Ontario, Canada Expands REDI Immigration Initiative and Updates OINP Workforce Priority Scoring

• Ontario has expanded the Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) initiative through 2027 and updated earnings-based scoring criteria under the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream. 

Ontario Launches New REDI Immigration Initiative Through 2027 

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has announced a new phase of Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) initiative, which will run through the end of 2027. 

The initiative allocates provincial nomination spaces to select communities facing workforce shortages and seeking to attract skilled talent.  

Participating communities were selected based on factors such as labor market needs, economic development opportunities, employer engagement and settlement support capacity. 

Participating REDI Communities 

The current REDI initiative includes the following communities: 

• Greater Sudbury/Grand Sudbury 
• Kenora District 
• Nipissing District 
• Rainy River District 
• Renfrew County 
• Thunder Bay 

The program operates within the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) and provides an additional pathway to permanent residence for eligible skilled foreign workers interested in living and working in these regions. 

No Separate REDI Application Required 

Applicants do not need to submit a separate application for the REDI initiative. Participating communities may consider individuals who meet standard OINP eligibility requirements for nomination opportunities through the program.

Ontario Updates Workforce Priority Stream Scoring 

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has also updated the Canadian work experience earnings history factor under the Ontario Workforce Priority (OWP) Stream Expression of Interest (EOI) system. 

New Earnings-Based Points Allocation 

Effective Oct. 5, 2026, registrants who earned CAD $80,000 or more in a single year within the past five years, as verified through a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Notice of Assessment, will receive 10 points under the Canadian work experience earnings history scoring category. 

Automatic Score Updates 

The change has been automatically applied to all existing Expressions of Interest in the system. Current registrants do not need to update their profiles for revised scores to be reflected. 

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