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).
Schedule a Free Work Permit Consultation
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 annual income according to a 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.
As of the time of writing, the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream (OWPS) is the only available way for foreign nationals to pursue provincial nomination for permanent residence from Ontario.
On Aug. 4., the OINP opened intake for OWPS to eligible Ontario employers, workers, and self-employed physicians, having unveiled the ranking system for candidates on July 20.
The province officially launched the OWPS on June 26.
The OINP had revoked all its previous provincial permanent residence pathways on May 30, 2026.
The launch of the OWPS is the first phase of the ongoing overhaul of how Ontario selects foreign nationals for provincial immigration, which the province announced in December 2025.
The second phase is to include three other streams:
- The Priority Healthcare stream: for healthcare workers in in-demand occupations.
- The Entrepreneur Stream: for owner-operators of Ontario businesses, either as founders or successors.
- Exceptional Talent Stream: for foreign nationals with exceptional achievements in domains such as academia, science, technology, and the creative or performing arts.
No launch date for the second phase has been announced, as of the time of writing.
- Do you need Canadian immigration assistance? Contact the Contact Cohen Immigration Law firm by completing our form
- Send us your feedback or your non-legal assistance questions by emailing us at media@canadavisa.com
