How many points does the earnings history factor award?

Based on a Notice of Assessment issued by the Canada Revenue Agency in the last 5 years: $80k or more in a year, 10 points; $70k to $79,999, 8 points; $50k to $69,999, 6 points; $30k to $49,999, 4 points; under $30k, 0 points. Source: Ontario Workforce Priority stream page, updated October 6, 2026.

Which Notice of Assessment line counts toward the earnings history factor?

Ontario has not specified which Notice of Assessment line or income type counts, what "in a year" means, or how the 5 years are counted.

When did the Ontario Workforce Priority EOI portal open?

The Expression of Interest (EOI) portal for the Ontario Workforce Priority stream opened on August 4, 2026.

Do I need to log in to receive the October 2026 earnings history update?

No. On October 5, 2026, Ontario updated the "Canadian work experience: earnings history" factor and applied the change automatically to all existing EOIs. No action or portal login is needed.

Ontario Workforce Priority Stream 2026

On October 5, 2026, Ontario updated the "Canadian work experience: earnings history" scoring factor in the Ontario Workforce Priority stream Expression of Interest (EOI) system. Ontario posted the update on its program updates page on October 7, 2026.

Canadian Work Experience: Earnings History

• Registrants who earned $80,000 or more in a single year within the past 5 years, as verified by a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Notice of Assessment, now receive 10 points under this factor.
• The change was applied automatically to all existing EOIs. Registrants do not need to make changes or log in to the OINP e-Filing Portal.
• Ontario has not specified which Notice of Assessment line counts toward the $80,000.

Earnings History Scale

Based on a Notice of Assessment issued by the Canada Revenue Agency in the last 5 years:

• $80k or more earnings in a year: 10 points (updated October 5, 2026)
• $70k to $79,999: 8 points
• $50k to $69,999: 6 points
• $30k to $49,999: 4 points
• Under $30k earnings in a year: 0 points

Source: Government of Ontario, Ontario Workforce Priority stream page (updated October 6, 2026).

The EOI portal for this stream opened on August 4, 2026. As of October 9, 2026, Ontario's program updates page lists no invitation round under the Ontario Workforce Priority stream. For our analysis of what the update does and does not say, read OINP Workforce Priority Earnings Update.

The TEER 0-3 pathway is for workers in higher-skilled occupations who hold a qualifying job offer from an eligible Ontario employer.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Job offer: Full-time, permanent, in a TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation, from an eligible Ontario employer
• Language: CLB 6 in all four abilities (reading, writing, listening, speaking); CLB 5 accepted if the job-offer NOC is a listed skilled trade
• Education: Post-secondary degree or diploma; Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) required if the credential was earned outside Canada
• Wage: At or above the regional median wage for the occupation
• Equity: Applicant and family members must not hold 10% or more equity in the employer's business (under 10% permitted only if obtained as employee compensation)

Full-Time Work Definition (TEER 0-3):

At least 390 hours of paid work in a 12-month period AND at least 30 hours of paid work per week in a 12-month period.

The work experience requirement under the TEER 0-3 pathway can be satisfied through one of four routes:

Same-employer route: 6 months consecutive paid full-time work in the job-offer position, within 12 months before applying.
Recent Ontario graduate route: 3 months consecutive paid full-time work in the job-offer position, within 12 months before applying, available only if the credential was completed within the past three years and the program was at least two years in duration.
Cumulative route: 2 years cumulative paid full-time work in the same NOC (within 5 years before applying), regardless of employer or country, or the part-time equivalent described below.
Mandatory licence/authorization route: holding a licence or authorization mandatory to practise the job-offer occupation exempts the applicant from the work-experience requirement entirely.

Part-Time Equivalent (Cumulative Route):

• 1 job at 15+ hours/week, totalling at least 3,120 hours over a 4-year period, OR
• More than 1 job at 30+ hours/week for 2 years, totalling at least 3,120 hours over a 2-year period

NOC Pairing Flexibility (Cumulative Route Only):

Under the 2-year cumulative route, experience in a related NOC may count toward a job offer in a different NOC, per the exact pairings set out in Ontario Regulation 422/17:

• Job offer in NOC Sub-Major Group 223 (technical occupations related to engineering): may use experience in Sub-Major Group 213 (professional occupations in engineering)
• Job offer in NOC 33103 (pharmacy technical assistants/assistants): may use experience in NOC 31120 (pharmacists)
• Job offer in NOC 33102 (nurse aides, orderlies, patient service associates): may use experience in NOC 32101 (licensed practical nurses) or 31301 (registered nurses / registered psychiatric nurses)

Language: Test-Exempt Route

No language test is required if the applicant holds an eligible Ontario credential: a postsecondary credential of 2 years or more, an Ontario College Graduate Certificate, a Master's degree, or a PhD. Otherwise, the language test must be taken within 2 years before application. Accepted tests: IELTS General Training, CELPIP General, PTE Core (English); TEF Canada, TCF Canada (French).

Education Detail:

• Postsecondary degree or diploma of at least 1 year (or equivalent) if the job-offer NOC is not a listed skilled trade
• Canadian secondary school diploma if the job-offer NOC is a listed skilled trade
• NOC 33102 specifically requires an Ontario college certificate of at least 1 year
• An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is required if studied outside Canada, and must be less than 5 years old at the time of application

Transport Occupations: Work Experience Exception (NOC 73300 / 73301)

For a job offer in NOC 73300 (transport truck drivers) or 73301 (bus drivers, subway operators, other transit operators), the applicant must meet the minimum 6-month consecutive paid work experience requirement even if licensed or a recent Ontario graduate; the licence-exemption and 3-month graduate routes do not apply to these two NOCs.

The TEER 4-5 pathway is for workers in essential and intermediate occupations, covering sectors such as healthcare support, transport, food service, agriculture, and manufacturing.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Job offer: Full-time, permanent, in a TEER 4 or 5 occupation, from an eligible Ontario employer
• Language: CLB 4 in all four abilities in English or French
• Education: Canadian secondary school diploma or equivalent (foreign equivalent accepted)
• Work experience: at least 9 months cumulative paid full-time in the job-offer position, within 2 years before applying, with the job-offer employer specifically
• Wage: At or above the regional median wage for the occupation

Full-Time Work Definition (TEER 4-5):

At least 1,170 hours of paid work in a 12-month period AND at least 30 hours of paid work per week in a 12-month period.

The work experience requirement here is notably stricter than the TEER 0-3 pathway. In our practice, this is the primary eligibility barrier we see for TEER 4-5 candidates: all nine months must be with the same employer who is offering the job. There is no global experience route and no cumulative option across multiple employers. Workers who recently changed employers need to understand that their experience clock effectively resets for this pathway. A worker with strong cumulative experience across several Ontario employers in the same occupation would not qualify unless they have nine months with the one employer making the current job offer. Workers who previously qualified under the former Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream without a language test must now achieve CLB 4 before applying.

A specific scenario comes up often: a recent graduate or PGWP holder whose Ontario job offer is classified TEER 4 or TEER 5. The Workforce Priority stream includes a TEER 4-5 pathway for these occupations, but the eligibility path is different from what applies to a TEER 0-3 job offer.

TEER 4-5 Work Experience Requirement

The TEER 4-5 pathway requires nine months of cumulative full-time paid work experience in the job-offer position, with the job-offer employer specifically, within the previous two years. The experience must be with the same employer who is making the offer and in the same position being offered, not merely nine months of any TEER 4-5 experience.

Language and Education

TEER 4-5 also requires CLB 4 in all four abilities and a Canadian secondary school diploma or equivalent.

Important Distinction

The reduced-experience concession for recent Ontario graduates, three months instead of the standard requirement, applies to the TEER 0-3 pathway only. There is no equivalent reduced-experience concession for TEER 4-5. A recent graduate with a TEER 4-5 job offer must still meet the full nine-month, same-employer requirement described above.

Practitioner Note: Amer Rehman, RCIC R515343

As general information, not a guarantee of outcome: for most graduates, a TEER 0-3 job offer opens more pathways, federally through the Canadian Experience Class and provincially through the OINP TEER 0-3 pathway, while a TEER 4-5 offer is a narrower route with the same-employer work experience requirement described above. If your only current offer is TEER 4-5, confirm your specific eligibility against the requirements above rather than assuming a shortened path exists.

The Self-Employed Physicians pathway is designed to address Ontario's physician shortage by providing a direct nomination route for registered Ontario physicians.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Member in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO)
• Valid certificate of registration in one of: independent practice class, academic class, or provisional class
• Eligible to bill through the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP)
• Not eligible if holding a postgraduate education licence

This is the only pathway in the redesigned OINP that does not require a job offer. Physicians are assessed on the basis of their CPSO standing and OHIP billing eligibility alone, without an employer relationship, and are exempt from the other applicant requirements and all employer requirements that apply to the TEER 0-3 and TEER 4-5 pathways. The pathway is designed as a standalone qualification: if a physician holds the required CPSO certificate class and meets the OHIP billing requirement, no additional employer documentation is needed. Licensing requirements, including the criteria for each certificate class, are established by CPSO independently of OINP. Physicians should review the CPSO website for class-specific criteria, as the provisional class in particular has conditions that vary by individual registration history.

Employers who wish to support a Workforce Priority application must meet specific eligibility criteria and comply with the new program's enhanced enforcement provisions.

Employer Requirements (TEER 0-3 and TEER 4-5):

• Business must have existed and been active for at least 3 years before the application date
• Employer must maintain a place of business in Ontario
• No outstanding orders under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 or the Occupational Health and Safety Act
• The position must be full-time and of indeterminate duration, and urgently necessary to the business
• Granting approval must not be likely to affect the settlement of a labour dispute
• Job offer must be at or above the applicable wage floor (see Wage Level below)
• Applicant and family members must not hold 10% or more equity in the business
• Existing OINP employer portal registrations remain valid, but a new job offer must be submitted under the Workforce Priority stream

The "primarily in Ontario" work-location requirement has a specific transport exception. Employers with a position in NOC 73300 (transport truck drivers) or 73301 (bus drivers, subway operators, other transit operators) are exempt from the "primarily in Ontario" requirement. For these two NOCs, the employer must instead demonstrate a valid CVOR (Commercial Vehicle Operator Registration) certificate, as defined in subsection 1(1) of the Highway Traffic Act, with a safety rating under that Act of Excellent or Satisfactory.

Gross Annual Revenue (Three Tiers):

Tier 1 (Greater Toronto Area): at least $1,000,000 in the most recently completed fiscal year.
Tier 2 (one of fourteen named census divisions): Ottawa (Census division), Waterloo (Regional municipality), Hamilton (Census division), Simcoe (County), Middlesex (County), Niagara (Regional municipality), Essex (County), Wellington (County), Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury (Census division), Frontenac (County), Brant (Census division), Peterborough (County), Hastings (County), or Thunder Bay (District): at least $500,000 in the most recently completed fiscal year.
Tier 3 (any other Ontario location): at least $250,000 in each of the last two most recently completed fiscal years.

Where the nominee works at more than one location, the tier is set by the location they report to. "Census division" refers to a census division as identified in the 2021 Census of Canada, as reported by Statistics Canada.

Minimum Canadian / PR Employees at the Work Location:

• GTA location: at least 5 full-time employees who are permanent residents or Canadian citizens
• Outside the GTA: at least 3 full-time employees who are permanent residents or Canadian citizens

Wage Level: How the Floor Is Determined

• If the applicant already works for the employer in the position, the wage must be at least what the employer currently pays them
• The position must otherwise meet at least the median wage level for the occupation and region shown by the Government of Canada Job Bank on the application date
• Exception: for a TEER 0-3 recent Ontario graduate, at least the low wage level for that occupation and region applies instead of the median
• If Job Bank median/low data does not exist for the occupation and region: the most recent historical regional data is used; if that does not exist, national data for the occupation is used
• Wage levels are read subject to any applicable collective agreement

The director may require the employer to have made reasonable but unsuccessful efforts to recruit a Canadian citizen or permanent resident before offering the position to the applicant.

The new system introduces stronger compliance and enforcement mechanisms, including Administrative Monetary Penalties and program bans for employers found to be non-compliant. Employers who have previously used OINP should review the updated compliance requirements carefully. Employers whose workers need temporary work authorization before qualifying for OINP nomination may wish to review LMIA options for employer-supported work permits.

The redesign also tightened compliance and enforcement procedures. The response time for a Notice of Intent to Issue an Administrative Monetary Penalty or Ban order has been reduced from 60 days to 30 days. Notices of contravention may be delivered by email, mail, or in person, and are deemed delivered without requiring proof of receipt.

The Workforce Priority stream uses an Expression of Interest (EOI) system. The EOI portal for this stream opened on August 4, 2026. The process follows the steps below.

1

Employer Reviews Requirements and Prepares Job Offer

Employer confirms they meet the three-year Ontario operating requirement, wage compliance, and full-time permanent employment criteria. Prepares a qualifying job offer for the candidate.

2

Candidate Confirms Eligibility

Candidate verifies pathway eligibility (TEER 0-3, TEER 4-5, or Physicians), confirms language test scores are current, and completes any outstanding Educational Credential Assessment.

3

EOI Portal Opened August 4, 2026

Ontario opened the EOI portal for the Workforce Priority stream on August 4, 2026. Monitor official OINP announcements for program updates.

4

Candidate Registers a New EOI

Candidate submits a new Expression of Interest in the OINP portal under the Workforce Priority stream, within 30 calendar days of the employer submitting the job offer. EOIs from former streams do not carry over; fresh registration is required.

5

OINP Issues an Invitation to Apply

OINP selects candidates from the EOI pool and issues Invitations to Apply. Ontario has not announced how often invitation rounds will be held under this stream.

6

Employer Submits Employment Position Application

Upon candidate receiving an invitation, the employer submits their application for approval of the employment position within 14 calendar days of the invitation date.

7

Candidate Submits Provincial Nomination Application

Candidate submits a complete provincial nomination application to OINP within 17 calendar days of the invitation date. Missing this deadline results in withdrawal of the invitation.

8

If Nominated, Apply to IRCC for Permanent Residence

If OINP grants a provincial nomination, the candidate must apply to IRCC for permanent residence within 6 months of the nomination. Express Entry applicants receive 600 additional CRS points with the nomination and have 30 days to accept the nomination, then 60 days to submit the PR application to IRCC. Non-Express Entry candidates apply through the paper-based PNP process within the 6-month window.

Before you register an EOI, resolve outstanding eligibility issues. The action items below are organized by the most common gaps we see in Workforce Priority applications.

Language Tests

CLB 4 to CLB 6 is now mandatory across all pathways. If your previous language scores have expired (typically within two years of the test date), or if you did not have a language test under a former stream, book one now. Results take several weeks to process and must be valid at the time of application submission.

Educational Credential Assessment

If your credentials were earned outside Canada and you have not completed an ECA from a designated organization, begin that process now. ECA assessments for the TEER 0-3 pathway can take several months depending on the designated body.

NOC Code and TEER Classification

Verify the correct NOC code and TEER classification of your current or prospective Ontario job. TEER misclassification is a primary driver of application refusals. If your occupation sits on the boundary between TEER levels, confirm the classification against the most recent NOC definition before applying.

Express Entry Candidates

The former Human Capital Priorities, French-Speaking Skilled Worker, and Skilled Trades streams (all Express Entry-linked) are closed. Express Entry candidates seeking an Ontario nomination now need a qualifying Ontario job offer to access the Workforce Priority stream through the TEER 0-3 or TEER 4-5 pathway. Candidates without an Ontario job offer should consider federal pathways including the Canadian Experience Class or other Express Entry programs.

Phase 2 Watchers

Do not make immigration decisions based on proposed Phase 2 pathways (Priority Healthcare Stream, redesigned Entrepreneurs Stream, Exceptional Talent Stream) until Ontario publishes confirmed requirements, eligibility criteria, and launch dates. Phase 2 has been announced but has no confirmed implementation timeline as of the date of this page.

Ontario has confirmed that the June 26, 2026 launch of the Workforce Priority stream is Phase 1 of a broader two-phase OINP redesign. Phase 2 has been announced but Ontario has not provided a confirmed launch date or final eligibility requirements.

Phase 2 Streams: Not Yet Finalized

• Priority Healthcare Stream: targeted at healthcare professionals who are licensed or on a pathway to licensing in Ontario
• Redesigned Entrepreneurs Stream: a new business immigration pathway (replacing the former structure)
• Exceptional Talent Stream: for candidates with exceptional skills or achievements

The Priority Healthcare Stream is of particular note because licensing in regulated healthcare professions in Ontario is provincially regulated and can take multiple years. A physician who is licensed can access the current Self-Employed Physicians pathway. Other healthcare professionals (nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists) whose licensing process is underway may be intended beneficiaries of the Phase 2 stream, but no confirmed eligibility criteria have been published.

These remain proposed pathways. Ontario has not confirmed launch dates, full eligibility requirements, or implementation details for any Phase 2 stream. Candidates who are planning their immigration strategy around Phase 2 should monitor the official OINP program updates page and not take preparatory steps (such as delaying a Phase 1 application) based on Phase 2 expectations alone.

Ontario Workforce Priority Stream

Key Change for International Graduates:

Quick Facts

Related Pages

Ontario Workforce Priority Stream FAQ

How many points does the earnings history factor award?

Which Notice of Assessment line counts toward the earnings history factor?

When did the Ontario Workforce Priority EOI portal open?

Do I need to log in to receive the October 2026 earnings history update?

Assess Your Ontario Workforce Priority Eligibility