Ontario Workforce Priority Stream Points: How to Work Out Your Own Score
Last Updated: July 2026
Ontario Workforce Priority Stream Points at a Glance
Quick answer
- The Ontario Workforce Priority stream scores registered candidates out of a maximum of 130 points across 11 factors.
- Those factors are NOC TEER category, broad occupational category, hourly wage, Ontario work experience, earnings history, legal status in Canada, highest level of education, number of Canadian education credentials, official language ability, knowledge of both official languages, and the region of the job offer.
- Ontario work experience carries the most weight at up to 18 points, followed by hourly wage, language ability and regionalization at up to 15 points each.
- Region is set by the work location stated in the job offer, not by where a candidate lives: Northern Ontario scores 15 points and Toronto scores 0.
- Ontario has not published a cut-off score for this stream, and the scoring factors are separate from the stream’s eligibility requirements.
Why Your Score Matters Before the System Reopens
Ontario published the full scoring grid for the Ontario Workforce Priority stream on July 20, 2026. The province's Expression of Interest (EOI) system, the online portal where candidates register to be considered, is closed to new registrations and is expected to reopen later this summer.
Registering an expression of interest is a request to be considered, not an application for permanent residence. When the portal reopens, Ontario ranks the pool and invites the highest-scoring candidates to apply.
Working out where you sit now means you can gather documents before that happens. Our immigration law services in Ontario cover both provincial and federal pathways.
Pick Your Path Before You Score Yourself
The grid does not apply the same way to everyone. Work out which of these describes you.
You have a job offer from an Ontario employer
All eleven factors apply. Your employer registers the position first, and your occupation code and wage are filled in from their submission.
You are a self-employed physician
You may apply without a job offer. Hourly wage does not apply, and your Ontario work experience is measured as cumulative medical practice.
You are an Ontario employer
The wage you offer and the location of the position feed two of the heaviest factors.
The rest of this guide follows the job offer path.
Where the 130 Points Sit
Employment and labour market factors carry the largest share: your National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER category, up to 9 points; broad occupational category, up to 10; hourly wage, up to 15; Ontario work experience, up to 18; earnings history, up to 8; and legal status in Canada, up to 10. TEER stands for training, education, experience and responsibility, and describes how much preparation an occupation typically requires.
Education contributes up to 20 points across two factors, and language up to 25 across two more. Regionalization, the location of the work in your job offer, is worth up to 15.
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What Each Scoring Factor Is Worth
Maximum points available under each of the eleven Ontario Workforce Priority stream scoring factors, out of a combined total of 130. Four factors hold 63 points between them.
130
Maximum points available
11
Separately scored factors
18
Heaviest single factor, Ontario work experience
What a Toronto or Scarborough Job Offer Is Worth
Ontario sets the regional score by the work location stated in the job offer, not by where you live. Someone living in Scarborough who accepts a position in Markham is scored on Markham.
The full scale runs: Toronto scores 0. The rest of the GTA, meaning Durham, Halton, Peel and York, scores 5 points. Eastern Ontario, Central Ontario outside the GTA, and Southwestern Ontario, garner you 10 points each. Northern Ontario gives you the maximum of 15 points.
Two definitions may surprise you. Hamilton is classified as Southwestern Ontario, so a job offer there scores 10 points rather than 5 points. Muskoka and Haliburton sit inside Ontario's Northern list and score 15.
For self-employed physicians, the regional score follows the Ontario practice address registered with the OHIP billing number.
A zero here is not a barrier. It means the remaining 115 points carry more of the weight.
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Regional Points by Ontario Work Location
Points awarded under the regionalization factor, set by the work location stated in the job offer rather than by where a candidate lives. For self-employed physicians, the practice address registered with the OHIP billing number applies.
| Region | Points | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | 0 | City of Toronto, including Scarborough, North York, Etobicoke, East York and York |
| Greater Toronto Area, excluding Toronto | 5 | Durham, Halton, Peel and York, covering Mississauga, Brampton, Markham, Vaughan, Oshawa and Oakville |
| Eastern Ontario | 10 | Ottawa, Kingston, Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Belleville |
| Central Ontario, outside the GTA | 10 | Barrie, Waterloo, Guelph, Owen Sound, Orangeville |
| Southwestern Ontario | 10 | Hamilton, London, Windsor, Niagara, Brantford, Chatham-Kent |
| Northern Ontario | 15 | Sudbury, Thunder Bay, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Muskoka, Haliburton |
Hamilton is Southwestern
Ontario does not group Hamilton with the GTA for this factor, so a job offer there scores 10 points rather than 5.
Muskoka and Haliburton are Northern
Both sit inside Ontario's Northern Ontario census division list for this factor, scoring the maximum 15 points.
The Four Factors That Carry Half the Grid
Four factors account for 63 of the 130 points: Ontario work experience at up to 18, and hourly wage, language ability, and regionalization at up to 15 each.
Ontario work experience rewards time in the job offer position: over 24 months scores 18, 13 to 24 months scores 15, and 6 to 12 months scores 12.
Hourly wage runs from 15 points at $40 per hour or higher down to zero below $20.
Official language ability is scored on the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB), the national scale for English and French. CLB 9 or higher scores 15, CLB 8 scores 12, CLB 7 scores 8, and CLB 6 scores 4.
The Factors Candidates Most Often Misread
Ontario work experience has two tiers. The scale above applies while you are working in the job offer position. With less than six months there, a second scale applies to other Ontario work experience and tops out at 12 instead of 18.
Language points follow your lowest result across reading, writing, listening, and speaking, not an average of the four.
Education is scored twice: your highest credential, and the number of Canadian post-secondary credentials you hold.
Legal status is split by permit type. A valid work permit scores 10 points, while a valid study permit scores 5 points.
What Changed From the Old OINP Scoring Table
If you find a table awarding points for field of study or location of study, you are reading the retired grid.
Several values have since changed. Hourly wage at $40 or more rose from 10 points to 15, and Ontario work experience, previously worth 3 points as job tenure, is now the heaviest factor at 18.
We covered the wider redesign in our guide to the OINP stream changes announced earlier in 2026.
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Retired Scoring Table Compared With the Current One
How the grid used by the retired OINP streams compares with the grid used by the Ontario Workforce Priority stream. The retired table remains published on Ontario's separate expression of interest system page.
| Factor | Retired grid | Workforce Priority | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NOC TEER 0 or 1 | 10 points | 9 points | One point lower |
| Hourly wage, $40 or more | 10 points | 15 points | Five points higher |
| Ontario work experience | 3 points, job tenure only | 18 points | Now the heaviest factor |
| Earnings history | 3 points, flat $40k threshold | 8 points, tiered $30k to $70k+ | Higher and now graduated |
| Language, CLB 9 or higher | 10 points | 15 points | Five points higher |
| Work or study permit | 10 points for either | 10 work permit, 5 study permit | Split by permit type |
| Regionalization, Northern Ontario | 10 points | 15 points | Five points higher |
| Regionalization, GTA excluding Toronto | 3 points | 5 points | Two points higher |
| Regionalization, Toronto | 0 points | 0 points | Unchanged |
| Field of study | Up to 12 points | Not scored | Removed |
| Location of study in Ontario | Up to 10 points | Not scored | Removed |
A scoring table that awards points for field of study or for where in Ontario you studied is the retired grid. Neither factor is scored under the Ontario Workforce Priority stream.
Scoring Yourself, Step by Step
Confirm if you meet the stream requirements first. Scoring factors and eligibility criteria are separate, and points do not create eligibility.
Find your 5-digit NOC code. The second digit gives your TEER category, and the first gives your broad occupational category.
Score the employment factors: TEER, occupational category, hourly wage, Ontario work experience, earnings history, and legal status. Then score education and language, but remember that each is split across two factors.
Add the regional value for the work location in your job offer, then total the result out of 130.
Finally, check what documents each claimed factor would require. Information that turns out to be inaccurate or misleading can affect the outcome of your application.
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Working Out Your Own Score
The order of operations for the Ontario Workforce Priority stream. Eligibility comes first, because points do not create eligibility.
Your OINP Score Is Not Your Express Entry CRS Score
The two connect at one point: if your job offer falls in TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3, you may ask to be nominated through Express Entry. Accepting a nomination there may add 600 CRS points.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) makes the final decision on permanent residence.
Common Mistakes When Calculating an OINP Score
- Assuming Scarborough scores as GTA outside Toronto. It sits inside the City of Toronto; therefore, a job offer there scores 0 rather than 5.
- Treating a high score as eligibility. A candidate must meet the stream requirements before a score means anything.
- Using the older scoring table. The retired grid is still published on the Expression of Interest (EOI) system page.
- Averaging the four language abilities. Points follow the lowest Canadian Language Benchmark result across all four.
- Merging the two education factors. They are scored separately, and study completed abroad typically needs an educational credential assessment (ECA).
- Claiming earnings without the paperwork. Earnings history rests on a Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment issued within the last five years.
When the Expression of Interest System May Reopen
Because no draws have run, there is no figure that can honestly be called enough. If your status is running short while you wait, our guide to permanent residence and PR renewals sets out options that may be available.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many points do I need to get invited under the Ontario Workforce Priority stream?
Does a job in Toronto really score zero points?
Is Scarborough treated as Toronto or as the GTA?
Is my OINP score the same as my Express Entry CRS score?
How many points is a work permit worth?
What language test score do I need for the maximum points?
When does the OINP expression of interest system reopen?
Getting Help With Your OINP Score
Your score is a ranking tool rather than a verdict. Meeting the stream requirements comes first.
Qasim Ali, Principal Lawyer at Nihang Law, works with candidates and Ontario employers on provincial and federal routes, and the firm handles immigration and real estate together for newcomers across the GTA. If you would like your situation reviewed before the portal reopens, speak with our team.
Not sure how your profile scores?
Nihang Law works with candidates and Ontario employers on provincial and federal immigration routes, and handles immigration and real estate together for newcomers settling across the GTA.
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About the author
Qasim Ali
Principal Lawyer · Nihang Law Professional Corporation · Toronto & Scarborough, Ontario · Law Society of Ontario
Qasim Ali is the Principal Lawyer at Nihang Law Professional Corporation, serving clients across Toronto, Scarborough, and the broader Greater Toronto Area. He provides full-service legal representation across immigration, real estate, family law, criminal law, civil litigation, employment law, wills and estates, and business law.
Nihang Law is particularly recognized for its depth in immigration and real estate law — a combination that serves newcomers and growing families navigating both legal systems simultaneously.
Learn more about Qasim Ali →Sources & References
- Government of Ontario — Ontario Workforce Priority stream (published 20 July 2026, updated 23 July 2026) — https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-workforce-priority-stream
- Government of Ontario — OINP expression of interest system streams (updated 26 June 2026) — https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-immigrant-nominee-program-expression-interest-system-streams
- Government of Ontario — Ontario Workforce Priority stream applicant document checklist — https://www.ontario.ca/document/oinp-document-checklists/ontario-workforce-priority-stream-applicant-checklist
- O. Reg. 422/17 under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015, S.O. 2015, c. 8 — https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/170422
- Government of Ontario — Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program application process — https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-immigrant-nominee-program-oinp-application-process
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — Provincial Nominee Program — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/provincial-nominees.html
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — find your National Occupational Classification code — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/find-national-occupation-code.html
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — Canadian Language Benchmark test results — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/work/after-graduation/eligibility/language-results.html
All figures verified against the primary sources above on 27 July 2026. The Ontario Workforce Priority stream page was amended once between 20 and 23 July 2026 and may be amended again.
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