The Employer Job Offer — Foreign Worker Stream is the primary OINP pathway for skilled workers currently employed outside Canada who have received a valid, permanent, full-time job offer from an Ontario employer. The employer drives the application — the worker cannot self-initiate.
Who Qualifies
- • Permanent, full-time job offer from an Ontario employer in an eligible occupation
- • Occupation must be TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 (management, professional, technical skilled trades)
- • Must currently live and work outside Canada, or be working in Canada in a different occupation
- • Language proficiency: minimum CLB 7 for TEER 0/1; CLB 5 for TEER 2/3
- • Education: minimum post-secondary diploma or certificate relevant to the job offer
- • Minimum 2 years of work experience in the offered occupation (within last 5 years)
Key Requirements
- • Job offer must be at or above the Ontario median wage for the NOC
- • Employer must demonstrate they attempted to recruit Canadians/PRs first (except for select occupations)
- • Employer cannot be a placement agency — direct employment relationship required
- • Applicant cannot own more than 10% of the employer's shares
- • OINP charges an application fee of $1,500 (non-refundable)
Connection to Express Entry
This stream does NOT require an active Express Entry profile. It is a direct OINP application, not an Express Entry-aligned stream. Applicants who receive an OINP nomination can then apply for PR through the federal government — but the process does not run through the Express Entry pool. This makes it accessible to workers who may not have a competitive CRS score.
Common Refusal Reasons
- • Occupation not on OINP's eligible list for the stream — check before applying
- • Job offer below the NOC median wage rate
- • Employer recruitment advertising does not demonstrate genuine Canadian hiring effort
- • Work experience not in the same NOC as the job offer (OINP requires alignment)
- • Job offer is for a contract position, seasonal work, or part-time employment
Strategic consideration: OINP opens and closes streams based on labour market conditions and annual allocation. The Foreign Worker stream often has intake windows — monitor the OINP portal actively. Applications submitted outside an intake window are returned without review. Timing is as important as eligibility for this stream.
OINP at a Glance
- Annual nominations:~9,000+
- CRS boost if nominated:600 points
- Application fee:$1,500
- EE streams processing:60–90 days
- Employer streams:90–120 days
Targeted Occupations
- Healthcare professionals
- IT and software engineers
- Skilled trades (electricians, plumbers, carpenters)
- Financial services professionals
- Engineers (civil, mechanical, electrical)
- French-speaking workers (dedicated draws)
Related Pages
OINP stream availability changes quarterly. A consultation assesses which streams are currently open and which match your profile.
Schedule your consultationA consultation is required for case-specific advice.