Ontario PNP Pathways To PR Open for Applicants

If you are seeking permanent residence, then there are certain Ontario PNP Pathways to PR open for applicants.

You might have noticed that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has issued only four invitations to apply for nomination in 2025 – a far cry from the 14,760 invitations the OINP issued during the first two months of 2024.

This pause in OINP immigration draws mirrors that of many other Provincial Nominee Programs in Canada as provinces adjust to halved provincial immigration allocations for 2025.

Which Streams Are Presently Issuing ITAs And Accepting New EOIs?

At the time of writing, only one stream of the OINP has issued ITAs in 2025 – the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream.

Moreover, the OINP held a single draw under this stream on January 4, issuing four ITAs in a targeted draw to applicants in the federal Economic Mobility Pathways Project (EMPP). Furthermore, the EMPP is a permanent work pathway for skilled refugees and displaced people looking to find employment in Canada.

A representative from the OINP stated that all streams that require applicants to proactively apply to be considered are still accepting new EOIs:

The Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream
The Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream
The Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills Stream
The Master’s Graduate Stream
And lastly, the PhD Graduate stream

In addition to the streams mentioned above, for which applicants must submit EOIs directly to the province, the OINP has Express Entry-aligned streams to which applicants cannot directly apply.

Ontario Express Entry-aligned streams also remain open, and the OINP proactively considers all applicants with valid Express Entry profiles, issuing Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to eligible applicants through the Express Entry system.

Under this passive consideration model, all applicants have to do is keep their Express Entry profiles up to date and active in order to be considered for any Express Entry-aligned OINP streams for which they are eligible.

Applicants who obtain NOIs from the OINP through Express Entry can then respond by applying to the province for nomination.

Moreover, if successful, these applicants obtain a provincial nomination from Ontario, which awards them an additional 600 CRS scores, greatly increasing their chances of obtaining an ITA for permanent residency from the federal government.

Also, the OINP has not provided a date for the resumption of draws in 2025.

Overview Of Eligibility Criteria For OINP Streams

For obtaining permanent residence, there are certain Ontario PNP Pathways to PR open for applicants. Below is the overview of eligibility criteria of these streams.

Stream	Job Offer Required?	Express-Entry Aligned?	Summary Of Main Requirements
Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream	Yes	No	Job offer requirements: – Full-time – Permanent – Skilled occupation – Pays ≥ the occupation’s median wage in Ontario – And lastly, urgency necessary to the employer’s business. Applicant requirements: – Work experience – Licensing (if required).
Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream	Yes	No	Job offer requirements: – Full-time – Permanent – Skilled occupation – Pays ≥ the occupation’s median wage in Ontario – And lastly, urgency necessary to the employer’s business Applicant requirements: – Graduate of an eligible Ontario school – Must apply within two years of graduation.
Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills Stream	Yes	No	Job offer requirements: – Full-time – Permanent – Eligible occupation – In eligible location – Pays ≥ the occupation’s median wage in Ontario – And lastly, urgency necessary to the employer’s business. Applicant requirements: – 9 months work experience.
Master’s Graduate Stream	No	No	– Master’s degree from an eligible Ontario school. – Language proficiency ≥ CLB 7. – Has lived in Ontario for at least one of the previous two years. – Must apply within two years of graduation. – Settlement funds.
PhD Graduate Stream	No	No	– PhD from an eligible Ontario school. – Language proficiency ≥ CLB 7. – Has lived in Ontario for at least one of the previous two years. – Must apply within two years of graduation. – Settlement funds.
Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream	No	Yes	– Express Entry profile. – Qualify for CEC or FSWP. – Master’s or PhD. – Language proficiency ≥ CLB 7. – Settlement funds.
Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream	No	Yes	– Express Entry profile. – One year of Ontario work experience in your skilled trade in the past two years. – License or certificate (if applicable). – Living in Ontario with legal work authorization. – Language proficiency ≥ CLB 5. – Settlement funds.
Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker	No	Yes	– Express Entry profile. – Qualify for CEC or FSWP. – Have a university degree, or be a nurse. – French proficiency ≥ NCLC 7. – English proficiency ≥ CLB 6. – And lastly, settlement funds.

All OINP streams require that applicants have an intention to live in Ontario once they become permanent residents and that they maintain valid temporary status in Canada during the application process.

Why Has Provincial Immigration In Canada Slowed?

In October 2024, IRCC made the decision to halve the total allocation of immigrant landings under provincial immigration as Canada looked to adjust immigration levels in the face of housing and affordability pressures.

This change is detailed in Canada’s Immigration Level Plan, with overall PNP allocation falling from 110,000 in 2024 to just 55,000 immigrant landings in 2025.

In addition, early in 2025, IRCC communicated reduced allocations of nominations to all the PNPs, along with reduced Atlantic Immigration Program allocations to the Atlantic provinces. In the wake of this change, many of Canada’s provinces have had to adjust their provincial immigration programs accordingly.

For instance, New Brunswick has imposed new restrictions and eligibility criteria on their immigration streams after seeing their allocations reduced. Moreover, the Yukon Nominee Program chose to delay its first intake of applications in 2025.

In the midst of this reshuffling, IRCC has also given provinces a path to regain their immigrant landings allocations this year, i.e., accept more humanitarian immigrants. Newfoundland and Labrador was recently able to regain more than 90% of its immigrant allocations by agreeing to accept 290 humanitarian immigrants over the forthcoming two years.

Furthermore, these changes have caused delays in PNP activity, as provinces look to adjust to new landings levels and negotiate with IRCC to regain lost provincial nomination spots. The OINP plans to announce its 2025 nomination allocation once it is finalized.

If you seek information on how to begin your Canada immigration application process, you can talk to our NavaImmigration experts at 1800-918-8490. You can also drop us an email at [email protected].