Ontario has confirmed that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has allocated 14,119 nominations to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) for 2026—an increase of roughly 31 percent on the 10,750 slots it received for 2025. The figure, posted February 9 on the province’s OINP update page, marks a partial rebound toward the record 21,500 nominations Ontario enjoyed in 2024 before federal re-calibration of temporary-resident numbers.
The beefed-up quota comes as Ottawa raises overall Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) targets to 91,500 permanent-resident admissions this year, up from 55,000 in 2025. Ontario—home to 39 percent of Canada’s population and the lion’s share of employer recruitment—had lobbied hard for a larger slice after seeing its 2025 allocation stagnate while Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan all booked mid-year top-ups.
Program managers have yet to reveal how the 14,119 certificates will be distributed across the OINP’s eight streams, but stakeholders expect healthcare, construction trades and francophone talent to feature prominently. In January the province quietly expanded its Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream to include self-employed internationally trained physicians—aimed at easing critical shortages in northern communities.
![Ontario Wins 14,119 Provincial Nominee Slots for 2026—31 % Jump Over Last Year]()
For those looking for practical assistance with visa and travel document processing, services like VisaHQ can streamline the paperwork for both employers and applicants; their Canadian portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers up-to-date guidance and document processing tools that complement Ontario’s online nomination system.
For multinational employers the bigger quota translates into faster pathways to permanent residence for key foreign workers who fall below Express Entry cut-offs. HR teams should integrate the new allocation into 2026 workforce planning and monitor for the relaunch of the employer-led intake portal later this quarter. Foreign candidates should also note that Ontario is redesigning the program into three broad pathways—healthcare, entrepreneurs and exceptional talent—pending final regulations.
Companies placing transferees in Ontario must still budget for in-person interviews, compliance audits and potential application returns under broadened integrity rules introduced last July. However, the province’s pledge to release regular capacity updates should reduce the mid-year uncertainty that plagued applicants in 2025.
The beefed-up quota comes as Ottawa raises overall Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) targets to 91,500 permanent-resident admissions this year, up from 55,000 in 2025. Ontario—home to 39 percent of Canada’s population and the lion’s share of employer recruitment—had lobbied hard for a larger slice after seeing its 2025 allocation stagnate while Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan all booked mid-year top-ups.
Program managers have yet to reveal how the 14,119 certificates will be distributed across the OINP’s eight streams, but stakeholders expect healthcare, construction trades and francophone talent to feature prominently. In January the province quietly expanded its Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream to include self-employed internationally trained physicians—aimed at easing critical shortages in northern communities.
For those looking for practical assistance with visa and travel document processing, services like VisaHQ can streamline the paperwork for both employers and applicants; their Canadian portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers up-to-date guidance and document processing tools that complement Ontario’s online nomination system.
For multinational employers the bigger quota translates into faster pathways to permanent residence for key foreign workers who fall below Express Entry cut-offs. HR teams should integrate the new allocation into 2026 workforce planning and monitor for the relaunch of the employer-led intake portal later this quarter. Foreign candidates should also note that Ontario is redesigning the program into three broad pathways—healthcare, entrepreneurs and exceptional talent—pending final regulations.
Companies placing transferees in Ontario must still budget for in-person interviews, compliance audits and potential application returns under broadened integrity rules introduced last July. However, the province’s pledge to release regular capacity updates should reduce the mid-year uncertainty that plagued applicants in 2025.
