PNP & OINP
Provincial and territorial nomination pathways to Canadian permanent residence, including Ontario's redesigned Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program and its employer-driven Workforce Priority stream.
What Is the Provincial Nominee Program?
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) lets Canadian provinces and territories nominate candidates who match their local labour market and settlement needs, instead of leaving selection entirely to the federal system. Every province and territory participates except Quebec, which runs its own selection system, and Nunavut.
There are two broad types of streams. Enhanced streams are linked to Express Entry: a provincial nomination adds 600 points to your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, which in practice secures an invitation in the next applicable draw. Base streams sit outside Express Entry and are applied for directly with the province, then followed by a separate federal permanent residence application. Base streams are often the better route for candidates whose CRS score is not competitive on its own.
There are two broad types of streams. Enhanced streams are linked to Express Entry: a provincial nomination adds 600 points to your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, which in practice secures an invitation in the next applicable draw. Base streams sit outside Express Entry and are applied for directly with the province, then followed by a separate federal permanent residence application. Base streams are often the better route for candidates whose CRS score is not competitive on its own.
Important Update: The OINP Has Been Redesigned
Ontario’s provincial program, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), has been restructured. The eight streams many applicants planned around are now closed to new applicants: Employer Job Offer (Foreign Worker), Employer Job Offer (In-Demand Skills), Employer Job Offer (International Student), Master’s Graduate, PhD Graduate, Express Entry Human Capital Priorities, Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker, and Express Entry Skilled Trades.
They have been replaced by a single Ontario Workforce Priority stream, which is employer-driven and built around three pathways. If you were counting on a Master’s, PhD or Human Capital Priorities route into Ontario, that plan needs to be rebuilt around the current rules or around another province’s program. Ontario has signalled that further streams may follow, but published eligibility rules only exist for what is open today.
They have been replaced by a single Ontario Workforce Priority stream, which is employer-driven and built around three pathways. If you were counting on a Master’s, PhD or Human Capital Priorities route into Ontario, that plan needs to be rebuilt around the current rules or around another province’s program. Ontario has signalled that further streams may follow, but published eligibility rules only exist for what is open today.
Ontario Workforce Priority Stream: The Three Pathways
| Pathway | Who It Is For | Core Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled workers (NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3) | Foreign workers with a full-time, permanent Ontario job offer in a skilled occupation | Language CLB 6+ in all four abilities (CLB 5+ if the occupation is a listed skilled trade); a postsecondary credential of at least one year, or a high school credential for listed skilled trades; qualifying work experience in the offered position |
| Essential workers (NOC TEER 4 or 5) | Foreign workers with a full-time, permanent Ontario job offer in a lower-TEER occupation | Language CLB 4+ in all four abilities; a Canadian high school diploma or equivalent; at least nine months of cumulative full-time experience in the offered position within the previous two years |
| Self-employed physicians | Physicians practising in Ontario without an employer job offer | An OHIP billing number, plus a certificate of registration authorizing independent practice, academic practice, or a provisional certificate, in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario |
Who Is Eligible?
| Factor | Typical Requirement |
|---|---|
| Job Offer | Full-time, permanent position based in Ontario, urgently necessary to the employer’s business, meeting the required wage level for the job’s location. Self-employed physicians are exempt from the job offer requirement. |
| Work Experience | For skilled occupations: six months of consecutive full-time experience in the offered position within the previous year, three months for a recent Ontario graduate, or two years of cumulative experience in the same occupation within the previous five years. Nine months of cumulative experience applies to lower-TEER roles. |
| Language Ability | CLB 6 or higher for most skilled occupations, CLB 5 or higher for listed skilled trades, and CLB 4 or higher for TEER 4 and 5 roles, measured in all four abilities. |
| Education | At least a one-year postsecondary credential for most skilled roles, or a high school credential for listed skilled trades and lower-TEER roles. Foreign credentials need an Educational Credential Assessment that is less than five years old. |
| Licensing | Where the occupation legally requires a licence or authorization in Ontario or Canada, you must hold it. Some licensed applicants are exempt from the experience requirement, though transport truck and bus or transit driver roles are not. |
| Legal Status | If applying from inside Canada, you must hold valid status such as a visitor record, study permit or work permit. Maintained status is acceptable at the time of submission. |
| Intent to Reside | Genuine intention to live and work in Ontario after permanent residence, supported by ties such as work, study, job search activity or volunteering. |
How Expressions of Interest Are Scored
| Scoring Factor | What Earns Points |
|---|---|
| Occupation and TEER | Higher-skilled TEER categories score more, with additional points based on the broad occupational category of the role. |
| Hourly Wage | Points rise in bands with the offered wage, rewarding higher-paying job offers. |
| Ontario Work Experience | Time spent working full-time in the offered position, and time working in Ontario generally, both earn points. Physicians are scored on cumulative medical practice in Ontario. |
| Canadian Earnings History | Documented Canadian earnings in a year contribute points in bands. |
| Legal Status in Canada | Holding a valid work permit scores highest, followed by a valid study permit. |
| Education | Higher credentials score more, with doctorates and professional degrees in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and optometry at the top. |
| Language | Points are based on your lowest CLB level across all four abilities, with extra points for proficiency in both official languages. |
What Ontario Employers Must Meet
- ✓ Active business operation for at least three years before applying
- ✓ A physical business premises in Ontario where the work will be performed
- ✓ No outstanding orders under Ontario’s Employment Standards Act or Occupational Health and Safety Act
- ✓ Minimum revenue and minimum number of Canadian citizen or permanent resident full-time employees, scaled to the job’s location
- ✓ Documented recruitment effort for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, where the applicant is outside Canada or working outside Ontario
- ✓ Registration in the employer portal and approval of the specific employment position before nomination can be granted
What's Included in Our Service
- ✓ Honest eligibility review against the streams that are actually open, in Ontario and in other provinces
- ✓ Rebuilding strategy for applicants whose plan depended on a now-closed OINP stream
- ✓ Employer-side guidance on portal registration, position approval, wage levels and recruitment evidence
- ✓ Expression of Interest preparation and scoring review, so your claimed points can be documented later
- ✓ Express Entry profile creation or alignment where an enhanced stream applies
- ✓ Full document checklist and review before submission
- ✓ Filing the nomination application within the invitation deadline, then the federal permanent residence application
- ✓ Case tracking and post-nomination compliance support through to confirmed permanent residence
Our Process
01
Eligibility and stream matching
We assess your occupation, NOC and TEER category, language results, education and Ontario ties against the pathways that are currently open, and tell you plainly whether Ontario or another province is the stronger route.
02
Employer coordination
Where a job offer is involved, we work with your employer on portal registration, employment position approval, wage compliance and the recruitment evidence the program expects.
03
Expression of interest
We prepare and register your EOI with scoring factors you can actually document, then monitor invitation rounds so nothing is missed.
04
Nomination application
Once invited, we assemble and file the full nomination application within the deadline, with evidence supporting every point claimed.
05
Permanent residence and landing
After nomination, we file your federal PR application, manage post-nomination conditions and follow-ups, and support you through to landing.
Documents You'll Typically Need
- ✓ Valid passport
- ✓ Language test results from an approved test, in the correct test type accepted by the program
- ✓ Educational Credential Assessment for education completed outside Canada, less than five years old
- ✓ Proof of work experience such as reference letters, employment contracts, pay stubs and tax documents
- ✓ Job offer documentation and employer position approval, where applicable
- ✓ Professional licence or authorization where the occupation requires one
- ✓ For physicians, OHIP billing confirmation and proof of registration standing
- ✓ Proof of legal status in Canada, where you are applying from inside the country
- ✓ Police clearance certificates and medical examination results for the federal stage
FAQS
PNP & OINP Questions
What is the difference between PNP and Express Entry?
+Express Entry is the federal system that ranks candidates by CRS score. PNP is provincial nomination based on a province’s own criteria. Enhanced streams connect to Express Entry and a nomination adds 600 CRS points, which effectively guarantees an invitation. Base streams are applied for directly with the province and do not require an Express Entry profile.
Which OINP streams are still open?
+Ontario now runs the Ontario Workforce Priority stream, with pathways for skilled workers in TEER 0 to 3 occupations, essential workers in TEER 4 and 5 occupations, and self-employed physicians. The former Employer Job Offer, Master’s Graduate, PhD Graduate and Express Entry aligned streams are closed to new applicants.
Can I apply to OINP without a job offer?
+Generally no. The current Ontario stream is employer-driven, and your employer must register and have the employment position approved before you can be nominated. The single exception is the self-employed physician pathway, which does not require a job offer.
My plan was the Master's or PhD Graduate stream. What now?
+Those graduate streams are closed, so a new strategy is needed. Depending on your profile that may mean securing a qualifying Ontario job offer under the current stream, targeting another province’s graduate or in-demand streams, or strengthening your federal Express Entry profile. We map the realistic options rather than waiting for a stream that may not return.
Does a provincial nomination guarantee permanent residence?
+No. A nomination is a provincial decision that strongly supports your case, but the federal government makes the final permanent residence decision and assesses admissibility, including medical, criminal and security requirements.
Can I apply to more than one province at the same time?
+You can explore multiple programs, but each province expects a genuine intention to live and work there, and inconsistent applications can undermine your credibility. We usually recommend building one well-evidenced primary strategy with a considered backup.
How long does the PNP process take?
+Timelines vary by province, stream and whether the route is enhanced or base. Enhanced applications processed through Express Entry are generally faster than base stream applications, which involve a provincial stage followed by a separate federal application. We give you a realistic range for the specific stream you qualify under.