Ontario, a province in Canada, has announced a new immigration pathway for Nigerians and other nationals seeking to move to the North American country.
The Workforce Priority Stream scheme will provide eligible foreign workers with an opportunity to become permanent residents through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program.
The province, while announcing the opening of the application process for the new programme, said effective August 4, 2026, eligible foreign nationals can now register an Expression of Interest through Ontario’s e-Filing Portal, linked to a qualifying job offer from an eligible Ontario employer.
According to the OINP, the new stream features three pathways: one for higher-skilled workers, one for lower-skilled workers, and another for self-employed physicians who are registered to practise in Ontario and are eligible to bill the province’s public health insurance plan, OHIP.
In a post on Canada Visa’s X handle on Wednesday, the province disclosed that eligible foreign nationals must create an EOI linked to a qualifying job offer created by an eligible employer in the OINP Employer Portal to be considered for nomination.
Although the Workforce Priority Stream was launched on June 26, 2026, candidates were unable to enter the selection pool until the online portal opened this week.
Ontario said candidates with active EOIs will be ranked under a points-based scoring system introduced on July 20, 2026, with invitations to apply issued through periodic draws.
“Once submitted, an EOI remains valid for up to 12 months,” the province said, adding that candidates who do not receive an invitation within that period must register a new EOI to remain under consideration.
The province also said invited candidates will have 17 calendar days to submit a complete application, while employers must apply for approval of the employment position within 14 calendar days of the invitation.
Successful job-offer nominees will receive a provincial support letter that can be used to apply for a federal work permit while their permanent residence application is being processed.
Ontario noted that successful applicants under the higher-skilled worker stream and the self-employed physician stream may also qualify to apply through the Enhanced Provincial Nominee Program linked to Express Entry, potentially benefiting from faster permanent residence processing.
The Workforce Priority Stream is the first immigration pathway introduced following Ontario’s overhaul of the OINP, and the province closed all previous streams on May 30, 2026.
Ontario said additional pathways, including a Priority Healthcare Worker Stream, an Entrepreneur Stream and an Exceptional Talent Stream, will be introduced during the second phase of the program’s modernisation
