Ontario has abruptly suspended its Express Entry: Skilled Trades Stream after an internal compliance review uncovered “widespread misrepresentation and potential fraud” in applications. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) stopped accepting new files on December 4 and will return all pending applications with full fee refunds. The suspension follows weeks of mounting concerns that certain applicants were gaming eligibility criteria, undermining confidence in a pathway designed to fast-track tradespeople into the province’s labour market.
The Skilled Trades Stream, launched in 2017, allowed Express Entry candidates with Ontario trade experience to secure a provincial nomination worth 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. Ontario immigration officials now say the program’s design left it “vulnerable to systemic misuse” that could compromise the province’s limited annual nomination allocation.
![Ontario Suspends Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream Amid Fraud Concerns]()
For affected workers, the suspension removes one of the most direct paths to permanent residence. OINP is advising candidates to explore alternative streams such as the Employer Job Offer (Foreign Worker or In-Demand Skills), Master’s Graduate or PhD Graduate categories, or to rely on federal Express Entry category-based draws for trades. Employers in construction, industrial maintenance and food processing—sectors already reporting skills shortages—must now revisit recruitment strategies and consider federal or other provincial options.
From a compliance standpoint, the suspension signals a tougher stance on program integrity both provincially and federally. Stakeholders expect Ontario to tighten eligibility checks and introduce enhanced verification once the stream reopens, although officials have offered no timeline. Global mobility managers with skilled-trades assignees should monitor OINP bulletins closely, reassess permanent-residence timelines and ensure employees maintain valid work authorization through extensions or bridging permits while pursuing alternate immigration pathways.
The development also highlights the broader policy tension between rapid economic immigration and the need for robust anti-fraud safeguards. Other provinces with similar streams may now conduct their own reviews, creating potential ripple effects across Canada’s mobility landscape.
The Skilled Trades Stream, launched in 2017, allowed Express Entry candidates with Ontario trade experience to secure a provincial nomination worth 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. Ontario immigration officials now say the program’s design left it “vulnerable to systemic misuse” that could compromise the province’s limited annual nomination allocation.
For affected workers, the suspension removes one of the most direct paths to permanent residence. OINP is advising candidates to explore alternative streams such as the Employer Job Offer (Foreign Worker or In-Demand Skills), Master’s Graduate or PhD Graduate categories, or to rely on federal Express Entry category-based draws for trades. Employers in construction, industrial maintenance and food processing—sectors already reporting skills shortages—must now revisit recruitment strategies and consider federal or other provincial options.
From a compliance standpoint, the suspension signals a tougher stance on program integrity both provincially and federally. Stakeholders expect Ontario to tighten eligibility checks and introduce enhanced verification once the stream reopens, although officials have offered no timeline. Global mobility managers with skilled-trades assignees should monitor OINP bulletins closely, reassess permanent-residence timelines and ensure employees maintain valid work authorization through extensions or bridging permits while pursuing alternate immigration pathways.
The development also highlights the broader policy tension between rapid economic immigration and the need for robust anti-fraud safeguards. Other provinces with similar streams may now conduct their own reviews, creating potential ripple effects across Canada’s mobility landscape.
