On October 7, 2026, Ontario added a 10-point band for $80,000+ in earnings to the Workforce Priority stream. Here is what changed and what it does not.
On October 7, 2026, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) changed how it scores earnings in the Ontario Workforce Priority stream: candidates with $80,000 or more in earnings now receive 10 points under the earnings history factor, up from a previous top band of 8 points. Ontario says the change applies to existing Expressions of Interest too, so candidates did not need to do anything. This is a scoring change. It does not guarantee an invitation, and Ontario has not announced any change to who is eligible.
What changed
The earnings history factor sits under Canadian work experience. Ontario now awards points on this scale, based on a Notice of Assessment issued by the Canada Revenue Agency in the last five years:
- Ontario's update notice says a candidate with $80,000 or more in any single year within the previous five years, shown on a CRA Notice of Assessment, receives the 10 points.
- Before this update, $70,000 or more was the highest band and earned 8 points, so the change adds up to 2 points for candidates at $80,000 and above (as reported by CIC News).
- Ontario states the change was applied to all Expressions of Interest already submitted, without candidates having to update anything.
| Annual earnings | Points |
|---|---|
| $80,000 or more | 10 |
| $70,000 to $79,999 | 8 |
| $50,000 to $69,999 | 6 |
| $30,000 to $49,999 | 4 |
| Under $30,000 | 0 |
Who is affected
Anyone with a profile in the Ontario Workforce Priority stream whose Canadian earnings reached $80,000 in a year covered by a Notice of Assessment from the last five years. Candidates whose earnings fall in the lower bands see no change. The stream became Ontario's main route when OINP's redesign took effect on June 25, 2026, and its expression of interest portal opened on August 4, 2026.
What it does not change
Points decide how a profile ranks, not whether it is invited. Ontario chooses when to hold invitation rounds and what score range to invite, and it publishes the results afterward. Eligibility rules for the stream (job offer, experience and language requirements) are not part of this update.
More points can improve your ranking, but nothing here guarantees an invitation or a nomination, and Ontario sets each round's cut-off after the fact.
What to do next
If you have a Workforce Priority profile, check that you hold a current CRA Notice of Assessment showing your highest year of earnings, and review the rest of your score so you know where you stand. For the full picture of Ontario's streams, see our Ontario nominee program guide. If you are also eligible for Express Entry, compare the routes in our Express Entry guide.
Program rules change often, and processing times are estimates, not promises. Read Ontario's own notice on the 2026 OINP updates page before you act, and talk to a licensed immigration professional about your own situation.
