ontario regulation 47/26

made under the

Ontario Immigration Act, 2015

Made: March 12, 2026
Filed: March 16, 2026
Published on e-Laws: March 16, 2026
Published in The Ontario Gazette: April 4, 2026

Amending O. Reg. 421/17

(APPROVALS UNDER THE ONTARIO IMMIGRANT NOMINEE PROGRAM AND OTHER MATTERS)

1. Sections 2 and 3 of Ontario Regulation 421/17 are revoked.

2. (1) Subsection 3.1 (1) of the Regulation is amended by striking out the portion before paragraph 1 and substituting the following:

Certificate of nomination: expression of interest categories

(1) The following process applies to an applicant in any category if the applicant is required to have been issued an invitation to apply before submitting their application to the director:

(2) Paragraph 2 of subsection 3.1 (1) of the Regulation is amended by adding “after considering any direction that may be provided by the Minister” after “the director shall”.

(3) Paragraph 4 of subsection 3.1 (1) of the Regulation is amended by adding “after considering any direction that may be provided by the Minister” after “established by the director”.

(4) Subsections 3.1 (2) to (4) of the Regulation are revoked and the following substituted:

(2) An applicant in any category who is required to have obtained a job offer for an employment position that has been approved by the director in accordance with the Act shall not apply for a certificate of nomination unless the applicant has been issued a job offer from an employer who has registered with the director.

(3) Before applying for an approval of an employment position, an employer applicant must register as an employer with the director and submit a job offer for the applicant for a certificate of nomination to the director.

3. (1) Section 3.2 of the Regulation is amended by striking out the portion before paragraph 1 and substituting the following:

Certificate of nomination: Express Entry categories

3.2 The following process applies to an applicant in any category who is required to have been issued a notification of interest from the director before submitting their application to the director:

(2) Paragraph 2 of section 3.2 of the Regulation is amended by adding “after considering any direction that may be provided by the Minister” after “the director shall”.

(3) Paragraph 4 of section 3.2 of the Regulation is amended by adding “after considering any direction that may be provided by the Minister” after “established by the director”.

4. Section 9 of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted:

Service of director’s notices

9. (1) A notice that the director sends to a person under section 5 or 8 is sufficiently served if it is,

(a)  delivered directly to the person;

(b)  sent by regular mail to the person’s last known address; or

(c)  sent by email to the person’s last known email address.

(2) Subject to subsection (3),

(a)  a notice sent under clause (1) (b) is deemed to have been received on the fifth business day after the day it was mailed; and

(b)  a notice sent under clause (1) (c) is deemed to have been received on the first business day after the day it was sent.

(3) Subsection (2) does not apply if the person establishes that they, acting in good faith, did not receive the notice or received it on a later date because of a reason beyond their control, including absence, accident, disability or illness.

5. Section 12 of the Regulation is amended by adding the following paragraphs:

2.1  Section 14.1 of the Act (Standards and requirements).

. . . . .

3.1  Section 15.1 of the Act (Misrepresentation).

6. Section 13 of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted:

Delegation to the Minister

13. The authority to make regulations under subclauses 37 (1) (e) (i) and (ii) of the Act is delegated to the Minister.

Ontario Regulation 438/24

7. Section 1 and subsection 2 (2) of Ontario Regulation 438/24 are revoked.

Commencement

8. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, this Regulation comes into force on the day it is filed.

(2) Section 1 and subsections 2 (1) and (4) and 3 (1) come into force on the later of May 30, 2026 and the day this Regulation is filed.