to 24 months and 18 for more than 24 months.
If you have less than six months in that position, Ontario looks instead at how long you have worked anywhere in Ontario, full-time or the part-time equivalent, for up to 12 points. Self-employed physicians are scored on their cumulative months of medical practice in Ontario.
Which region is my job in?
Regional points depend on the work location in your job offer, or on your practice address for physicians.
- Northern Ontario (15 points): Muskoka, Haliburton, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Manitoulin, Sudbury, Greater Sudbury, Timiskaming, Cochrane, Algoma, Thunder Bay, Rainy River and Kenora.
- Eastern Ontario (10 points): Frontenac, Hastings, Kawartha Lakes, Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, Lennox and Addington, Northumberland, Ottawa, Peterborough, Prescott and Russell, Prince Edward, Renfrew, and Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.
- Central Ontario outside the GTA (10 points): Dufferin, Grey, Simcoe, Waterloo and Wellington.
- Southwestern Ontario (10 points): Brant, Bruce, Chatham-Kent, Elgin, Essex, Haldimand-Norfolk, Hamilton, Huron, Lambton, Middlesex, Niagara, Oxford and Perth.
- Greater Toronto Area except Toronto (5 points): the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel and York.
- Toronto (0 points): the City of Toronto.
Language points
You must take an approved English or French test. Points are based on your lowest CLB level across reading, writing, listening and speaking, and if you took tests in both languages, the higher result is used. Academic and One Skill Retake tests are not accepted. To be scored for two official languages, you need at least CLB 6 in every ability on both tests. Convert your results with the CLB calculator.