OINP nomination allocation for 2026

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has announced its nomination allocation for the year, with the number of slots received by the province increasing compared to last year.

For 2026, the federal government has awarded the OINP a total of 14,119 nominations to distribute to nominees across its eight provincial immigration streams.

Ontario published these details on the OINP updates webpage on 6 February 2026.

As of writing, the OINP has not yet announced any priority sectors or occupations for the year, nor the distribution of nominations by stream.

How do the OINP’s 2026 nominations compare with previous levels?

The 14,119 nominations of Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) for 2026 represent an increase of approximately 31% compared to the 10,750 nominations the province received from the federal government in 2025.

This can be attributed to the increase in admission targets permanent residence (PR) of the immigration department across Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) this year, seeing an increase from 55,000 last year to 91,500 in 2026.

With increased PR admission slots, provinces and territories are likely to see their nomination slots increase compared to their initial allocations in early 2025.

This has already been the case for jurisdictions that have announced their nominations for the year, including Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Yukon.

Unlike other provinces and territories, Ontario did not receive an increase in its provincial nomination allocation in 2025, remaining at its initial 10,750 nominations throughout the year.

Although Ontario has seen its allocation increase this year compared to last year, the province’s nomination level remains significantly lower than in 2024 (21,500).

As a result, the OINP has recovered only about 67% of its 2024 nomination level.

Recent changes to the OINP

Ontario was in the spotlight throughout 2025 for various changes to its provincial immigration programme, including:

Eligibility changes for self-employed physicians: In January 2026, the OINP expanded eligibility for the Employer Job Offer – Foreign Worker stream to include certain self-employed, internationally trained physicians holding a temporary certificate from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario with an OHIP billing number, making the pathway to permanent residency easier for eligible doctors.

Earlier in February 2025, the province changed eligibility requirements for self-employed physicians overall, allowing them to count periods of self-employment without a job offer towards three streams.

Suspension of the Ontario Express Entry Skilled Trades stream: In November 2025, the OINP called for an immediate suspension of its trades-targeted stream and returned all pending applications after identifying “system compliance and enforcement concerns relating to the stream.”

Expansion of authority to return or suspend applications: In July 2025, new regulations were implemented to allow the return of applications before a provincial nomination is issued (with application fees refunded).

By late October, the programme expanded the factors that could lead to the suspension or return of an application before nomination issuance, adding 13 new factors (and removing one)—such as the province’s capacity to provide adequate housing and healthcare services, applicant language proficiency, education or employment status, and projected provincial labour market demand.

Introduction of a new electronic Employer Portal: In July 2025, the province altered intake for its Employer Job Offer streams, shifting from an applicant-led process to an employer-led process. Consequently, individuals can no longer apply directly to the OINP under these streams.

Relaxation of eligibility requirements for early childhood educators/assistants: Furthermore, since July 2025, the province changed its education requirements for early childhood educators and assistants (NOC NOC 42202), meaning they no longer require a Canadian bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) to qualify under:

• Ontario Human Capital Priorities stream;
• Ontario French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream.

Implementation of in-person interview requirements: Finally, the province also noted in its July updates that it may require in-person interviews for both applicants and employers as a means to address “concerns regarding the credibility and authenticity of certain applications.”

Upcoming stream consolidation

Ontario has also proposed a major consolidation of OINP streams as part of a broader programme redesign. Under the two-stage overhaul plan, the province will first merge its three Employer Job Offer streams into a single stream with multiple pathways.

In a subsequent stage, most existing streams will be phased out and replaced by three new pathways focusing on healthcare workers, entrepreneurs and exceptional talent. The proposed changes were introduced in late 2025 and are expected to roll out from 2026 onwards, pending final regulatory approval.

Learn more about the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) on the government website at here.