For months, word had been circulating that Ontario planned to rethink how its provincial nomination program operates, and that shift is now official. Effective this past June 26th, the province shut down eight separate immigration streams that had made up the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program for years and consolidated them under one new umbrella: the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream. Officials describe this as merely the opening move in a longer, two-part restructuring, but even this first step reshapes the options available to both companies looking to hire abroad and individuals hoping to immigrate, physicians included.
Programs that once operated independently, including the Foreign Worker stream, In-Demand Skills, International Student, the Master’s and PhD Graduate categories, Human Capital Priorities, French-Speaking Skilled Worker, and Skilled Trades, no longer exist as separate options. Instead, applicants now fall into one of three tracks under the new system. Workers in higher-skill occupations, classified as TEER 0 through 3, generally still need a permanent, full-time job offer from an Ontario business, plus a language result of at least CLB 6 (with CLB 5 accepted for a shorter list of occupations). A second track serves TEER 4 and 5 roles, essential worker positions that call for a somewhat lower CLB 4 benchmark. The third track stands apart from the other two entirely: a dedicated route built specifically for physicians who are self-employed.
Back in January, we wrote about Ontario’s initial move to widen physician eligibility under what was then still the old Foreign Worker stream. What’s happening now takes that further. Under the new framework, a self-employed doctor doesn’t need a job offer from anyone at all. What matters instead is being in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, holding one of the accepted registration types (independent, academic, or provisional), and qualifying to bill under OHIP. No other track in the redesigned system waives the job-offer requirement this way, which makes sense given how many doctors in Ontario run independent practices rather than working as someone’s employee.
The changes cut both ways though, and companies sponsoring workers face steeper requirements too. A business based in the Greater Toronto Area now needs to show at least a million dollars in annual gross revenue to sponsor a candidate; outside the GTA, that figure drops to half a million, and rural employers get an even more relaxed threshold.
One thing worth flagging clearly: the portal where candidates actually submit their Expression of Interest is not currently accepting anything. Ontario has said it plans to reopen that system sometime later this summer, but hasn’t committed to an exact date. Anyone who had a profile sitting in the queue under one of the retired streams, without having already received an invitation, should expect that profile to be cancelled, meaning a fresh submission will be required once the doors reopen. If someone had already gone further and submitted a full application after being invited, that file keeps moving forward under whatever rules applied at the time it went in.
There’s also a second wave coming, according to the province, though details remain thin. Ontario has floated the idea of adding a healthcare-focused stream, something for exceptional talent, and a reworked entrepreneur pathway, but none of that has a confirmed timeline yet.
FAQs
Are the previous eight OINP streams gone for good?
Yes, as of June 26, 2026, all eight were retired and folded into the single Workforce Priority Stream.
Can a self-employed physician apply without lining up an employer first?
Yes. That’s the one track under the new system built around not needing arranged employment, provided the physician meets the CPSO and OHIP requirements.
Is there a date for when applicants can submit a new Expression of Interest?
Not yet. Ontario has only said the system should reopen sometime later in the summer of 2026.
What if I already had an application in progress under one of the old streams?
If it hadn’t yet led to an invitation, expect it to be cancelled. If you’d already been invited and submitted a full application, it continues under the original rules.
Is this the last round of changes to expect?
No. Ontario has signaled a second phase may bring a healthcare-specific stream, an exceptional talent option, and a redesigned entrepreneur pathway, though nothing there is locked in yet.
Reach out to our team at info@visaserve.ca or call 905-203-2266 to speak with an experienced Canadian immigration lawyer today.
