OINP Foreign Worker Stream
The OINP Foreign Worker Stream, formally the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream, is closed. Ontario closed it as of 30 May 2026 and replaced its job-offer streams with the Ontario Workforce Priority stream. Here is what that means for candidates and employers already in process.
Status: closed as of 30 May 2026
Foreign Worker stream status at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Status | Closed as of 30 May 2026, as part of the OINP redesign |
| Legal change | Ontario Regulation 422/17 amendments in force 25 June 2026 removed the eight former streams |
| Last job-offer draw | Ontario's 2026 updates page lists its last Employer Job Offer invitations on 30 April 2026 |
| Replaced by | Ontario Workforce Priority stream (EOI portal open since 4 August 2026) |
| Already applied after an invitation | Assessed against the requirements in effect when you submitted |
| EOI or job offer never invited | Withdrawn automatically; Ontario notifies registrants, employers and representatives |
| Employers | No need to re-register in the Employer Portal, but a new job offer and position approval are needed |
Old stream vs the Ontario Workforce Priority stream
| Foreign Worker stream (closed) | Ontario Workforce Priority, TEER 0 to 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Job offer | Full-time, permanent, TEER 0 to 3, at or above the regional median wage | Full-time, permanent, TEER 0 to 3 |
| Experience | Two years in the job offer's NOC in the last five years, or an Ontario licence | Six months in the position with the employer in the last 12 months (three for recent Ontario graduates), or two years in the NOC in the last five years; licensed applicants exempt |
| Language | No minimum; language was scored in the EOI | CLB 6 (CLB 5 for certain occupations) |
| Education | No minimum listed | Post-secondary degree or diploma |
| Physicians | Eligible physicians could apply without a job offer | Separate self-employed physician category, no job offer |
| TEER 4 and 5 jobs | Not covered by this stream | Covered by the separate TEER 4 to 5 pathway (CLB 4, nine months with the employer) |
Our OINP points calculator scores a job offer against the new Expression of Interest grid, and the Ontario Workforce Priority stream guide covers employer rules and the points in full. For employers, the old stream asked for three years in active business and gross revenue of at least $1,000,000 in the Greater Toronto Area or $500,000 elsewhere; Ontario says lower revenue thresholds now apply to employers in rural communities (census divisions under 150,000 people).
If you were already in process
Applied after an invitation: Ontario says these applications "will continue to be assessed against the eligibility requirements that were in effect when the application was submitted." A nomination is not permanent residence: you then apply to IRCC, which makes the final decision.
In the pool, or an employer had registered your job offer: Ontario withdraws those EOIs and job offers automatically and sends a notice directly. Your employer needs to submit a new job offer under the Ontario Workforce Priority stream before you can register a new EOI.
Wild Mountain Immigration works under a licensed RCIC (CICC #R706497). If you have an Ontario job offer, start on the contact page for an honest read on the new stream.
Frequently asked questions
Is the OINP Foreign Worker stream still open?
No. Ontario's archived Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream page says the stream was closed as of 30 May 2026, as part of the OINP redesign. Amendments to Ontario Regulation 422/17 that came into force on 25 June 2026 removed it with the International Student, In-Demand Skills and five other streams, and created the Ontario Workforce Priority stream.
What replaced the Foreign Worker stream?
The Ontario Workforce Priority stream. It is still built on a full-time, permanent Ontario job offer, but it covers every NOC TEER through two pathways (TEER 0 to 3 and TEER 4 to 5) and adds a category for self-employed physicians. Unlike the Foreign Worker stream, the TEER 0 to 3 pathway asks for CLB 6 (CLB 5 for certain occupations) and a post-secondary degree or diploma.
My employer registered my job offer under the old stream. Is it still valid?
Not for the new stream. Ontario says EOIs and job offers registered under the former streams that did not lead to an invitation are withdrawn automatically. Employers already registered in the Employer Portal do not need to register again, but they must submit a new job offer and a new application for approval of the employment position under the Ontario Workforce Priority stream.
I applied after an invitation. Is my application still processed?
Yes. Ontario says applications submitted following an invitation under a former stream continue to be assessed against the eligibility requirements in effect when the application was submitted. After a nomination you still apply to IRCC, which makes the final decision on permanent residence.
Have a job offer in Ontario?
Get started with a licensed RCIC for an honest read on the Ontario Workforce Priority stream now that the Foreign Worker stream has closed.
A licensed RCIC replies by email, usually within two business days.
Licensed RCIC Nicola Wightman, CICC licence R706497.Verify on the CICC public register (opens in a new tab)