What this pathway is
One of very few permanent residence routes in Canada that reaches occupations at TEER 4 and 5. It has a single experience route, it cannot be satisfied from outside Ontario, and a nomination through it carries no 600 point federal effect.
This pathway has no Express Entry option
Ontario states that the option to be nominated through the federal Express Entry system is available if you apply with a job offer at TEER 0 to 3, or as a self employed physician. It says this consistently across three pages, though never as an exclusion, which is how the point gets missed.
The consequence for you is concrete. A nomination on this pathway cannot be attached to a federal Express Entry profile, so it does not add 600 points and it does not produce an invitation from the federal pool. It supports an application through the separate non Express Entry provincial nominee process. Any advice built on the 600 point effect does not apply to you.
No round has been held under this stream yet
The Expression of Interest portal opened on 4 August 2026 and Ontario has issued no invitations under the new stream. There is no cut off score, no draw frequency and no invitation volume to plan against, and anyone quoting one is describing the former streams, which closed on 30 May 2026.
Ontario has also published that three further streams are expected later this year, without saying what they are. That is worth knowing before you build a plan on this one.
- The federal programs do not reach you, which is the point of this route. The three Express Entry programs count experience at TEER 0 to 3. That is why a provincial pathway at these levels is worth as much as it is, even without the 600 points.
- Nine months, cumulative rather than consecutive. Gaps are permitted. Vacation and standard short term paid leave are not generally interruptions, and extended leave is, though Ontario does not define extended.
- It must be the same position, employer and location. Not experience in the occupation generally, and not with a previous employer.
- There is no licence waiver and no graduate concession here. Both exist at TEER 0 to 3 and neither appears in the section governing this pathway.
- No occupation list. Any occupation at TEER 4 or 5 can carry an application, which is broader than the former In Demand Skills stream, which selected specific occupations in each round.
Every pathway in this stream also requires an invitation to apply and an application filed within the published deadline, the qualifications you attested to when you registered your Expression of Interest, any licence or authorisation the work requires by Ontario or federal law, and that neither you nor your family members hold ten per cent or more of the equity in the employer's business unless it came to you as employee remuneration. You must be a foreign national, show on a reasonable basis that you intend to reside in Ontario, hold temporary resident status if you are applying from inside Canada, and attend any interview the director requests. The deadlines, the employer requirements and the scoring factors are on the province overview.
What the pathway requires
| Requirement | What Ontario asks for |
|---|---|
| Job offer | Full time and permanent, meaning no end date, at least 1,560 hours a year and 30 hours a week, in an occupation at TEER 4 or 5, with activities occurring primarily in Ontario, urgently necessary to the business, and not affecting the settlement of a labour dispute. |
| Work experience | At least nine months of cumulative, paid, full time work experience in the employment position your employer is seeking approval for, meaning the same occupation, employer and location, gained within two years before the date you apply, and while lawfully residing and working in Ontario. Full time means at least 1,170 hours of paid work in a twelve month period and at least 30 hours of paid work a week. |
| Education | A Canadian secondary school diploma or credential, or an equivalent foreign credential supported by an educational credential assessment less than five years old from a designated organisation, showing equivalence to a completed Canadian secondary school credential. No post secondary requirement, and no licence waiver. |
| Language | CLB 4 in all four abilities, tested within two years before you apply by an approved institution. No exemption applies. |
| Wage | At or above the median wage level for the occupation and region on the federal Job Bank. If you already hold the position, also at least what the employer currently pays you in it. |
| Licence | If Ontario or federal law requires a licence or other authorisation to do the work, you must hold it. It does not substitute for experience or education here. |
| Equity | Neither you nor any family member may hold ten per cent or more of the equity in the employer's business, unless it was obtained as remuneration as an employee. |
| Express Entry | Not available. Nomination is used in the non Express Entry process. |
| Fee | $1,500 outside the Greater Toronto Area, $2,000 inside it. |
Settlement funds are not required. The regulation lists the criteria for this pathway exhaustively and does not include them. The employer requirements, including the revenue tiers and the headcount thresholds, are the same as for TEER 0 to 3 and are set out on the province overview.
Your scoring position is structurally weak, and that is worth knowing before you spend. Ontario awards nothing for the TEER category factor at TEER 4 and at TEER 5, and the wage factor awards nothing below $20 an hour, which is where many of these positions sit. You can satisfy every criterion on this page and still rank low. Regional location, Ontario experience and status in Canada are where a file at these levels usually gains what it can.
Requirements checker
A structured way to see where you stand against the published criteria. It returns an indication only, not an eligibility decision, not legal advice, and not a prediction that you will be invited.
Your situation
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