Is there an OINP stream for skilled trades workers?

Not as a separate stream any longer. OINP's former Employer Job Offer streams covered skilled trades workers with a qualifying Ontario job offer but closed to new applications on May 30, 2026; trades workers now apply through the Ontario Workforce Priority stream's job-offer-based pathway. To qualify, you generally need a full-time, permanent job offer from an Ontario employer in an eligible skilled trades occupation — as defined under the NOC system.

The offer must be in a qualifying trades occupation, meet minimum wage requirements, and the employer must be in good standing with Ontario's employment and labour standards. The job offer typically needs to be supported by an LMIA — as was the case under the former EJO streams — or the applicant must already be working in Canada under a valid LMIA-exempt work permit tied to the role.

Skills trades are important to Ontario's labour market, and OINP has periodically run targeted draws for these occupations. Federal Express Entry has also prioritized trades occupations in certain targeted draws, meaning trades workers may have multiple routes to permanent residence.

Trades that are regulated in Ontario (electricians, plumbers, certain others) also require a Certificate of Qualification from the Ontario College of Trades before a person can legally practise independently in the province. Obtaining a provincial nomination does not itself grant that certificate — those are separate processes regulated provincially under trade-specific rules.