OINP Scoring Change: $80,000 Earnings Now Worth 10 Points and REDI Returns for Six Ontario Communities

The OINP scoring change took effect on October 5, 2026, and it quietly raised the ceiling for Ontario’s highest earners. Under the Ontario Workforce Priority stream, anyone who earned at least $80,000 in a single year within the past five years now gets 10 points for earnings history, up from 8 points that the old top bracket of $70,000 or more was worth. Ontario applied the new points to existing profiles automatically, so nobody has to log in or resubmit. Eleven days later, on October 16, the province relaunched the Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) initiative, reserving nomination spaces for six northern and rural communities through the end of 2027. Together, the two updates are the biggest changes to Ontario’s provincial nominee program since the June redesign wiped out eight older streams. We’ll be updating this article monthly as Ontario publishes its first invitation round and any new scoring tweaks.

Here is the catch that most headlines skip. Ontario has not published a draw for the Workforce Priority stream, a minimum score or an invitation schedule, so a higher number on your profile does not yet tell you where you stand. Trackers that monitor the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) page reported no invitation round as of early October, and Ontario gives no advance notice of draws. What the scoring change does is improve your odds if you are already in the pool and meet the earnings test. The REDI relaunch matters for a different group: foreign workers with jobs in Greater Sudbury, Kenora, Nipissing, Rainy River, Renfrew County or Thunder Bay, who can be considered without filing a separate application. This guide covers both updates, the full scoring grid, how to apply, deadlines, fees and what to watch next.

OINP Scoring Change and REDI Initiative Key Highlights

Timeline: How Ontario Got Here

Canada Ebola Travel Restrictions Extended to November 27: Who Is Affected and What Travellers Must Do

New Student Loan Rules USA 2026: Repayment Plans, Borrowing Limits & PSLF Changes Explained

OINP Scoring Change October 2026: What Exactly Changed

Ontario changed one factor, and only one. The earnings history factor sits inside the employment section of the Workforce Priority grid and looks at annual income shown on a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Notice of Assessment issued within the past five years. Candidates need just one qualifying year, not an average.

The practical effect is a two point gain for people who earned $80,000 or more, since the old top tier paid 8. Nobody lost points. Candidates in the $70,000 to $79,999 band keep their 8, and every lower bracket is unchanged. CIC News reported the earlier tiers, and Envoy Global confirmed the effective date and the automatic profile update. Neither source says why Ontario made the change, and Ontario has not published its reasoning, so any explanation beyond the rule itself is guesswork.

Who Benefits From the New 10 Point Earnings Tier

The group that gains is narrow: foreign workers already in Canada who earned $80,000 or more in a recent year and have a Notice of Assessment to show for it. In practice, that tends to describe people in higher paid professional, management, health and skilled trade roles. A worker in a lower paid job would see no difference.

Two points can matter in a ranked pool, since candidates are ordered by score. But a note of caution applies. Cutoffs from the old streams, such as 57 for Foreign Worker and 81 for International Student in April, came from closed streams scored on a different grid, and they do not carry over. Until Ontario runs its first Workforce Priority round, nobody can say what a competitive score will be.

Full OINP Workforce Priority Scoring Grid

The grid below pulls together the factors Ontario publishes for the job offer pathways. Ontario does not state a maximum score. Adding the top band of each factor gives 132 points, according to one consultant’s tally, while several third party calculators still show 130. Treat any maximum as an estimate.

Two features stand out. Regionalization pays up to 15 points for northern jobs and nothing for Toronto, which pushes the system toward smaller communities. And field of study and location of study are no longer scored, a quiet change from the old international student streams.

Quebec PEQ Deadline: Applications Close October 31, Who Can Still Apply and How to File in Arrima

Full Social Security at 60: Who Qualifies Under the New Blue Collar Bill

REDI Initiative Ontario 2026 to 2027: Six Communities, No Separate Application

REDI is a partnership between the OINP and participating communities that need workers the local labour market cannot supply. Each community receives a quota of nomination spaces reserved for workers who qualify under OINP rules. Ontario’s page says there is no separate application for the initiative. Eligible foreign workers apply through the normal OINP route, and the communities are the ones that benefit from reserved spaces.

The program began as a three community pilot in 2020 and added four communities in 2025. Ontario says it has supported nearly 1,000 nominations to date, mostly in health care and skilled trades. The relaunch runs until December 31, 2027 and covers these six partners.

Ontario chose the partners in spring 2026 after inviting communities outside the Greater Toronto Area to express interest. It weighed geographic diversity, labour challenges including health care, community capacity, readiness to support newcomers and stakeholder backing. Only Thunder Bay carried over from the previous round, which also included Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, and Sarnia-Lambton.

REDI vs Workforce Priority: How Nominations Actually Work Now

This is where applicants get confused. REDI does not replace the Workforce Priority stream. At the moment, the Workforce Priority stream is the main provincial route open to foreign workers, because Ontario closed the old Employer Job Offer streams in May. REDI previously ran through those closed streams, and no invitation round has yet been held under the new one, so how reserved spaces will be used in practice is not yet visible.

The OINP has not published the quotas, and its REDI page does not describe eligibility, application steps or employer requirements. It also does not explain how REDI links to the Workforce Priority stream. Anyone planning around REDI should contact the OINP before assuming a faster or easier path. The last REDI round before the redesign was April 8, when Ontario issued 32 invitations to candidates with job offers in Lanark or Leeds and Grenville, with minimum scores of 46 for Foreign Worker, 57 for International Student and 33 for In-Demand Skills.

How to Apply for the OINP Workforce Priority Stream

The job offer route works in steps, and employers go first.

1. The employer registers with the OINP and submits the job offer in the Employer Portal, then receives a job offer ID.
2. The worker registers an expression of interest in Ontario’s e-Filing Portal within 30 calendar days of the employer’s submission.
3. Ontario scores the profile on the grid above. Profiles sit in the pool, and Ontario has not published how often it will draw.
4. If invited, the employer has 14 calendar days to submit its approval application.
5. The worker then has 17 calendar days from the invitation to submit the application and pay, but only after the employer has filed.
6. Ontario assesses the application and, if approved, issues a nomination.
7. The worker applies to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence.

Self employed physicians follow a shorter path with no job offer, but they need an OHIP billing number and a qualifying College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario certificate.

Employers must meet their own tests. They need an active business for at least three years, premises in Ontario, no outstanding orders under the Employment Standards Act or the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and minimum revenue and full time employee levels based on job location. The job must be full time, permanent, urgently needed and meet the required wage.

OINP Processing Time and Key Deadlines

Ontario’s Workforce Priority page does not state a processing time for decisions, so applicants should not rely on figures from third party sites. What the province does publish is a set of strict clocks.

Missing the 17 day window can end the process, according to one consultancy summary, so applicants should assemble documents before any invitation arrives. Accepting an Express Entry linked nomination adds 600 Comprehensive Ranking System points.

OINP Fees and Payment Schedule

Registering an expression of interest costs nothing. The application fee after an invitation is where money changes hands. Ontario’s page confirms that an application fee exists and says it is refunded if the application is returned as incomplete, but it does not list the amount. One consultancy reports $1,500 or $2,000 depending on the file and says the fee is not refundable once processing starts. Confirm the current figure on Ontario.ca before paying.

The payment schedule is short. Nothing is due at registration. The fee is due with the application, and it must be submitted within 17 calendar days of an invitation. IRCC fees for permanent residence come later and are set by the federal government, not by Ontario.

What to Do Now If You Are in the OINP Pool

Start with your Notice of Assessment. If you earned $80,000 or more in a single year in the past five years, check that the figure on your CRA record matches what your profile shows. Ontario updated profiles automatically, so no resubmission is needed, but accuracy still matters when you apply.

Next, check your job location. A northern or eastern location can add up to 15 points, and the REDI communities all fall in regions that score well. Then gather the documents you will need in a hurry, since the post invitation window is only 17 days. Employers should confirm their registration and revenue thresholds now rather than after an invitation lands.

Social Security 2027 COLA Forecast: Largest Raise Since 2023 — See the Latest Estimates and What They Mean for Your Check

2027 COLA: How Much Will Your Social Security Check Increase?

What Happens Next: Draws, Phase Two and Unknowns

Three things are unresolved. Ontario has not published a first Workforce Priority invitation round or a minimum score. It has not published REDI quotas or explained how they connect to the new stream. And the second phase of the redesign has no date, although Ontario has said it plans a Priority Healthcare stream, an Entrepreneur stream and an Exceptional Talent stream.

Until then, the OINP page is the source to watch. Ontario posts rounds there, and it does not give notice. Treat third party draw trackers as signals, not as confirmation.

OINP Score and Scoring Change Calculator

Use the free tool below to estimate your Workforce Priority score under the grid above and see how many points the October 5 earnings change added. It is a planning aid built on published factors, and Ontario sets the real score.

Official OINP and REDI Links

OINP Scoring Change and REDI FAQs

Conclusion

The OINP scoring change is real, but its value depends on a draw Ontario has not yet announced. If you earned $80,000 or more in a qualifying year, your score is already two points higher, and that came without any action on your part. The REDI relaunch is more of a signal than a shortcut: Ontario wants workers in six northern and rural communities, and it has reserved spaces to make that happen through 2027.

The smart move now is preparation. Check your Notice of Assessment, confirm your job location and score on the official grid, and keep your documents ready for a 17 day window. Rely on Ontario.ca for any draw, fee or processing update, and treat consultant blogs as context rather than confirmation. This article will be updated as Ontario publishes new information.

Canada 2026 Federal Income Tax Brackets: Full Rates, Changes & How Much You’ll Pay This Year

Canada Ebola Travel Restrictions Extended to November 27: Who Is Affected and What Travellers Must Do