Maple News reports that Ontario’s Provincial Nominee Program (OINP) has issued only four Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence so far in 2025—significantly fewer than the 14,760 issued during the first two months of 2024. This significant drop aligns with a wider trend across Canada, as provinces adjust to reduced federal immigration allocations for the year.
Currently, only one OINP stream—the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream—has issued ITAs in 2025. A single draw was held on January 4, targeting candidates under the federal Economic Mobility Pathways Project (EMPP). This initiative provides pathways for skilled refugees and displaced individuals to immigrate and work in Canada.
Despite the slowdown in ITA issuance, several OINP streams remain open and continue to accept new Expressions of Interest (EOIs). These include:
– Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream
– Employer Job Offer: International Student stream
– Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream
– Master’s Graduate stream
– PhD Graduate stream
These streams require candidates to submit EOIs to the province directly. While draws have been delayed, eligible applicants can still enter the system and wait for future invitations.
In addition to these active streams, Ontario’s Express Entry-aligned streams remain operational. Unlike the direct-application models, these streams follow a passive selection process. Candidates with valid Express Entry profiles can be selected by Ontario and issued Notifications of Interest (NOIs), granting them a chance to apply for provincial nomination. As long as their profiles are accurate and up-to-date, applicants may be considered for these categories without taking additional steps.
The current slowdown comes after Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) significantly reduced provincial nomination quotas in 2025—a decision that has led many provinces, including Ontario, to temporarily scale back their draws. Nevertheless, as Maple News has previously reported, OINP continues to play a pivotal role in targeting skilled workers and international graduates poised to contribute to Ontario’s labor market.
With reduced allocations, competition for provincial nominations may increase, underscoring the importance for candidates to maintain strong Express Entry profiles and monitor updates to provincial immigration programs.