Ontario Provincial Nominee Program: Current Pathways to Permanent Residence

If you’re exploring permanent residence options through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), you may have noticed a significant slowdown in 2025. So far this year, the OINP has issued just four Invitations to Apply (ITAs), compared to the 14,760 invitations issued during the first two months of 2024.

This pause reflects a broader trend among Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) in Canada, as provinces adjust to reduced immigration allocations for 2025.

Which OINP Streams Are Currently Active?

As of now, only one OINP stream has issued ITAs in 2025—the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream. A single draw on January 4 targeted candidates under the federal Economic Mobility Pathways Project (EMPP), inviting four individuals who are skilled refugees or displaced persons.

While other streams haven’t issued ITAs yet, several are still accepting Expressions of Interest (EOIs), including:

• Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker
• Employer Job Offer: International Student
• Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills
• Master’s Graduate
• PhD Graduate

Ontario’s Express Entry-aligned streams remain open as well, but candidates don’t need to submit EOIs for these. Instead, they maintain active Express Entry profiles, and the OINP may issue Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to eligible candidates. Those who receive NOIs can apply to the province for nomination, which boosts their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score by 600 points—significantly increasing their chances of receiving an ITA for permanent residency from the federal government.

The OINP has confirmed that all current streams remain active, with no plans to remove any pathways, although it hasn’t provided a date for resuming draws.

Eligibility Criteria Overview for OINP Streams

Here’s a quick rundown of the main requirements for each stream:

• Employer Job Offer Streams (Foreign Worker, International Student, In-Demand Skills):
  Candidates must have a full-time, permanent job offer meeting specific wage and skill requirements. International students need to have graduated from an eligible Ontario school and apply within two years of graduation. In-demand skills candidates must have at least nine months of relevant work experience.
• Master’s and PhD Graduate Streams:
  These streams don’t require a job offer. Instead, applicants must have a degree from an eligible Ontario institution, meet language proficiency benchmarks, and apply within two years of graduation.
• Express Entry-Aligned Streams (Human Capital Priorities, Skilled Trades, French-Speaking Skilled Worker):
  These streams require a valid Express Entry profile. Candidates must meet criteria for federal programs (such as CEC or FSWP), have relevant education or work experience, meet language proficiency levels, and have settlement funds.

What’s Behind the Slowdown in Provincial Immigration?

The reduced activity in OINP and other PNPs comes after Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) decided to halve provincial immigration allocations for 2025. This shift was made to address housing and affordability challenges. Under the revised Immigration Levels Plan, PNP allocations dropped from 110,000 in 2024 to 55,000 in 2025.

In response, provinces have adjusted their programs. Some have introduced stricter eligibility criteria, while others have delayed application intakes. However, IRCC has offered provinces a chance to recover their allocations by accepting more humanitarian immigrants. For example, Newfoundland and Labrador regained most of its allocation by agreeing to welcome additional humanitarian cases.

As provinces continue to adapt to these changes, delays and limited draws are expected. The OINP has yet to announce its finalized 2025 nomination allocation, but the program remains open, and interested candidates can still submit EOIs or maintain active Express Entry profiles.