OINP Skilled Trades Stream (Closed): Options for Trades Workers

The Express Entry Skilled Trades stream was one of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program's (OINP) three Express Entry streams. Ontario used it to keep trades workers who were already working in the province, in jobs such as electricians, welders, heavy equipment operators and cooks.

It worked inside the federal Express Entry system. Ontario searched the pool for candidates with work experience in an eligible trade in Ontario and sent them a Notification of Interest (NOI). Candidates had to qualify for the Federal Skilled Trades Program or the Canadian Experience Class. No job offer was needed. A nomination added 600 points to the candidate's Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

Because the stream is closed, its old list of eligible trades and other criteria no longer apply.

The Skilled Trades 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 Ontario repealed it, along with the other legacy OINP streams, effective June 25, 2026, when it introduced the Ontario Workforce Priority stream.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 needs a full-time, permanent job offer, but it gives listed skilled trades some easier rules in the TEER 0-3 pathway (as of September 2026):

Ontario's list of skilled trades includes NOC Major Groups 72 (technical trades, except Sub-Major Group 726), 73 (general trades), 82 and 83 (natural resources), and 93 (central control and process operators, with some exceptions), plus cooks, butchers, bakers and chefs. CLB stands for Canadian Language Benchmarks.

In the points system, trades occupations (broad category 7) earn 8 points, and jobs outside Toronto earn regional points. If you hold a trade license required for your job, such as a Certificate of Qualification, it can replace the work experience requirement. Truck, bus and transit drivers must still show 6 months of experience.

• Ontario job offer: ask your employer to register in the Employer Portal and submit a job offer, then register in the Ontario Workforce Priority stream. With a TEER 0-3 trade, you can choose Express Entry nomination.
• Express Entry trades draws: IRCC kept the trades category for 2026.
• Construction workers: watch the new federal construction worker pathway.
• Smaller cities: the Rural Community Immigration Pilot includes Sudbury, Timmins, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay.
• Employers hiring abroad: see our guide to hiring construction workers from abroad.