Ontario Issues 1,828 Invitations in April 8 OINP Draw

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) issued 1,828 invitations to apply on April 8, 2026 across four separate draws targeting healthcare workers, Francophone candidates, physicians, and candidates in Eastern Ontario’s REDI pilot regions.

This is Ontario’s sixth set of invitation rounds in 2026 — and it comes with a critical warning. The current OINP streams used in these draws are set to be revoked on May 30, 2026. If you have been waiting to apply, the window is closing faster than most applicants realize.

Draw One: Healthcare and Early Childhood Education — 1,635 Invitations

The largest draw of the round issued 1,635 invitations to candidates with qualifying job offers in nursing, healthcare support, and early childhood education, under the Foreign Worker and International Student streams.

The minimum score for the Foreign Worker stream dropped significantly to 20 — down from 36 in the February 2 healthcare draw. The International Student minimum also fell, from 56 to 46. The lower thresholds signal that Ontario is casting a wider net to address critical staffing shortages in these sectors.

Eligible occupations in this draw included nursing co-ordinators and supervisors (NOC 31300), registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (NOC 31301), nurse practitioners (NOC 31302), licensed practical nurses (NOC 32101), nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates (NOC 33102), and early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 42202).

One change from February: physician assistants, midwives, and allied health professionals (NOC 31303) were removed from the eligible occupation list in this round.

Draw Two: Francophone Candidates — 146 Invitations

The OINP issued 146 invitations to Francophone candidates across all three Employer Job Offer streams — Foreign Worker, International Student, and In-Demand Skills — covering occupations spanning business, technology, healthcare, education, trades, and manufacturing.

Minimum scores were 35 for the Foreign Worker stream, 63 for the International Student stream, and 25 for the In-Demand Skills stream. The Francophone draw covered 46 occupations in the Foreign Worker stream and 29 in the International Student stream.

For candidates with French proficiency at CLB 7 or higher, the Francophone stream consistently produces lower score cutoffs than general draws — a direct result of IRCC’s policy target of 10% French-speaking economic immigrants outside Quebec.

Draw Three: REDI Pilot — 32 Invitations

The Regional Economic Development through Immigration pilot issued 32 invitations to candidates with qualifying job offers in Lanark County or Leeds and Grenville Counties in Eastern Ontario. Minimum scores ranged from 33 for the In-Demand Skills stream to 46 for the Foreign Worker stream and 57 for the International Student stream.

The REDI pilot is designed to help smaller communities outside major urban centres attract and retain newcomers. Eligible occupations covered healthcare support, horticulture, social services, plastics processing, food and beverage processing, and home support work.

Draw Four: Physicians — 15 Invitations

The OINP issued 15 invitations to physicians under the Foreign Worker stream with a minimum score of 43. Eligible candidates must hold a qualifying job offer as a specialist in clinical and laboratory medicine (NOC 31100), a specialist in surgery (NOC 31101), or a general practitioner and family physician (NOC 31102).

Critical Warning: Current OINP Streams End May 30, 2026

Every OINP candidate needs to understand what is happening on May 30, 2026.

Ontario has announced a complete overhaul of its immigration streams, with legal changes to the Ontario Immigration Act taking effect that day. When those changes take effect, all existing categories of applicants eligible for a certificate of nomination — including the Foreign Worker, International Student, and In-Demand Skills streams used in these draws — will be revoked.

The OINP has not yet confirmed what replacement streams will look like, when they will launch, or whether candidates currently in the system will be transitioned to new streams or required to reapply under different criteria.

The practical implication is straightforward. If you are eligible for a current OINP stream and have a qualifying job offer, waiting until after May 30 to apply is a significant risk. The streams you qualify for today may not exist in the same form — or at all — after that date.

This situation at the provincial level mirrors what is happening federally. On April 8, IRCC separately proposed retiring all three Express Entry programs — the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades Class — and replacing them with a single new consolidated class. Both federal and provincial immigration frameworks are in simultaneous restructuring, which is unprecedented in recent Canadian immigration history.

Next Steps If You Received an Invitation

Timelines for invited candidates are strict. Employers of selected candidates must review the OINP employer guide and submit a complete application for approval of an employment position within 14 calendar days from the date of invitation. Invited candidates must then submit their own OINP application within 17 calendar days of receiving the invitation.

Missing either deadline forfeits the invitation with no automatic re-invitation. After receiving a provincial nomination from Ontario, successful nominees apply to the federal government for permanent residence. A provincial nomination adds 600 points to an Express Entry CRS score — making selection in the next federal draw essentially guaranteed.

How Cambria Law Can Help

Whether you received an invitation in this draw, are building your OINP profile ahead of future rounds, or want to understand how the May 30 stream changes affect your pathway, Cambria Law’s immigration team is available now.

The window for the current Foreign Worker, International Student, and In-Demand Skills streams is narrowing. With both federal and provincial programs in active transition at the same time, getting a professional assessment of your specific situation before the rules change is the most important step you can take right now.