The Ontario Workforce Priority stream, explained
On June 26, 2026, Ontario deleted eight streams and replaced them with one. This is the clearest account of what that actually changes for applicants.
The Ontario Workforce Priority stream is the single OINP stream for workers, launched on June 26, 2026. It replaced all eight previous streams: the three Employer Job Offer streams, Master's and PhD Graduate, and the three Express Entry streams, which closed on the same day. Pending expressions of interest were withdrawn, not transferred.
It has three pathways: skilled job offers at NOC TEER 0–3, essential job offers at TEER 4–5, and self-employed physicians, who apply with no job offer. Candidates are ranked on 11 factors worth 130 points (115 for physicians). Age is not scored, and the work location on the job offer is worth up to 15 points.
Key facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Stream name | Ontario Workforce Priority stream (OWPS) |
| Launched | June 26, 2026 |
| Replaced | All 8 previous OINP streams, closed the same day |
| Pathways | Skilled (TEER 0–3) · Essential (TEER 4–5) · Self-employed physicians |
| Scoring | 11 factors, 130 points · 115 for physicians |
| Job offer | Required, except for self-employed physicians |
| Heaviest factor | Ontario work experience · 18 points |
| Biggest change | Regionalization · up to 15 points for the work location |
| Age scored? | No |
| Draws held so far | None · the EOI system has not reopened |
What happened
Ontario did not tweak its nominee program: it rebuilt it. Every stream that let a worker or graduate apply was closed on June 26, 2026, and expressions of interest sitting in the pool were withdrawn rather than migrated. In their place is a single stream, the Ontario Workforce Priority stream, with one scoring grid and one set of eligibility rules.
The consolidation is not cosmetic. Three things changed in substance, and each one moves points around:
- Closed · June 26, 2026
- Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker
- Employer Job Offer: International Student
- Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills
- Master's Graduate
- PhD Graduate
- Express Entry: Human Capital
- Express Entry: French-Speaking Skilled
- Express Entry: Skilled Trades
- One stream · three pathwaysOntario Workforce Priority
- TEER 0–3TEER 4–5Physicians
- Pending EOIs under the old streams were withdrawn. The three pathways are scoring variations within a single stream, not separate applications.
The three pathways
One stream, but your job offer's TEER level routes you down one of three paths. These are not separate applications: they change which rules and which point ceilings apply to you.
A 90 as a physician is a stronger profile than a 90 as a skilled worker: proportionally it is a higher share of the available points.
The 130-point grid at a glance
Eleven factors, grouped by what they actually measure. The weights tell you what Ontario is optimizing for: people already working in the province, outside Toronto, in health and the trades.
| Factor | What it rewards | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario work experience | Time in the job offer position, in Ontario | 18 |
| Hourly wage | $40+/hr earns the maximum | 15 |
| Language ability | CLB 9+ across all four abilities | 15 |
| Work region | Northern Ontario 15 · Toronto 0 | 15 |
| Occupational category | Health 10 · trades 8 · sciences 6 | 10 |
| Education level | Doctorate or medical degree | 10 |
| Canadian credentials | Two or more eligible credentials | 10 |
| Bilingualism | CLB 6+ in English and French | 10 |
| Legal status in Canada | Valid work permit | 10 |
| TEER level | TEER 0–1 nine points, 2–3 six | 9 |
| Income tax history | $70k+ on a CRA Notice of Assessment | 8 |
What this means for you, concretely
If you're already working in Ontario
You are the profile this stream was designed around. Ontario experience (18), legal status (10) and tax history (8) are worth 36 points that no overseas applicant can touch. Your job is to protect them: don't change employers before your EOI if it resets your time in the position.
If you're a recent master's or PhD graduate
Your old pathway is gone and it's worth saying plainly. The route now runs through employment: get a job offer, and your degree converts into education points (8–10) plus Canadian credential points (5–10) rather than being a qualification in itself.
If you're applying from outside Canada
You start at zero on Ontario experience, legal status and tax history: 36 points unavailable. To be competitive you need the controllable factors near maximum: language at CLB 9, a job outside the GTA, and a wage at or above $40/hour.
If you're in an essential occupation
TEER 4–5 offers score zero on both occupation factors, so 19 points are off the table before you start. The trade-off is a much lower language floor (CLB 4) and a longer, more flexible experience window. Region and wage are where these profiles are won.
How to use the gap before the system opens
- Book language testing now. Results take weeks and are valid for two years. This is the only factor you can move by 15 points on your own.
- Order your ECA if any credential is foreign. It must be less than five years old at the time of application.
- Get your employer moving. They file first, and their eligibility checks (years in business, revenue, recruitment) take longer than most applicants expect.
- Pull your CRA Notices of Assessment for the last five years and identify your highest-earning year: the factor uses your best year, not your latest.
- Ask about work location. If your employer has sites outside the GTA, which address goes on the job offer is worth up to 15 points.
Workforce Priority stream FAQ
The specific questions people search after the June 2026 announcement.
- Government of Ontario · Ontario Workforce Priority stream, ontario.ca
- Ontario Regulation 422/17 · OINP scoring and eligibility criteria
- IRCC · NOC 2021 v1.0 TEER levels
Information only, not legal advice. Scoring and criteria may change without notice; where this page and the regulation differ, the regulation prevails. Last verified August 3, 2026.
Turn this profile into a nomination
Start with your OINP score on the free Workforce Priority calculator, then book a strategy call if you want consultant-reviewed next steps.