How will the OINP choose candidates? Expect a points-based ranking system. The agency published a separate post regarding its scoring system on July 20, 2026. If you do get an invitation from the OINP, you must respond within 17 calendar days and complete your application. For job offer candidates, the employer must approve your employment position within 14 calendar days. You must inform your employer of the deadline, as this is a prerequisite to your application to the OINP.
If you’re nominated through one of the job offer streams, you’ll receive a provincial support letter you can use when applying to the federal government for a work permit. Successful candidates under the OWPS self-employed physician or high-skilled streams may benefit from faster permanent residence processing. This gives them the option to pursue permanent residence through Canada’s Express Entry system using the enhanced program pathway
Why Ontario Introduced the New OWPS
Ontario closed all its old residence pathways on May 30, 2026, leaving applicants without a replacement option until the new pathways began rolling out. The OWPS is the first of the province’s immigration pathways to launch as part of the province’s planned overhaul of the OINP.
The OWPS marks only the first phase of the overhaul. The second phase is expected to introduce three additional immigration streams: an entrepreneur stream, a priority healthcare worker stream, and the exceptional talent stream. You may qualify for the exceptional talent stream if you have achievements in innovation, academia, the arts, or science and technology. As of this time, it hasn’t yet published details on how the upcoming streams work, nor has it announced when it plans to launch the second phase.
Initially, the overhaul was proposed in December 2025. Those who applied for the discontinued streams will be assessed based on the eligibility criteria in place when they applied.
