OINP Points 2026: Ontario's New Earnings Score

Quick answer: Since October 5, 2026, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) awards 10 points to Ontario Workforce Priority stream candidates whose Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment shows $80,000 or more earned in a single year within the last five years. The old top bracket, $70,000 or more, still earns 8 points. Existing profiles were rescored automatically.

Key takeaways

Ontario added a new top bracket of $80,000 or more to the earnings history factor, worth 10 points instead of the previous maximum of 8.
The change took effect on October 5, 2026, was announced on October 7, and applies automatically to every existing expression of interest.
Adding up the highest score in each factor on the official grid now gives 132 points, up from the 130 points the grid offered before.
Your job offer still drives much of your score: hourly wage, TEER category, occupation group and work location together are worth up to 49 points.
The Ontario Workforce Priority stream remains the only OINP stream currently open, and IRCC makes the final permanent residence decision.

Last updated: October 7, 2026

OINP points 2026 changed this week for people who earn well in Canada. Ontario's provincial nominee program has added a new top bracket to the earnings history factor of its Ontario Workforce Priority (OWP) stream, so a candidate with a strong tax record can now collect two more points than before. Below is what changed, who gains, the complete scoring grid as Ontario publishes it, and a worked example you can use as a manual OINP points calculator.

What changed in OINP points in October 2026?

Ontario now gives 10 points to candidates who earned $80,000 (CAD) or more in a single year within the past five years. Before this update, the highest bracket was $70,000 or more, worth 8 points.

The province says the update took effect on October 5, 2026, and it posted the notice on October 7. Earnings must be verified by a Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The revised earnings history factor now reads:

$80,000 or more in a year: 10 points
$70,000 to $79,999: 8 points
$50,000 to $69,999: 6 points
$30,000 to $49,999: 4 points
Under $30,000: 0 points

Only your best single year counts here, not an average. Someone who earned $81,000 in 2023 and $65,000 since can still claim the top bracket, as long as the 2023 assessment falls within the five-year window.

Do existing candidates need to update their profile?

No. Ontario has applied the new scoring to all expressions of interest (EOIs) already in the system, so registrants do not have to edit anything or sign in to the OINP e-Filing Portal.

That said, the points you claim must match your documents. If you are invited, you will have to prove each scoring factor, so check that the Notice of Assessment you are relying on really shows the income level your profile assumes.

OINP points 2026: what is the maximum score?

Adding the highest value in each factor of the official grid gives a ceiling of 132 points. Before the change, guides to the stream described a 130-point grid; the two extra points come entirely from the new earnings bracket.

Here is the full grid of OINP points 2026 job offer candidates can claim in the Ontario Workforce Priority stream, grouped the way Ontario groups it:

Employment and labour market factors

TEER category of the job offer: TEER 0 or 1 earns 9, TEER 2 or 3 earns 6, TEER 4 or 5 earns 0.
Broad occupational category (first digit of the NOC code): category 3 earns 10, category 7 earns 8, category 2 earns 6, categories 0, 1, 4, 8 and 9 earn 4, and categories 5 and 6 earn 2.
Hourly wage of the offer: $40 or more earns 15; $35 to $39.99 earns 12; $30 to $34.99 earns 10; $25 to $29.99 earns 8; $20 to $24.99 earns 5; below $20 earns 0.
Ontario work experience: full-time in the job offer position for over 24 months earns 18, 13 to 24 months earns 15, and 6 to 12 months earns 12. With under six months in that position, general Ontario experience counts instead: 12, 9 or 6 points for the same time bands.
Earnings history: up to 10 points, as listed above.
Legal status in Canada: a valid work permit earns 10, a valid study permit earns 5.

Education factors

Highest level of education: a doctorate or a degree in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or optometry earns 10; a master's earns 8; a bachelor's or a university credential above bachelor level earns 6; an Ontario College Graduate Certificate, college diploma, trades certificate or sub-bachelor university credential earns 5.
Canadian post-secondary credentials: more than one earns 10, exactly one earns 5.

Language and regional factors

Official language test: scored on your lowest band across reading, writing, listening and speaking. Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 9 or higher earns 15, CLB 8 earns 12, CLB 7 earns 8, CLB 6 earns 4.
Knowledge of official languages: both English and French at CLB 6 or above earns 10; one language earns 5.
Work location: Northern Ontario earns 15; Eastern, Southwestern and Central Ontario outside the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) earn 10; the GTA outside Toronto (Durham, Halton, Peel and York) earns 5; the City of Toronto earns 0.

Who gains OINP points from the new earnings bracket?

Only candidates with a tax year of $80,000 or more gain, and each of them jumps two points without doing anything new.

The update does not help newcomers with no Canadian tax history, since the factor depends on a CRA assessment. It also does not change the separate hourly wage factor, which is based on the job offer rather than past income. A candidate can therefore score on both: once for a $40-an-hour offer and again for a strong year on their tax record.

How to calculate your OINP points: a worked example

The simplest OINP points calculator is the official grid and a pen. Take a hypothetical worker with a job offer in Ottawa:

TEER 1 occupation: 9 points.
Broad occupational category 2: 6 points.
Offer of $38 an hour: 12 points.
14 months full-time in the job offer position: 15 points.
Best tax year of $82,000: 10 points (8 before October 5).
Valid work permit: 10 points.
Bachelor's degree: 6 points.
One Canadian post-secondary credential: 5 points.
Lowest English band at CLB 8: 12 points.
One official language: 5 points.
Ottawa, in Eastern Ontario: 10 points.

Total: 100 OINP points, compared with 98 under the old grid. Two points can matter when invitations are issued by score, so it is worth running your own numbers again.

How does the Ontario Workforce Priority stream work?

The OWP stream is a provincial pathway that needs a full-time, permanent job offer from an eligible Ontario employer, except for qualifying self-employed physicians. Ontario launched it in June 2026, when it removed its eight former streams, and opened the EOI system on August 4.

The steps and deadlines on ontario.ca are:

Your employer registers and submits a job offer in the Employer Portal, which generates a job offer ID.
You register an EOI within 30 calendar days of that job offer.
If invited, your employer has 14 calendar days to apply for approval of the position.
You have 17 calendar days from the invitation to submit and pay, and you can only submit after your employer has filed.
If Ontario nominates you, you apply for permanent residence to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the federal department that makes the final decision.

Minimum language levels depend on the job: CLB 6 for most TEER 0 to 3 roles (recent Ontario graduates with qualifying credentials are exempt from the test), CLB 5 for listed skilled trades and CLB 4 for TEER 4 or 5 roles. Jobs with the Ontario Public Service are not accepted, because it does not take part as an OINP employer.

Common mistakes and scam warning

The biggest mistake is claiming OINP points you cannot document. Each factor you claim in your EOI must be backed by documents if you are invited, and the stream criteria are separate from the points.

Do not count income from a year whose Notice of Assessment is older than five years.
Do not use an IELTS Academic or PTE Academic result; Ontario accepts IELTS General Training, CELPIP General, PTE Core, TEF Canada and TCF Canada.
Do not let a self-appointed representative file for you; Ontario treats such applications as invalid.

Scam warning: genuine Canadian employers never charge you for a job offer, and nobody can sell a "guaranteed" nomination or work permit. Be wary of anyone recruiting only through WhatsApp or social media. Federal immigration fees are paid only on canada.ca, Ontario's own steps run through its official portals, and paid immigration consultants should be checked on the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) register.

What this means for you

Under the OINP points 2026 grid, if you earned $80,000 or more in any recent tax year, your OWP profile already shows two extra points. If you are close to that figure, keep your Notice of Assessment handy, because your best year within the last five is what counts.

Ontario has said a second phase of its redesign is coming; according to CIC News, it will add Priority Healthcare, Entrepreneur and Exceptional Talent streams, with no launch date announced yet. For related reading on Jobsiz, see "Work Permit Extension Processing Time in Canada (2026)", "Minimum Wage Canada by Province 2026: Full Table" and "ATS Resume Keywords: Examples and Writing Guide (2026)".

Frequently asked questions

How many OINP points do I need in 2026?

Ontario's published materials do not set a minimum score for the Ontario Workforce Priority stream. Candidates are ranked by score and invited through the province's draws, so a higher score improves, but does not guarantee, your chances.

What is the maximum score for OINP points 2026?

Adding the top value of each factor on Ontario's published grid gives 132 points. The new $80,000 earnings bracket raised the earnings factor from 8 to 10 points, which is where the two extra points come from.

Do I need to log in to get the new OINP points?

No. Ontario applied the new scoring automatically to every existing expression of interest. You do not need to change your profile or sign in to the e-Filing Portal for the update to appear.

How are earnings measured for OINP points?

Earnings come from a Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment issued in the last five years. You are scored on a single year, so your best year within that window is the one that matters.

Is the hourly wage factor the same as earnings history?

No. The hourly wage factor uses the pay in your Ontario job offer and is worth up to 15 points. Earnings history uses your past Canadian tax record and is now worth up to 10 points, so you can score on both.

Can I apply to the Ontario Workforce Priority stream without a job offer?

Only eligible self-employed physicians with an OHIP billing number and a qualifying certificate from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario can apply without a job offer. Everyone else needs a full-time, permanent offer from an eligible Ontario employer.

Sources

This article was compiled by Jobsiz from the sources listed above, with AI-assisted writing and automated fact-checking. Published October 7, 2026. We update stories when new verified information becomes available.

OINP Points 2026: New $80,000 Earnings Bracket Explained