Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program to Add More Job Positions

More Job Openings Coming for the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is preparing for important updates under the Ontario Immigration Act. Overall, these changes aim to make the program more responsive to Ontario’s evolving labour market needs.

Ontario designed the OINP as its main economic immigration pathway. Through this program, the province nominates skilled foreign workers and international students for permanent residence. Meanwhile, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) makes the final decision on permanent residence applications.

Proposed Amendments Under the Ontario Immigration Act

Recently, Ontario proposed amendments to the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015, which governs how the province manages immigration responsibilities. Specifically, these amendments focus on improving employer-based streams and addressing labour shortages more effectively.

The proposed changes apply to selection criteria under Ontario Regulation 421/17 for the following Employer Job Offer categories:

• Foreign Worker Stream
• International Student Stream
• In-Demand Skills Stream

Key Changes to the In-Demand Skills Stream

First, Ontario plans to expand the list of eligible occupations. In particular, the province will add 13 new manufacturing-related occupations located outside the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

The goal of the In-Demand Skills Stream is to support employers facing shortages in low- to semi-skilled roles, especially in agriculture, construction, and manufacturing.

Newly Added NOC Occupations

The proposed occupations include:

• 9537 – Other products assemblers, finishers, and inspectors
• 9417 – Machining tool operators
• 9536 – Industrial painters, coaters, and metal finishing operators
• 9422 – Plastics processing machine operators
• 9446 – Industrial sewing machine operators
• 9416 – Metalworking and forging machine operators
• 9411 – Machine operators, mineral and metal processing
• 9421 – Chemical plant machine operators
• 9523 – Electronics assemblers, fabricators, inspectors, and testers
• 9461 – Process control and machine operators (food and beverage)
• 9437 – Woodworking machine operators
• 9418 – Other metal products machine operators
• 9526 – Mechanical assemblers and inspectors

Second, Ontario plans to remove the settlement funds requirement for this stream. As a result, eligible candidates can rely on income from their job offer instead of showing separate funds.

Changes to Employer Job Offer Streams

In addition, Ontario plans to adjust application limits for the Foreign Worker and International Student Employer Job Offer streams. The province aims to balance workforce distribution by linking applications to the size of an employer’s workforce.

The proposed limits include:

• Within the GTA:
  • 1 application per 5 existing permanent, full-time employees
• Outside the GTA:
  • 1 application per 3 existing permanent, full-time employees

However, Ontario will not apply these limits to the In-Demand Skills Stream.

Why These Changes Matter

With these updates, Ontario aims to prevent an uneven concentration of foreign workers at a single workplace. At the same time, the province wants to boost immigration to manufacturing regions outside the GTA, which traditionally receive fewer newcomers.

Moreover, since many applicants already meet settlement needs through employment income, Ontario sees the removal of settlement fund requirements as a practical step.

Final Outlook

Overall, these proposed changes signal more job opportunities and broader eligibility under the OINP. Most importantly, adding new NOC codes means more pathways for workers seeking nomination in Ontario.

In conclusion, this update brings positive news for both employers and immigrants. With better alignment to labour market needs, the OINP continues to strengthen Ontario’s economy while creating new opportunities for skilled and semi-skilled workers.

Source: Ontario, Canada