1,334 ITAs across two draws, with non-agriculture occupations dominating
On April 15, 2026, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) held two same-day draws under its Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream, collectively issuing 1,334 invitations to apply (ITAs) to eligible candidates. This marked OINP's third round of selections in April 2026, continuing the province's recent pattern of targeted invitations aimed at addressing labour shortages.
The two draws were split by occupation category, with agriculture-related occupations and other priority occupations each assigned their own invitation volumes and cut-off scores:
| Occupation category | Invitations issued | Minimum score |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture-related occupations | 315 | 35 |
| Other priority occupations | 1,024 | 36 |
Non-agriculture priority occupations accounted for the bulk of the invitations — roughly 77% of the total — a distribution that reflects Ontario's strong demand for skilled workers beyond the agriculture sector.
It is worth noting that OINP's official invitations page lists a combined total of 1,339 ITAs (315 + 1,024) across the two draws, while the OINP's Program Updates page reports a figure of 1,334 — a discrepancy of five invitations between the two official sources.
39 NOC codes covered; qualifying job offer is a prerequisite
Together, the two draws targeted 39 National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes. The agriculture-related draw covered 6 NOC codes, while the other priority occupations draw covered 33 NOC codes, reflecting the broad range of sectors where Ontario faces ongoing workforce needs.
In addition to holding a qualifying job offer, candidates were required to be residing in Canada at the time of selection with either a valid work permit or study permit. Eligible profiles must have been created and attested to no earlier than July 2, 2025 and no later than 11:59 p.m. on April 13, 2026.
Key steps for applying under an Employer Job Offer stream
OINP currently operates three Employer Job Offer streams: Foreign Worker, International Student, and In-Demand Skills. Prospective applicants typically follow this path:
- Confirm eligibility under one of the three streams (for example, holding a qualifying job offer);
- The employer registers their business through the Employer Portal and formally submits the job offer;
- After receiving an automated email containing their job offer ID, the candidate registers an Expression of Interest (EOI) in the system.
Once an employer submits a job offer, the candidate has 30 days to register their EOI, failing which the job offer expires and must be resubmitted. Registering an EOI is free of charge, and a submitted EOI remains valid in OINP's candidate pool for 12 months.
When an ITA is issued, candidates receive a notification through OINP's e-Filing Portal. The employer of an invited candidate must review the employer guide and submit a complete application for approval of the employment position within 14 days of the invitation. The candidate, in turn, has 17 days from the date the ITA is issued to submit their complete application to OINP. Those who successfully obtain a provincial nomination can then apply to the federal government for permanent residence (PR).
Major OINP overhaul on May 30 will consolidate Employer Job Offer streams
A major program overhaul is expected to take effect on May 30, 2026, when OINP will revoke a number of its existing applicant categories. One of the most closely watched changes is the consolidation of the three current Employer Job Offer streams — Foreign Worker, International Student, and In-Demand Skills — into a single unified stream, with the application pathway and scoring framework also expected to be updated accordingly.
The province has not yet clarified how existing candidates — particularly EOI profile holders in the current pool and recent ITA recipients — will be transitioned to the new program structure. For candidates at various stages of the process, completing profile creation, attestation, and submission under the current rules as early as possible may be the most effective way to reduce uncertainty during the transition.
