Ontario Launches Three New Permanent Residence Pathways: The Workforce Priority Stream

Ontario has finally reopened its doors to permanent residence. On June 26, 2026, the province launched the first set of pathways in its newly redesigned immigration program, the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream. This matters because Ontario had retired all of its previous permanent residence pathways back on May 30, leaving applicants without a replacement for almost a month. The new stream brings three clear routes to provincial nomination, and if Ontario is where you want to build your life, this is the news you have been waiting for.

Pathway 1: TEER 0 to 3 workers

This pathway is for foreign nationals with a job offer in a higher-skilled occupation, meaning roles that usually require some post-secondary education or training. To qualify, you need a full time, permanent job offer from an eligible Ontario employer in a TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation, and you must meet the language level tied to your occupation (Canadian Language Benchmark 6 or 5) or be a recent Ontario graduate. On top of that, you need either a license to work in a regulated profession in Ontario, or a combination of post-secondary education and qualifying work experience. The rules around work experience are detailed, so it is worth confirming exactly how your background counts before you build a profile.

Pathway 2: TEER 4 to 5 workers

This route opens Ontario to people in essential, lower-skilled roles, the kind that typically require a secondary school education and some on-the-job training. You need a full time, permanent job offer from an eligible Ontario employer in a TEER 4 or 5 occupation that pays at least the median wage for that job. You also need at least nine months of cumulative work experience within the past two years in the same job with the same employer, a secondary school diploma or equivalent, and at least Canadian Language Benchmark 4 in English or French across all four abilities. For many essential workers already in Ontario, this is a realistic and welcome new option.

Pathway 3: Self-employed physicians, and how to apply

The third pathway recognizes Ontario's need for doctors. It is open to physicians who are licensed and in good standing in Ontario, holding a valid certificate of registration as an independent, academic, or provisional practitioner, and who are eligible to bill through the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). Unlike the worker pathways, it does not require a job offer. For all three pathways, there is one important catch: the streams are in effect, but you cannot submit yet. To be considered, you must create a new profile once the OINP reopens its Expression of Interest (EOI) system, which the province expects to open later in the summer. A second phase, adding priority healthcare, entrepreneur, and exceptional talent streams, is still to come.

What Should You Do Now?

The smartest move right now is to prepare before the EOI system reopens, not after. Candidates who already understand which pathway fits them, have their documents ready, and have their occupation coded correctly will be in the strongest position the moment Ontario starts inviting again. As a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC-IRB), Alisa Osipovich will review your profile, tell you which of these three pathways you realistically qualify for, and give you one clear written plan so you are ready to move the day the system opens.