Planning Canada PR? Ontario has closed its…

Ontario has closed its two most popular immigration streams — the Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills and Employer Job Offer: International Student categories — effective immediately, as reported by Business Standard. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program announced the suspension on June 2, 2026, with no reopening date provided. These streams accounted for the majority of OINP nominations in recent years, making this the most significant disruption to Ontario's provincial nominee program since its expansion in 2021.

The In-Demand Skills stream targeted workers in construction, agriculture, and trucking occupations with job offers in Ontario, while the International Student stream served recent graduates from eligible Canadian institutions with qualifying job offers. Both streams operated on a first-come, first-served basis and regularly filled within hours of opening, creating intense competition among applicants. Ontario issued over 18,000 nominations through these two streams in 2025 alone, representing roughly 60 percent of the province's total OINP allocations that year.

The closure affects applicants in NOC TEER 4 and 5 occupations who relied on the In-Demand Skills pathway, as well as international graduates holding post-graduation work permits who were preparing applications under the International Student category. The OINP has not suspended its other streams — the Human Capital Priorities, French-Speaking Skilled Worker, Skilled Trades, and Masters Graduate streams remain open, though these require either an Express Entry profile or an advanced degree from an Ontario institution. The Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream, which targets NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 positions, also continues to accept applications.

The province has not released a statement explaining the suspension or indicating whether the streams will reopen in 2026. Immigration observers note that Ontario exhausted its 2025 federal allocation of nominations ahead of schedule, which may have prompted the closure while the province negotiates its 2026 quota with IRCC.

Applicants who submitted complete applications before the June 2 closure will still have their files processed. Those who were preparing applications for the now-closed streams should review eligibility for the remaining OINP pathways or consider other provincial nominee programs. British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba operate similar employer-driven streams that accept applications in comparable occupation categories, though each province maintains distinct eligibility criteria and processing timelines.

Check the OINP website daily for updates on stream reopenings. If you hold a valid job offer in Ontario and no longer qualify for an open OINP stream, consult whether your employer can support a Labour Market Impact Assessment application for a direct work permit, which does not depend on provincial nomination availability.

Source: Ontario OINP draws — published 2026-06-02.

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Source: canada.ca · IRCC.com is an independent news site and not affiliated with the Government of Canada.