Ontario has added a new 10‑point bracket to the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream (OWPS) for candidates whose annual Canadian earnings are $80,000 or more. The change, announced on Oct. 7 2026 and applied retroactively on Oct. 5 2026, raises the maximum points available for the “Canadian work experience: earnings history” factor from 8 to 10.
Updated earnings‑based points
| Annual earnings (CAD) | Points awarded |
|---|---|
| ≥ $80,000 | 10 |
| $70,000 – $79,999 | 8 |
| $50,000 – $69,999 | 6 |
| $30,000 – $49,999 | 4 |
| < $30,000 | 0 |
Earnings are verified through a CRA Notice of Assessment from the past five years.
Candidates with higher scores are more likely to receive an invitation for provincial nomination. Once nominated, they can apply to the federal government for Canadian permanent residence.
Current status of the OWPS
- The OWPS is presently the only pathway for foreign nationals to obtain a provincial nomination for permanent residence in Ontario.
- The intake opened on Aug. 4 2026 for eligible Ontario employers, workers, and self‑employed physicians, following the ranking system unveiled on July 20 2026.
- The OWPS itself was launched on June 26 2026.
Recent OINP restructuring
- On May 30 2026, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) revoked all previous permanent‑residence streams.
- The OWPS launch marked the first phase of a broader overhaul announced in December 2025.
- A second phase is planned, comprising three additional streams (no launch date announced):
- Priority Healthcare – for in‑demand healthcare workers.
- Entrepreneur – for owners or successors of Ontario businesses.
- Exceptional Talent – for individuals with notable achievements in academia, science, technology, or the arts.
Reference
-
Ontario’s official notice of the scoring update: https://www.ontario.ca/page/2026-ontario-immigrant-nominee-program-updates
-
Earlier coverage of the OWPS intake and ranking system: https://www.cicnews.com/2026/08/ontario-opens-intake-for-new-permanent-residence-pathway-0878838.html and https://www.cicnews.com/2026/06/ontario-launches-three-new-pathways-to-permanent-residence-0677256.html.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
