O. Reg. 204/26: GENERAL"

O. Reg. 204/26: GENERAL, ONTARIO IMMIGRATION ACT, 2015

ontario regulation 204/26

made under the

Ontario Immigration Act, 2015

Made: June 25, 2026
Filed: June 25, 2026
Published on e-Laws: June 25, 2026
Published in The Ontario Gazette: July 11, 2026

Amending O. Reg. 422/17

(GENERAL)

1. (1) The definitions of “Canadian experience class”, “Express Entry system”, “federal skilled worker class”, “institutional investor”, “National Occupational Classification”, “notification of interest from Ontario” and “restricted occupation” in section 1 of Ontario Regulation 422/17 are revoked.

(2) Section 1 of the Regulation is amended by adding the following definitions:

“NOC occupation” means an occupation listed in the National Occupational Classification, available on the website of the Government of Canada, as amended from time to time; (“profession CNP”)

“recent Ontario graduate” means a person who has obtained an Ontario post-secondary credential from an eligible Ontario institution in the last three years that is,

(a) a degree or diploma that takes at least two years to complete if pursued on a full-time basis, or

(b) a master’s or Ph.D. degree or an Ontario college graduate certificate. (“récent diplômé de l’Ontario”)

2. The Regulation is amended by adding the following section:

Categories of applicants

2.1 The following categories of applicants for a certificate of nomination are established or continued:

1. Ontario workforce priority: TEER 0-3 category.

2. Ontario workforce priority: TEER 4-5 category.

3. Ontario workforce priority: self-employed physician category.

3. (1) Subsection 3 (1) of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted:

Eligibility requirements, all categories

(1) Only a foreign national can apply for a certificate of nomination under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program in a category listed in section 2.1.

(2) Section 3 of the Regulation is amended by adding the following subsection:

(5) If an applicant applied for an approval or a certificate of nomination in any category before May 30, 2026, the application shall be assessed in accordance with the criteria that applied to the category immediately before that day.

4. (1) Subsection 4 (1) of the Regulation is amended by adding the following paragraph:

0.1 The employer must have submitted the application within the deadline determined by the director, which will be published on the Ministry’s website.

(2) Paragraphs 2.1, 2.2 and 3 of subsection 4 (1) of the Regulation are revoked and the following substituted:

2.1 The anticipated employment activities related to the position must occur primarily in Ontario, unless the position is NOC occupation 73300 (Transport truck drivers) or 73301 (Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators).

2.2 If the position is NOC occupation 73300 (Transport truck drivers) or 73301 (Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators), the employer must demonstrate that it has a valid CVOR certificate, as defined in subsection 1 (1) of the Highway Traffic Act, and a safety rating under that Act of Excellent or Satisfactory.

3. The employer’s business must meet one of the following requirements:

i. If the prospective nominee will work at a location in the Greater Toronto Area, or will work at more than one location but report to work at a location in the Greater Toronto Area, the business must have a total gross annual revenue of at least $1,000,000 in its most recently completed fiscal year before the date of making the application.

ii. If the prospective nominee will work at a location in the census division of 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), or will work at more than one location but report to work at a location in one of these census divisions, the business must have a total gross annual revenue of at least $500,000 in its most recently completed fiscal year before the date of making the application.

iii. If the prospective nominee will work at a location other than one specified in subparagraph i or ii, or will work at more than one location but report to work at a location other than one specified in subparagraph i or ii, the business must have a total gross annual revenue of at least $250,000 in each of its last two most recently completed fiscal years before the date of making the application.

(3) Paragraph 6 of subsection 4 (1) of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted:

6. If the applicant is applying in the Ontario workforce priority: TEER 0-3 category, the position must be in a NOC occupation listed under Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) Category 0, 1, 2 or 3.

6.1 If the applicant is applying in the Ontario workforce priority: TEER 4-5 category, the position must be in a NOC occupation listed under Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) Category 4 or 5.

(4) Paragraph 9 of subsection 4 (1) of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted:

9. Subject to subsection (2), the position must meet at least,

i. the median wage level that applies for the occupation and region to which the position relates, as shown by the Government of Canada Job Bank on the day the application is made, or

ii. despite subparagraph i, the low wage level that applies for the occupation and region to which the position relates, as shown by the Government of Canada Job Bank on the day the application is made, if the position will be filled by an applicant for a certificate of nomination in the Ontario workforce priority: TEER 0-3 category who is a recent Ontario graduate.

9.1 Subject to subsection (2), if the information described in subparagraph 9 i or ii, as the case may be, does not exist, the position must meet at least,

i. the wage level that applies for the occupation and region to which the position relates from the most recently available historical data as shown by the Government of Canada Job Bank, or

ii. if the information described in subparagraph i does not exist, the wage level that applies for the occupation from national data as shown by the Government of Canada Job Bank on the day the application is made.

(5) Subsection 4 (2) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “8 and 9” and substituting “8, 9 and 9.1”.

(6) Section 4 of the Regulation is amended by adding the following subsection:

(3) In this section,

“Census division” means a census division as identified in the 2021 Census of Canada, as reported by Statistics Canada under the Statistics Act (Canada).

5. Sections 5 to 7 of the Regulation are revoked and the following substituted:

Ontario workforce priority: TEER 0-3 category

5. (1) Subject to subsections (2) to (4), for the purposes of subsection 16 (2) of the Act, the following criteria are prescribed for an applicant for a certificate of nomination in the Ontario workforce priority: TEER 0-3 category:

1. The applicant must have been issued an invitation to apply for a certificate of nomination from the Government of Ontario and have applied for the certificate within the deadline determined by the director, which will be published on the Ministry’s website.

2. The applicant must have demonstrated that they have the qualifications to which they attested under section 3.1 of Ontario Regulation 421/17 (Approvals Under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program and Other Matters) made under the Act, and on the basis of which the director ranked their expression of interest and issued to the applicant the invitation to apply for a certificate of nomination.

3. The applicant must have obtained a job offer for an employment position that has been approved by the director in accordance with the Act in a NOC occupation listed under Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) Category 0, 1, 2 or 3.

4. If Ontario or federal law requires a licence or other authorization to engage in the activity required by the employment position, the applicant must have obtained the licence or other authorization.

5. The applicant must meet one of the following requirements:

i. The applicant must have accumulated, within 12 months before the date of making the application and while lawfully residing and working in Ontario, a period of at least six consecutive months of paid full-time work experience in the employment position to which the application relates.

ii. If the applicant is a recent Ontario graduate, the applicant must have accumulated, within 12 months before the date of making the application and while lawfully residing and working in Ontario, a period of at least three consecutive months of paid full-time work experience in the employment position to which the application relates.

iii. The applicant must have accumulated, within five years before the date of making the application, a period of at least two years of paid full-time work experience, or the equivalent paid part-time work experience as described in section 16 in one or more of the following occupations:

A. The same NOC occupation as the employment position to which the application relates.

B. A NOC occupation in Sub-Major Group 213 (Professional occupations in engineering), if the applicant has obtained a job offer for an employment position in a NOC occupation in Sub-Major Group 223 (Technical occupations related to engineering).

C. NOC occupation 31120 (Pharmacists), if the applicant has obtained a job offer for an employment position in NOC occupation 33103 (Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants).

D. NOC occupation 32101 (Licensed Practical Nurses) or 31301 (Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses), if the applicant has obtained a job offer for an employment position in NOC occupation 33102 (Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates).

6. The applicant must have submitted proof that they have a obtained a post-secondary degree or diploma from an eligible Canadian institution that requires at least one year of full-time study or an equivalent credential from another jurisdiction that is supported by an educational credential assessment report that is less than five years old on the date the application is made and that was produced by a designated educational credential assessment organization indicating that the applicant has authentic foreign educational credentials that are equivalent to completed Canadian educational credentials.

7. Paragraphs 5 and 6 do not apply to an applicant who meets the requirement to have a licence or other authorization described in paragraph 4.

8. Paragraph 6 does not apply to an applicant who has obtained a job offer for an employment position that has been approved by the director in accordance with the Act in NOC occupation 33102 (Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates) and who has obtained an Ontario college certificate from an eligible Canadian institution that requires at least one year of full-time study.

9. The applicant who is not a recent Ontario graduate must have demonstrated, within two years before the date of making the application, English or French language proficiency at or above the level of Canadian Language Benchmark 6, as set out in the Canadian Language Benchmarks, in all four proficiencies, based on a test administered by an institution described in section 15.

10. Neither the applicant nor any of the applicant’s family members hold or have held equity in the employer’s business, either directly or indirectly, unless it was obtained as part of their remuneration as an employee and the total amount of equity held by the applicant and their family members is less than 10 per cent of the equity in the employer’s business.

(2) The rules set out in the following paragraphs of subsection (1) apply in respect of an applicant who has obtained a job offer for an employment position that has been approved by the director in accordance with the Act in NOC occupation 73300 (Transport truck drivers) or 73301 (Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators):

1. Paragraphs 1 to 4.

2. Subparagraph 5 i.

3. Paragraphs 6, 9 and 10.

(3) The rules listed in subsection (4) apply in respect of an applicant who has obtained a job offer for an employment position that has been approved by the director in accordance with the Act in a NOC occupation listed under one of the following groups:

1. Major Group 72 – Technical trades and transportation offices and controllers (excluding occupations under Sub-Major Group 726).

2. Major Group 73 – General trades.

3. Major Group 82 – Supervisors in natural resources, agriculture and related production.

4. Major Group 83 – Occupations in natural resources and related production.

5. Major Group 93 – Central control and process operators and aircraft assembly assemblers and inspectors (excluding aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors under Sub-Major Group 932).

6. Minor Group 6320 – Cooks, Butchers, Bakers.

7. Unit Group 62200 – Chefs.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (3), the following rules apply:

1. Subject to paragraph 3, the rules set out in the paragraphs 1 to 5 and 10 of subsection (1).

2. The applicant must have submitted proof that they have obtained a Canadian secondary school diploma or credential, or equivalent credential from another jurisdiction that is supported by an educational credential assessment report that is less than five years old on the date the application is made and that was produced by a designated educational credential assessment organization indicating that the applicant has authentic foreign educational credentials that are equivalent to completed Canadian educational credentials.

3. Paragraph 5 of subsection (1) and paragraph 2 of this subsection do not apply to an applicant who meets the requirement to have a licence or other authorization described in paragraph 4 of subsection (1).

4. An applicant who is not a recent Ontario graduate must have demonstrated, within two years before the date of making the application, English or French language proficiency at or above the level of Canadian Language Benchmark 5, as set out in the Canadian Language Benchmarks, in all four proficiencies, based on a test administered by an institution described in section 15.

Ontario workforce priority: TEER 4-5 category

6. For the purposes of subsection 16 (2) of the Act, the following criteria are prescribed for an applicant for a certificate of nomination in the Ontario workforce priority: TEER 4-5 category:

5. The applicant must have accumulated, within two years before the date of making the application and while lawfully residing and working in Ontario, a period of at least nine months of paid full-time work experience in the employment position to which the application relates.

6. The applicant must have submitted proof that they have obtained a Canadian secondary school diploma or credential, or equivalent credential from another jurisdiction that is supported by an educational credential assessment report that is less than five years old on the date the application is made and that was produced by a designated educational credential assessment organization indicating that the applicant has authentic foreign educational credentials that are equivalent to completed Canadian educational credentials.

7. The applicant must have demonstrated, within two years before the date of making the application, English or French language proficiency at or above the level of Canadian Language Benchmark 4, as set out in the Canadian Language Benchmarks, in all four proficiencies, based on a test administered by an institution described in section 15.

8. Neither the applicant nor any of the applicant’s family members hold or have held equity in the employer’s business either directly or indirectly, unless it was obtained as part of their remuneration as an employee and the total amount of equity held by the applicant and their family members is less than 10 per cent of the equity in the employer’s business.

Ontario workforce priority: self-employed physician category

7. For the purposes of subsection 16 (2) of the Act, the following criteria are prescribed for an applicant for a certificate of nomination in the Ontario workforce priority: self-employed physician category:

3. The applicant is or will be self-employed.

4. The applicant must hold a certificate in one of the following classes and be a member in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario:

i. Certificates of registration authorizing independent practice.

ii. Certificates of registration authorizing academic practice.

iii. Provisional certificates of registration.

5. The applicant must be eligible to receive payment for publicly funded health services in accordance with the Health Insurance Act.

6. Sections 8 to 13 of the Regulation are revoked.

7. Section 15 of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted:

Language testing

15. For the purposes of a requirement in this Regulation to demonstrate language proficiency, the English or French language proficiency tests must be administered by an institution that is listed on the website of the federal Department of Citizenship and Immigration, as the list is amended from time to time, as an institution approved to conduct language testing.

8. Section 16 of the Regulation is amended by striking out the portion before clause (a) and substituting the following:

Part-time work equivalent

16. For the purposes of subparagraph 5 iii of subsection 5 (1), an applicant shall be considered to have accumulated paid, part-time work experience that is equivalent to the paid full-time work experience required under those provisions if,

. . . . .

9. (1) Clause 21 (3) (b) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “60 days” and substituting “30 days”.

(2) Subsection 21 (4) of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted:

(4) The notice is sufficiently served if it is,

(a) delivered directly to the person or body;

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

(4.1) Subject to subsection (4.2),

(a) a notice sent under clause (4) (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 (4) (c) is deemed to have been received on the first business day after the day it was sent.

(4.2) Subsection (4.1) does not apply if the person or body 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.

O. Reg. 439/24

10. Subsections 1 (12) and 2 (3) of Ontario Regulation 439/24 are revoked.

Commencement

11. This Regulation comes into force on the day it is filed.

Made by:
Pris par :

Le ministre du Travail, de l'Immigration, de la Formation et du Développement des compétences,

David Piccini

Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

Date made: June 25, 2026
Pris le : 25 juin 2026