What should workers and employers do now?
Short answer: Get ready for the new EOI, line up a qualifying job offer, and meet the higher benchmarks. There is a gap between today's closures and the EOI reopening later this summer, and that window is the time to prepare. Workers should confirm their occupation's TEER category, check which experience option they can meet, and book a language test that reaches the benchmark for their pathway, since CLB 6 is higher than several old streams required. Employers should confirm their roles are permanent and full-time and, if they are rural, check whether they fall under the lower revenue thresholds. The province also tightened compliance: the response time for a Notice of Intent to Issue an Administrative Monetary Penalty (AMP) or Ban order dropped from 60 to 30 days, and notices can now be sent by email, mail, or in person and are treated as delivered. You can follow draw activity through our OINP news and draws tracker, and review the program on Ontario's OINP page.
Frequently Asked Questions About the OINP Redesign
These are the questions Ontario candidates are asking after the June 26 changes. In short: the OINP was redesigned, not cancelled, the eight old streams are closed, and the new Workforce Priority Stream opens for EOIs later this summer.
Is the OINP suspended in 2026? Not suspended, redesigned. The program is open, but the Expression of Interest system is temporarily closed while Ontario switches platforms, and it is expected to reopen later in the summer for the new Workforce Priority Stream.
Will the OINP be removed? No. Ontario removed eight individual streams and replaced them with one consolidated stream. The program itself continues, and the province has said a second phase of the redesign is still to come.
Are there still OINP draws in 2026? No new invitations will be issued under the former streams. New draws will run under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream once the EOI system reopens later in the summer.
Who is eligible for the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream? Skilled workers in TEER 0 to 3 jobs and intermediate workers in TEER 4 to 5 jobs, in both cases with a permanent full-time Ontario job offer plus the required experience, language, and education, and self-employed physicians who meet the CPSO and OHIP conditions without a job offer.
What happens to my existing OINP application? If you only have an EOI or job offer under an old stream with no invitation yet, it will be withdrawn over the coming weeks. If you already submitted an application after an invitation, it stays under the old rules.
How can a licensed RCIC help with the new OINP stream?
Short answer: By matching you to the right pathway and timing the new EOI. Go Far Global is a licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) firm in Toronto, regulated by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). We help workers confirm their TEER category and experience option, plan the language score the new benchmarks require, and prepare a clean EOI and application for the Workforce Priority Stream the moment it opens. We also help Ontario employers structure qualifying job offers, including the rural revenue thresholds. Book a consultation to get ready before the EOI reopens.
This article is general information, not legal advice. The OINP redesign is new and the EOI details are still rolling out. Confirm the current rules for your situation with a licensed RCIC and on the official Ontario and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) websites before you act.
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