BREAKING: Ontario boosts points for higher earners under new permanent residence pathway
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has boosted scores for candidates earning at least $80,000 per year, giving them a higher chance of being selected for provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.
On Oct. 7, 2026, Ontario announced that top earning candidates are now being awarded 10 points toward their score under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream (OWPS).
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The change was implemented on Oct. 5, 2026, according to a notice posted on the provincial website, and has been applied automatically to affected profiles.
The OINP added a higher scoring bracket to the "Canadian work experience: earnings history" factor.
Prior to the change, the top-scoring bracket was $70,000 or more, for which a total of 8 points was awarded.
Earnings are based on a candidate's Notice of Assessment issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) within the past five years.
In the wake of the most recent change, the earnings factor is calculated as follows:
| Annual earnings | Points |
|---|---|
| ≥$80,000 | 10 |
| $70,000–$79,999 | 8 |
| $50,000–$69,999 | 6 |
| $30,000–$49,999 | 4 |
| <$30,000 | 0 |
Candidates with higher scores are more likely to be selected by the OINP to receive an invitation to apply for provincial nomination.
Once nominated by the province, they can apply to the federal government for Canadian permanent residence.
This is a breaking news article. CIC News will update this article as details emerge.
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