Ontario issues invitations in the latest immigration draws, i.e., the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) held 12 targeted draws on April 23, 2026. In total, 2,102 invitations to apply (ITAs) were sent to candidates. These candidates had job offers in four different regions of Ontario.

The draws were held under three streams: Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker, International Student, and In-Demand Skills.

To be selected, candidates had to show that they are living in Canada with a valid work or study permit.

For these draws, profiles had to be created and submitted by April 21, 2026, before 11:59 pm. Profiles should not be older than July 2, 2025.

Foreign Worker Stream

In the Foreign Worker stream, the minimum score needed was different for each region:

Region Invitations Issued Minimum Score
Eastern Ontario 63 318
Northern Ontario 60 57
Southwestern Ontario 60 194
Central Ontario (excluding GTA) 60 128

The jobs selected under this stream were different across regions.

International Student Stream

In the International Student stream, the number of invitations and scores were:

Region Invitations Issued Minimum Score
Eastern Ontario 173 87
Northern Ontario 167 87
Southwestern Ontario 173 84
Central Ontario 173 85

This stream included more types of jobs than the Foreign Worker stream. Jobs included roles in healthcare, social services, trades, and office work.

In-Demand Skills Stream

All regions had the same minimum score of 34 in this stream. The number of invitations was:

Regions Invitations Issued
Eastern Ontario 48
Northern Ontario 79
Southwestern Ontario 430
Central Ontario (excluding GTA) 162

The job codes (NOC codes) were different depending on the region.

Note: OINP lists the minimum score for Northern Ontario as 35.

This was the fifth set of draws by OINP in April. Earlier draws were held on April 1, April 8, April 15, and April 22.

Regions Included In The Draws

OINP issued invitations in four regions: Eastern Ontario, Northern Ontario, Southwestern Ontario, and Central Ontario (excluding the Greater Toronto Area).

Eastern Ontario includes the following Census Divisions:

  • Frontenac
  • Hastings
  • Kawartha Lakes
  • Lanark
  • Leeds and Grenville
  • Lennox and Addington
  • Northumberland
  • Ottawa
  • Ottawa-Carleton
  • Peterborough
  • Prescott and Russell
  • Prince Edward
  • Renfrew
  • Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry

Northern Ontario includes the following Census Divisions:

  • Algoma
  • Cochrane
  • Greater Sudbury
  • Haliburton
  • Kenora
  • Manitoulin
  • Muskoka
  • Nipissing
  • Parry Sound
  • Rainy River
  • Sudbury
  • Thunder Bay
  • Timiskaming

Southwestern Ontario includes the following Census Divisions:

  • Brant
  • Bruce
  • Chatham-Kent
  • Elgin
  • Essex
  • Haldimand-Norfolk
  • Hamilton
  • Hamilton-Wentworth
  • Huron
  • Lambton
  • Middlesex
  • Niagara
  • Oxford
  • Perth

Central Ontario (excluding GTA) includes the following Census Divisions:

  • Dufferin
  • Grey
  • Simcoe
  • Waterloo
  • Wellington

Central Ontario (excluding GTA) includes the following Census Divisions: Dufferin, Grey, Simcoe, Waterloo, and Wellington.

Southwestern Ontario received the highest number of invitations, with 797 ITAs across all three streams. Moreover, Northern Ontario received the lowest number, with 303 invitations.

What Selected Candidates Should Do Next?

Candidates who received an invitation must log in to the OINP e-Filing Portal. They need to click on their file number, which starts with “JOXX”.

Applications and payments must be submitted within 17 calendar days from the date of invitation.

Employers must also complete their part of the process within 14 calendar days. They should follow the employer guide carefully.

After getting a nomination from Ontario, candidates can apply to the federal government for permanent residence (PR).

Upcoming Changes To The Program

These draws come before major changes to Ontario’s immigration system.

New legal changes under the Ontario Immigration Act will start on May 30, 2026. These changes will remove the current streams. This includes the Foreign Worker, International Student, and In-Demand Skills streams.

Ontario plans to replace them with a new Employer Job Offer stream and three new pathways.

However, the program has not yet shared details about when the new streams will start or how current applicants will be moved into the new system.

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