Canada’s Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) released detailed data on its 2024 nomination results on July 11, 2025, identifying nine occupations that accounted for nearly half of all permanent residency (PR) nominations issued through the program.
These high-demand occupations—primarily in healthcare and technology—are expected to remain a priority for the province in 2025.
According to Immigration News Canada (INC), 9,500 out of Ontario’s 21,500 nominations in 2024 went to candidates working in these specific roles. As Ontario plans for a reduced quota of 10,750 nominations for 2025, the same occupations are likely to continue to receive focus.
Healthcare Roles Remain Critical to Ontario’s Nomination Strategy
Healthcare workers received over 3,200 nominations in 2024, representing approximately 15% of all OINP nominations. These roles continue to address labour shortages in Ontario’s healthcare system.
The high-demand healthcare occupations include:
- Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses (NOC 31301)
- Pharmacists (NOC 31120)
- General Practitioners and Family Physicians (NOC 31102)
- Nurse Aides, Orderlies, and Patient Service Associates (NOC 33102)
These occupations fall within TEER levels 1 and 3 of the National Occupation Classification (NOC) system and are considered essential to healthcare delivery in Ontario.
Tech Sector Drives One-Third of 2024 PR Nominations
The technology sector accounted for over 6,300 nominations, or 30% of all OINP nominations in 2024. This continues a trend of strong demand for digital talent across Ontario’s labour market.
High-demand tech occupations that received nominations include:
- Software Engineers and Designers (NOC 21231)
- Software Developers and Programmers (NOC 21232)
- User Support Technicians (NOC 22221)
- Information Systems Specialists (NOC 21222)
- Business Systems Specialists (NOC 21221)
These roles span TEER levels 1 and 2 and align with the province’s push to support its growing digital economy.
Reduced Nomination Quota Means Stronger Focus on Priority Occupations
In 2024, OINP issued 21,500 nominations across multiple streams. With a nearly 50% reduction in allocation for 2025, now set at 10,750 nominations, Ontario is expected to maintain a sharper focus on these nine occupations.
The nine roles that made up 45% of last year’s nominations are likely to see continued attention in 2025, though the actual number of nominations per occupation will be lower due to the overall quota reduction.
Application Screening Tightens with New Return Policy
On July 2nd, 2025, OINP introduced a new policy allowing applications to be returned before nominations are issued. The goal is to prioritise candidates whose applications closely align with current labour needs.
Reports inform that applicants will receive a full refund of the application fee if their submission is returned. The policy underscores the importance of submitting complete and well-aligned applications, especially for those targeting roles in the nine identified occupations.
What This Means for 2025 PR Applicants
Despite the reduced quota, candidates working in these nine high-demand occupations will continue to have a strong pathway to permanent residency through OINP. To improve their chances, applicants should:
Align their work experience with the identified NOC codes
Ensure their application matches Ontario’s current labour needs
Consider applying through key OINP streams such as Human Capital Priorities or Employer Job Offer
Applicants in healthcare and technology are advised to prepare early, as competition for nominations will be stronger in 2025.
