On March 25, 2026, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) conducted its fourth set of invitation rounds of the year, issuing 1,112 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates seeking immigration through Ontario’s Employer Job Offer pathways. These rounds covered the Foreign Worker (FW), International Student (IS), and In-Demand Skills (IDS) categories, and targeted applicants currently living in Canada with valid work or study permits who had declared qualifying job offers from eligible employers.

This marks another significant round of provincial invitations in 2026, following earlier draws held on February 2, February 18, and March 18.

Five regions included, with the GTA receiving the most invitations

This round covered five Ontario regions:

• Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
• Southwestern Ontario
• Central Ontario (excluding the GTA)
• Eastern Ontario
• Northern Ontario

In terms of volume, the GTA received the highest number of invitations, with 431, while Northern Ontario received the fewest, with 57. The categories invited and minimum score requirements varied by region.

Regional draw details

Eligible profiles had to be created and attested to by 11:59 p.m. on March 23, 2026, and supported by a qualifying job offer from an eligible employer. Profiles created before July 2, 2025, were not considered in this round.

In-Demand Skills invitations were limited to a specific care occupation

In this set of regional draws, the In-Demand Skills (IDS) category was used only in Eastern Ontario and Central Ontario (excluding the GTA).

The occupation targeted under this category was:

• Home Support Worker
• NOC 44101

This indicates that Ontario continues to prioritize certain care and community support occupations, particularly frontline roles tied to long-term care, community care, and family support services.

Target occupations included tech, health care, administration, and trades

The targeted National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes differed by region, but overall, the occupations invited were concentrated in several key sectors:

• Health care
• Technology
• Business and administrative support
• Trades and related supervisory roles

In the GTA, the draw placed a particularly strong emphasis on technology and health care occupations, including roles such as:

• Software engineers
• Web developers
• Registered nurses

Outside the GTA, the occupations invited covered a broader range, including:

• Administrative officers
• Physiotherapists
• Licensed practical nurses
• Various trades supervisor positions

This reflects Ontario’s increasingly region-specific approach to immigration selection, based on labour shortages in different parts of the province.

What happens next?

For both invited candidates and their employers, the next steps come with tight deadlines.

For employers

Employers of selected candidates must:

• Review the Employer Guide
• Submit a complete application for approval of an employment position within 14 calendar days of the date of invitation

For candidates

Invited candidates must:

• Submit a complete OINP application within 17 calendar days of receiving the ITA

Once a candidate receives a provincial nomination from Ontario, they may then apply to the federal government for permanent residence (PR).

Major OINP changes are coming on May 30

These invitation rounds come as Ontario prepares for a major overhaul of its provincial nomination system.

According to the planned changes, amendments to the Ontario Immigration Act are set to take effect on May 30, 2026. At that point, all existing applicant categories currently eligible for a certificate of nomination will be repealed, including the categories used in these draws:

• Foreign Worker
• International Student
• In-Demand Skills

In other words, this round may be one of the most important under the current Employer Job Offer framework before the transition begins.

How could the new OINP framework change?

Based on Ontario’s proposed reform direction, the current categories may be consolidated into a new Employer Job Offer stream, with two pathways based on skill level. In addition, the province plans to introduce three new streams:

• Priority Health Care Stream
• Entrepreneur Stream
• Exceptional Talent Stream

However, the OINP has not yet confirmed when these new streams will officially launch, nor has it clarified whether candidates already in the pool will be transitioned into the new system automatically.

Analysis: regional selection and program reform are moving in parallel

This round shows that Ontario is continuing to use region-based and occupation-specific selection to address labour shortages, while also preparing for a broader restructuring of its immigration pathways. For candidates already in the pool, especially those holding valid work or study permits and supported by qualifying employer job offers, the next few months could be a critical window.

With the current categories set to be repealed at the end of May, eligible applicants should closely monitor:

• Whether their profile remains valid and competitive
• Whether their employer can complete the required position approval steps on time
• When the new OINP framework will formally launch
• Whether transition measures will be introduced between the current and future streams

For those planning to immigrate through Ontario’s employer-sponsored pathways, these policy developments will be important to watch closely.