1,635 Invitations. Score as Low as 20. Is This Your Path to PR?

On April 8, 2026, Ontario issued 1,635 invitations through its provincial nominee program to workers in healthcare and early childhood education — and the score threshold for the Foreign Worker stream was just 20 points. For context, a registered nurse or early childhood educator working in Ontario on a valid work permit can reach that threshold based on their occupation and work permit status alone, before even counting language or wage scores.

If you work in healthcare or ECE in Ontario and have a full-time, permanent job offer from your employer, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) Employer Job Offer stream may be the most direct path to Canadian permanent residence available to you right now.

What the OINP Employer Job Offer Stream Is

The OINP Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream allows Ontario employers to support their employees in obtaining a provincial nomination — a certificate that tells the federal government this person meets Ontario’s labour market needs and is welcome to become a permanent resident here.

Unlike Express Entry, which requires a competitive Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score to receive a federal invitation, the OINP operates through its own Expression of Interest (EOI) pool and scores candidates based on factors specific to Ontario. A provincial nomination then adds 600 points to your CRS score, effectively guaranteeing a federal invitation to apply for permanent residence in the next Express Entry round.

Ontario conducts targeted draws from its EOI pool based on occupation category. The April 8, 2026 draw specifically targeted workers in healthcare and early childhood education — two sectors where internationally trained professionals make up a significant share of Ontario’s workforce.

Who Qualifies

To register an OINP Expression of Interest under the Foreign Worker stream, you need to meet the following criteria:

Job offer: A full-time, permanent job offer from a registered Ontario employer in your occupation. This must be for a position in a skilled occupation at NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3. Healthcare occupations that commonly qualify include registered nurses (NOC 31301), registered practical nurses and licensed practical nurses (NOC 32101), medical laboratory technologists (NOC 32120), dental hygienists (NOC 32113), and early childhood educators (NOC 42202). Your specific occupation code can be confirmed through the federal Job Bank.

Work experience: At least two years of cumulative paid full-time work experience in your occupation. This experience does not need to be entirely in Canada, but Canadian experience is weighted more heavily in the OINP scoring system.

Valid immigration status: You must currently hold a valid work permit in Canada. Your work permit type affects your eligibility and score.

Provincial licensing: If your occupation is regulated in Ontario (nursing, for example, requires registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario), you must hold the required licence or be actively working toward it as part of a bridging program.

Intent to reside: You must intend to live and work in Ontario on a permanent basis.

Note: Personal support workers (PSW, NOC 44101) fall under TEER 4 and are not eligible for the Foreign Worker stream. They may qualify through the separate OINP Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream, which has its own targeted draws and requirements.

How the Score of 20 Works in Practice

The OINP scores Foreign Worker EOIs based on three categories: employment and labour market factors (up to 23 points), language proficiency (up to 20 points), and regional preference (up to 10 points). Here is how a typical healthcare worker’s score adds up:

A registered nurse (TEER 1) with a valid work permit earns 10 points for NOC tier plus 10 points for holding a work permit — 20 points before adding anything for wage, language, or location. Add a wage above the provincial median, and you are already above the April 8 threshold of 20 points.

An early childhood educator (NOC 42202, TEER 2) earns 8 points for NOC tier plus 10 for work permit status — 18 points at baseline. A modest hourly wage score or any French proficiency pushes that past 20 comfortably.

Working in Northern Ontario also earns additional regional preference points, which can meaningfully improve scores for healthcare workers outside the GTA.

Step-by-Step: How to Apply

Step 1 — Confirm your NOC code and TEER level. Use the Job Bank NOC lookup to confirm your occupation falls under TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3. If you are unsure, an RCIC can help you identify the most accurate code for your role.

Step 2 — Confirm your employer’s eligibility. Your employer must be registered with the OINP and operating legally in Ontario. Not all employers are automatically eligible — check with your HR department or immigration consultant.

Step 3 — Register your OINP Expression of Interest. Create a profile through the OINP e-Filing Portal. You will enter information about your job offer, occupation, experience, language scores, and current immigration status. Your EOI score is calculated automatically.

Step 4 — Wait for an invitation. Ontario regularly conducts targeted draws by occupation sector. If your score meets the threshold in the next Healthcare/ECE draw, you will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from OINP. You typically have 45 days to submit a full OINP application.

Step 5 — Submit your OINP application. Once invited, you submit a complete application with supporting documents: job offer letter, proof of work experience, language test results, educational credentials, work permit, and employer registration confirmation. Accuracy here is essential — errors or omissions are common reasons for refusals.

Step 6 — Receive your provincial nomination and apply for federal PR. If approved, OINP issues a Certificate of Nomination. You then apply for permanent residence at the federal level, either through an Express Entry profile (your CRS score will receive a 600-point boost) or directly under the non-Express Entry PNP stream. Federal processing for PNP nominees takes roughly six months through Express Entry or up to 18 months outside of it.

What Healthcare Workers Should Know

Many nurses, RPNs, and ECE workers arrive in Ontario on closed work permits tied to a specific employer. If your permit is tied to a healthcare employer who is already registered with the OINP, you may be in a strong position to apply — your job offer, your experience, and your status all point directly at this stream.

If you are on an open work permit (such as a PGWP or spousal permit), you will still need a firm job offer letter from your current Ontario employer confirming the position is full-time and permanent. An informal conversation with your manager is not sufficient; a signed employer letter that meets OINP requirements is required before you register your EOI.

Language scores matter too. OINP awards points for English and French proficiency based on official language tests (IELTS, CELPIP, TEF). If you have not taken a recent language test, this is worth doing — it can improve your EOI score and strengthen your overall application.

Next Steps

Ontario’s OINP Healthcare and Early Childhood draw is one of the most accessible PR pathways currently active for skilled workers in these sectors. The combination of targeted draws, a low score threshold, and Ontario’s priority on healthcare staffing creates a real window for qualified applicants — but the OINP application process has strict documentation requirements, and mistakes at the EOI or application stage can delay or end a nomination.

If you work in healthcare or early childhood education in Ontario and want to know whether your situation qualifies, Email us at hello@bisonimmigration.com for a personalized assessment of your options.