OINP Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills Stream (Closed)

The Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream was the OINP's main route for workers in occupations that need a high school education or on-the-job training, rather than a degree. It covered a set list of in-demand occupations that Ontario chose, and the list changed over time.

To use it, you needed a full-time, permanent job offer in one of those occupations, Ontario work experience in that job, a basic language test result, and a high school education. Your employer also had to meet the OINP's business and wage rules.

The stream mattered because few federal programs accept workers in TEER 4 and 5 jobs (TEER means Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities). Many applicants were already working in Ontario on an employer-specific LMIA work permit. Because the stream is closed, its old occupation list and rules no longer apply.

The In-Demand Skills stream is closed. Ontario repealed it, along with the other legacy OINP streams, effective June 25, 2026, when it introduced the Ontario Workforce Priority stream. It does not accept new expressions of interest (EOIs) or applications, and it will not reopen under its old rules.

As of September 2026, the Ontario Workforce Priority stream is the only OINP stream taking new candidates. The full story is on our 2026 OINP overhaul page.

Ontario's updates page explains two rules for people caught in the change:

• You applied after an invitation: your application continues to be assessed against the rules that were in effect on the day you submitted it. You do not need to reapply.
• You only had an EOI (or your employer had registered a job offer) and no invitation: Ontario is withdrawing these automatically. Nothing carries over to the new stream. If you qualify for the Ontario Workforce Priority stream, you (and your employer, if you have a job offer) must start again in the new system.

If you were already nominated, the nomination is still valid for the time stated on it, and you apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence as usual. If your temporary status is running out while you wait, look at maintained status and your options to extend your status. If your situation is complex, talk to a lawyer or a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) before acting.

The Ontario Workforce Priority stream has a TEER 4-5 pathway. The biggest change is that it is not limited to a list: a job offer in any TEER 4 or 5 occupation can qualify. As of September 2026, you need:

In the points system, TEER 4 and 5 jobs get 0 points for TEER category, so wage, Ontario experience, language and location matter more. A job in Northern Ontario earns 15 regional points; Toronto earns 0. TEER 4-5 nominees apply for permanent residence through the paper-based process, not Express Entry.

Be aware that federal rules on low-wage jobs have tightened. For July 10 to October 8, 2026, low-wage Labour Market Impact Assessments are refused in 26 of Canada's 41 census metropolitan areas, and the list is updated every quarter. See low-wage LMIA refusal areas.

• You work in Ontario with a job offer: confirm you have 9 months in the position, take a CLB 4 test, and ask your employer to start the process in the Ontario Workforce Priority stream.
• Your employer is in a smaller community: check the Rural Community Immigration Pilot. Ontario participants are North Bay, Sudbury, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay.
• You would move east: the Atlantic Immigration Program accepts job offers in TEER 0 to 4 from designated employers.
• You work in construction: watch the federal construction worker pathway.
• You are not in Canada yet: you will usually need a work permit first, often through an LMIA.