Ontario Issues Over 1,800 Invitations in Its First Draws of the Year

Ontario has officially launched its 2026 immigration selections. On February 2, 2026, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) conducted six targeted draws, issuing a total of 1,825 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for provincial nomination.

These draws were carried out under Ontario’s Employer: Job Offer streams and mainly targeted healthcare professionals, early childhood educators, and candidates under the Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) pilot. This marks Ontario’s first OINP draw of the year.

Draw Overview

For all draws held on February 2, Ontario considered EOI profiles created between July 2, 2025, and January 28, 2026.

Invitations Issued by Stream

• Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker
  • 129 invitations – Physicians
  • 14 invitations – REDI
  • 634 invitations – Health occupations & early childhood educators

• Employer Job Offer: International Student
  • 26 invitations – REDI
  • 1,015 invitations – Health occupations & early childhood educators

• Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills
  • 7 invitations – REDI

Occupations Targeted

Physicians (Foreign Worker Stream)

• Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
• Specialists in surgery
• General practitioners and family physicians

REDI Pilot – Key Occupations

Invitations were issued to candidates with job offers in occupations such as:

• Accounting technicians and bookkeepers
• Software engineers and information systems specialists
• Registered nurses and nurse aides
• Early childhood educators and assistants
• Legal, electrical, safety, and healthcare support roles

Healthcare & Early Childhood Education Occupations

Ontario continued its strong focus on healthcare and education by inviting candidates in roles including:

• Registered nurses and nurse practitioners
• Licensed practical nurses
• Nursing supervisors and coordinators
• Physician assistants and allied health professionals
• Early childhood educators and assistants

In-Demand Skills Occupations

• Home support workers and caregivers
• Material handlers
• Food, plastics, and metal processing machine operators

What is the REDI Pilot?

The Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) pilot helps employers in rural, northern, and smaller Ontario communities fill labour shortages when local workers are unavailable.

REDI operates within Ontario’s existing Employer Job Offer streams and applies to job offers located in:

• Lanark County
• Leeds and Grenville
• Sarnia–Lambton
• Thunder Bay

There is no separate REDI application. Eligible candidates are selected through targeted OINP draws.

What Happens Next?

Candidates who received an invitation must:

• Submit a complete OINP application within 60 days
• Meet all program requirements and documentation criteria

Once nominated by Ontario, successful applicants can apply to the Government of Canada for permanent residence (PR).

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