Maple News reports that Ontario’s immigration authority has drafted amendments to the Ontario Immigration Act to overhaul the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). The changes would redefine streams, candidate selection, and the overall structure of the program.
The province says the reforms are slated to take effect on May 30, 2026, with the possibility of new streams launching on that date, though officials have not yet confirmed the specifics. The timing suggests a broad reset of how nominees are chosen and how streams are organized.
The amendments indicate the scope of reforms Ontario intends for 2026, including significantly increasing the minister’s ability to redesign the OINP by creating or removing selection streams. This aligns with the government’s broader aim of giving Ontario’s immigration leadership more flexibility to adapt to labor market needs.
On May 30, certain nomination categories tied to the current OINP streams will be revoked. These categories are: the foreign worker category; the international student with a job offer category; the in-demand skills category; the master’s graduate category; the Ph.D. graduate category; the human capital priorities category; the French-speaking skilled worker category; the skilled trades category; and the entrepreneur category. Individuals who currently meet these criteria under their respective streams would no longer be eligible under the revised framework.
At this stage, there is no detailed information on whether the changes are permanent, whether new streams will cover the same applicant groups, or when exactly the new categories will be established. Separately, the package includes expanding draw selection to accommodate both targeted and general draws within each stream, a shift aimed at aligning nominations with specific labor needs. Maple News will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as more details emerge.