OINP gets reduced allocation for 2025

Wed Jun

Admin

In a significant development for immigration in Canada’s largest province, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has confirmed a substantial reduction to its provincial nomination allocation for 2025. The announcement, made via a statement on the program’s official website, revealed that Ontario’s annual allocation has been halved from 21,500 nominations in 2024 to just 10,750 in 2025.

This cut comes amid a nationwide reduction in immigration targets under the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan announced by the federal government in October 2024. Ontario, like nearly all other provinces and territories, now faces the challenge of meeting persistent labour shortages with significantly fewer nomination slots.

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allows provinces and territories to nominate foreign workers, international students, and others with the skills and experience needed in the local labour market for permanent residency (PR). The OINP is one of the most in-demand nomination programs in the country, frequently reaching its nomination limit each year.

With the 2025 allocation cut to 10,750, this means Ontario now has fewer opportunities to nominate candidates for PR than in recent years. For comparison:

2023: 16,500 nominations
2024: 21,500 nominations
2025: 10,750 nominations

Longer Processing Times Expected

In its official statement, the OINP warned applicants of potential delays, citing that “processing times for all streams will be longer than normal” due to the reduced allocation. While the program remains open and continues to accept applications, these changes will likely:

Create more competition for a limited number of nomination slots;
Slow down approvals across multiple streams
Cause uncertainty for applicants currently in the Expression of Interest (EOI) pool.

To date, the OINP has been unusually quiet in 2025. The only draw held so far occurred on January 15, under the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream, and invited just four candidates, specifically targeting individuals under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot.

This marked departure from the province’s typically frequent and high-volume draws reflects both the reduced allocation and a more cautious approach to managing intake under the new constraints.

Prioritising Critical Labour Needs

Despite the setback, the OINP reaffirmed its commitment to selecting candidates who can help address Ontario’s “most critical labour shortages.” This indicates that the program will likely focus more narrowly on:

In-demand occupations in sectors like health care, construction, and tech.
Applicants who are already living and working in Ontario;
Employer-supported candidates with strong ties to regional labour markets.

In October 2024, the Canadian government released its 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan, which included:

A 20% reduction in overall immigration targets;
A 50% cut to the PNP stream, dropping the national PNP landings target from 110,000 in 2024 to 55,000 in 2025.

These changes reflect growing concerns over housing shortages, infrastructure strain, and the capacity of communities to support high levels of immigration. The government has signalled a shift toward “stabilising” immigration levels and focusing on economic and regional priorities.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit or Migrate to Canada, talk to I Can Help Immigration Services, at +1 778 239 7861 or +1 647 453 7660 with RCIC # R413239, Canada’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company to get the best help you need.

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