January

January 28, 2025

January 17, 2025

January 15, 2025

January 2, 2025

January 28, 2025

Changes to the Employer Job Offer – Foreign Worker stream for Self-Employed Physicians

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has made changes to the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream that will allow physicians to qualify for the stream without needing a job offer from an Ontario employer.

Applicants to the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream must have a job offer from an Ontario employer. This requirement meant that physicians who were independent contractors (i.e., self-employed, OHIP-billing) were ineligible to apply under this stream.

To help address Ontario’s labour market needs in healthcare, the program has made changes to the requirements for physicians applying to the OINP through this stream.

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) system groups all physician occupations under NOC codes 31100, 31101 and 31102. To qualify, physician applicants no longer need a job offer if they can demonstrate that they meet the following:

  1. The applicant must be registered and in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario in one of the following certificate categories that permits patient care:
    • Independent practice
    • Academic practice
    • Postgraduate education
  2. The applicant must be eligible to receive payment for publicly funded health services in accordance with the Health Insurance Act,1990.

The amendments came into effect on January 27, 2025.

There are no changes to the requirements for applicants applying to the stream under any other NOC.

These changes are reflected on the program requirements webpage. For more information, please visit:

The updated regulations can be found on Ontario’s e-Laws Website:

Changes to the Express Entry Human Capital Priorities and French-Speaking Skilled Worker streams for Self-Employed Physicians

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has amended regulations so that applicants to the Human Capital Priorities and French-Speaking Skilled Worker streams can use periods of self-employment to meet the streams’ work experience requirement if they have periods of self-employment in an occupation under one of the following National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes:

  • NOC 31100 - Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
  • NOC 31101 - Specialists in surgery
  • NOC 31102 - General practitioners and family physicians

Applicants to these streams must decide which of two federal program criteria they would like to be assessed against:

  • the Federal Skilled Workers Program; or
  • the Canadian Experience Class

The amendments allow applicants who choose to be assessed against Canadian Experience Class criteria to use periods of self-employment if that experience is in a designated NOC.

The amendments do not apply to applicants under any other NOC. This amendment mirrors recent updates to federal policy.

These changes are reflected on the program requirements webpage. For more information, please visit:

The updated regulations can be found on Ontario’s e-Laws Website:

January 17, 2025

Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) pilot

On January 2, 2025, the Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) pilot launched for a one-year term. The pilot sets aside 200 nominations from the OINP’s Employer Job Offer streams for each partner community, addressing specific regional immigration needs

The REDI pilot offers a pathway to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers with a job offer who want to live and work in a participating community including Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, Sarnia-Lambton, and Thunder Bay.

There is no separate application process for the pilot. Applicants with job offers from Ontario employers in one of the designated pilot communities should apply through the standard OINP Expression of Interest (EOI) system, and would be eligible for targeted pilot draws.

January 15, 2025

Employer Job Offer Foreign Worker stream: Economic Mobility Pathways Project (EMPP) candidates invited

On January 15, 2025, we issued 4 targeted invitations to apply to candidates who may qualify for the federal Economic Mobility Pathways Project under the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream.

January 2, 2025

Immediate bans for non-compliant immigration representatives

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has updated its procedures to strengthen protections for newcomers. Effective immediately, the Director of the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015 can ban immigration representatives who contravene the Act without first issuing an administrative monetary penalty.

This change allows quicker action against fraud and misrepresentation, building on existing measures to protect newcomers and maintain the integrity of the OINP.

Learn more: