Ontario has replaced its eight former streams with the Ontario Workforce Priority framework. The initial regulatory categories are TEER 0-3, TEER 4-5 and self-employed physicians. The new system generally requires an Ontario employer to initiate the job offer and seek approval of the employment position before the worker registers an EOI. The portal is expected to reopen later in summer 2026.
Why it matters: The former Human Capital Priorities, French-speaking, Skilled Trades, Masters and PhD streams no longer provide independent nomination routes.
Affected: Ontario graduates, Express Entry candidates, foreign workers, physicians and employers.
Practice implications: Reassess former candidates from the beginning. For TEER 0-3 cases, determine which experience route applies—recent work with the employer, recent Ontario-graduate experience, broader NOC experience or a licensing exemption. Employers should prepare revenue, premises, staffing and recruitment evidence before the portal reopens.