Ontario French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream
The Ontario French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream is closed. Ontario closed it as of 30 May 2026, and its only worker route now is the Ontario Workforce Priority stream, which needs a job offer. Here is what that means for files in process and for French speakers planning now.
Status: closed as of 30 May 2026
French-Speaking Skilled 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 |
| Replaced by | Ontario Workforce Priority stream (job offer required) |
| New invitations | None under the former streams |
| Applied to Ontario after an invitation | Assessed against the requirements in effect when you submitted |
| Express Entry profile | Unaffected: it is a federal profile and stays in the pool while valid |
If you were already in process
Ontario says applications submitted following an invitation under a former stream "will continue to be assessed against the eligibility requirements that were in effect when the application was submitted." Under this stream the invitation was a notification of interest sent to your Express Entry profile. If Ontario nominates you, you accept the nomination in your Express Entry profile, where it is worth 600 CRS points (IRCC CRS criteria), and IRCC makes the final decision on permanent residence.
What replaced it, and the routes left for French speakers
The Ontario Workforce Priority stream opened its Expression of Interest portal on 4 August 2026. Its TEER 0 to 3 pathway needs a full-time, permanent job offer in Ontario, CLB 6 (CLB 5 for certain occupations) and a post-secondary degree or diploma. There is no separate French-speaker route in it, so a job offer is now the way into the OINP. Our OINP points calculator shows how a job offer would score. Without a job offer, French speakers can still be invited federally through Express Entry's French-language proficiency category; check your score with our CRS calculator.
What the stream required (historical)
| Requirement | Rule as the stream last operated |
|---|---|
| Intake | An Express Entry profile and a notification of interest from Ontario |
| Job offer | Not required |
| Language | French at NCLC 7 or higher and English at CLB 6 or higher |
| Education | A Canadian bachelor's, master's or PhD, or the foreign equivalent |
| Work experience | One year of skilled (TEER 0 to 3) experience, assessed under federal skilled worker or Canadian Experience Class rules |
| Other | Settlement funds, intention to live in Ontario, and legal status if in Canada |
Wild Mountain Immigration works under a licensed RCIC (CICC #R706497) and covers French-speaker routes outside Quebec. Start on the contact page for an honest assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ontario's French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream still open?
No. Ontario's archived stream page says the Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker 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 seven other streams and created the Ontario Workforce Priority stream.
Is there still an Ontario route for French speakers without a job offer?
Not through the OINP. The Ontario Workforce Priority stream needs a full-time, permanent Ontario job offer (self-employed physicians are the only exception). French speakers can still be invited federally: Express Entry runs category-based rounds for French-language proficiency, separate from any province.
I applied to Ontario after a notification of interest. What happens now?
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. Under the Express Entry streams the invitation was a notification of interest. A nomination from Ontario still has to be accepted in your Express Entry profile, where it is worth 600 CRS points.
Does my Express Entry profile need to change?
Your federal Express Entry profile is separate from the OINP and stays in the pool while it is valid. What has gone is the chance of an Ontario notification of interest under this stream, so your CRS score and any federal category you fit, such as French-language proficiency, now matter more.
Bilingual and planning a move to Ontario?
Get started with a licensed RCIC for an honest read on the routes still open now that Ontario's French-Speaking Skilled 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)