Thunder Bay gets 150 spaces for regional pathway to permanent residence
Ontario will reserve 150 provincial immigration spaces for workers in Thunder Bay in 2027, according to the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC).
The Thunder Bay CEDC announced the quota on Oct. 21 in a post on its official web page.
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The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will select the workers through its Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) initiative.
Thunder Bay’s expected allocation for 2027 is 50 nominations lower than the 200 it was allotted under the previous REDI round, which ran from Jan. 2 to Dec. 31, 2025.
Under the REDI initiative, the OINP earmarks a portion of its provincial nomination quota for foreign workers in participating regions.
To pursue permanent residence through the REDI initiative, a foreign national must
- Meet the minimum criteria for an OINP immigration pathway;
- Have a qualifying job offer from an employer within the established community boundary;
- Create an Expression of Interest (EOI) within 30 days of their employer registering their job offer; and
- Get selected by the OINP in a targeted regional draw.
Once selected, foreign nationals may apply to the province for provincial nomination. If nominated by the province, they can apply to the federal government for permanent residence.
As of the time of writing, the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream (OWPS) is the only active OINP pathway through which workers can qualify for the REDI initiative.
The 2026–2027 REDI initiative will run through Dec. 31, 2027, with five other Ontario regions participating alongside Thunder Bay:
- Greater Sudbury/Grand Sudbury;
- Kenora District;
- Nipissing District;
- Rainy River District; and
- Renfrew County.
The OINP's REDI initiative seeks to address workforce shortages in communities outside the Greater Toronto Area by supporting the selection of eligible foreign workers for provincial nomination.
On its website, the OINP writes that employers can email immigration.ontario@ontario.ca to learn more about the initiative or arrange a consultation.
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