Post-Study Immigration Landscape in Canada: OINP Reforms and EE Cut-off Scores

2026-10-04 · Guides

Ontario has discontinued 8 nomination categories, including those for international students, master's, and doctoral graduates, replacing them with new pathways that require an employer offer. For federal Express Entry, CEC draw scores have ranged from 516 to 523 since July. This article compiles official data and explains why language scores are becoming increasingly critical.

The bottom line: as of October 4, 2026, it has become significantly harder for international students who finish their studies in Canada to get a federal Express Entry invitation based solely on a degree plus one year of work experience. Since July 2026, the minimum score for every Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw has been above 516. Ontario has also canceled its nomination streams specifically for international students and master's/PhD graduates. The new stream requires a long-term job offer from an Ontario employer first. Under these circumstances, English and French test scores have become the most controllable way for applicants to boost their points.

Below, we break down the official updates into three parts: changes to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), federal draw scores, and relevant figures from the immigration levels plan. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute immigration advice.

OINP Reform: 8 Streams Consolidated into 1

According to the Ontario government's "2026 Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program Updates" page:

May 29, 2026: Ontario announced that amendments to Regulation 421/17 under the Ontario Immigration Act would take effect on May 30, preparing for the overhaul of the OINP.
June 26, 2026: Ontario announced amendments to Regulation 422/17, which took effect on June 25. The original 8 streams were discontinued and replaced by a single Ontario Workforce Priority stream. The old streams no longer issue invitations.
July 20, 2026: The eligibility page for the new stream went live.
August 4, 2026: The Expression of Interest (EOI) system for the new stream opened.

The 8 discontinued streams are:

Original Stream	Description
Employer Job Offer: International Student	Employer Job Offer: International Student
Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker	Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker
Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills	Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills
Master's Graduate	Master's Graduate
PhD Graduate	PhD Graduate
Express Entry Human Capital Priorities	EE Human Capital Priorities
Express Entry French-speaking Skilled Worker	EE French-Speaking Skilled Worker
Express Entry Skilled Trades	EE Skilled Trades

Regarding the transition, Ontario stated that applications already invited and submitted under the old streams will be processed under the rules in effect at the time of submission. EOIs and job offers registered under the old streams but not yet invited will be automatically withdrawn.

Note: Some law firm articles state the closure date of the streams as May 30. According to the official Ontario website, the regulatory amendments preparing for the overhaul took effect on May 30, while the discontinuation of the 8 streams and their replacement by the new stream took effect on June 25 and was announced on June 26. Please refer to the official Ontario website for the exact details.

What Does the New Ontario Workforce Priority Stream Require?

The new stream has two pathways: the job offer pathway for job seekers and the self-employed physician pathway. For international students, the relevant one is the job offer pathway. According to the official Ontario website (updated on August 11, 2026), the main requirements are as follows:

Job offer required: A full-time, permanent job offer from an Ontario employer, with a wage meeting the regional requirements. The employer must also meet certain criteria, such as being in business for at least 3 years, having a business premises in Ontario, and having made efforts to recruit locally.
Work experience: For TEER 0–3 occupations, applicants generally need 6 months of continuous full-time work experience in the offered position within the 12 months before applying; recent Ontario graduates can reduce this to 3 continuous months. TEER 4–5 occupations require 9 months of cumulative full-time work experience in the position within the past 2 years.
Language: TEER 0–3 non-trades occupations require a minimum CLB 6 in all four abilities; trades occupations require CLB 5; TEER 4–5 occupations require CLB 4. Applicants who graduated from an eligible Ontario institution within the last 3 years are exempt from the language requirement.
Education: TEER 0–3 non-trades occupations require at least a 1-year post-secondary credential from an eligible Canadian institution, or an equivalent credential.
Process: The employer submits the job offer first, and the applicant registers an EOI within 30 days; after receiving an invitation, the applicant must submit the application within 17 days.

EOI scoring factors include occupation type, hourly wage, Ontario work experience, Canadian income history, education, language, bilingualism in both official languages, and work location. Location scores vary significantly: 15 points for Northern Ontario, 10 points for Eastern, Central (outside the Greater Toronto Area), and Southwestern Ontario, 5 points for the Greater Toronto Area (excluding the City of Toronto), and 0 points for the City of Toronto.

This means that in Ontario, the dedicated streams for master's and PhD graduates no longer exist. Regardless of education level, applying through the provincial nominee program now requires a qualifying job offer first and working in that position for a certain period.

Express Entry: CEC Draw Scores Since July

The table below reproduces all CEC draws since July 2026 from the official IRCC draw data. The "Minimum Score" is the lowest CRS score of the invited candidates in that draw.

Date	Program	Invitations Issued	Minimum Score
2026-07-07	CEC	2,000	517
2026-07-21	CEC	2,000	516
2026-08-05	CEC	3,000	516
2026-08-18	CEC	1,000	523
2026-09-01	CEC	2,000	521
2026-09-15	CEC	2,000	519
2026-09-29	CEC	2,000	518

Across these 7 draws, a total of 14,000 invitations were issued, with minimum scores ranging from 516 to 523.

During the same period, the French language proficiency draws had significantly lower scores:

Date	Program	Invitations Issued	Minimum Score
2026-07-09	French language proficiency	5,000	420
2026-07-22	French language proficiency	5,000	399
2026-08-06	French language proficiency	5,000	391
2026-08-19	French language proficiency	5,000	382

To participate in the French language draws, applicants must achieve NCLC 7 in all four French language abilities. During this period, there were also Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws with minimum scores between 697 and 768, as a provincial nomination adds 600 points to the CRS score. Additionally, there were category-based draws for healthcare, trades, transport, and senior management occupations.

Why a Degree Plus Work Experience Alone Is Hardly Enough

Express Entry uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to score candidates. According to the official IRCC scoring grid, the following factors have the biggest impact on international students:

Language scores make a huge difference. Increasing English proficiency from CLB 7 to CLB 9 raises the first official language score from 68 to 124 points, and the combined "language + education" score from 25 to 50 points.
French is a valuable bonus. Achieving NCLC 7 in all four French abilities and CLB 5 or higher in all four English abilities earns a 50-point bonus. The second official language can also add up to 24 points. Applicants with strong French can also participate in the French language draws, which have lower cutoff scores.
Job offers no longer add direct CRS points. As of March 25, 2025, IRCC has removed the CRS points for valid job offers.
Education and Canadian work experience provide base points. A master's degree, the Canadian education bonus, and 1 year of Canadian work experience all earn points, but relying solely on these is usually not enough to meet the recent CEC cutoff scores.

Compared to the CEC cutoff scores of 516–523 since July, language test scores are often the key differentiator. Since everyone's situation is different, please use the official CRS calculator on the IRCC website to verify your actual score.

Age also affects the score. On the official grid, single applicants aged 20–29 get 110 points, 30 years old gets 105 points, 32 years old gets 94 points, and 35 years old gets 77 points. After finishing a graduate degree and working for a year or two, the age score is often already declining.

Immigration Levels: Current Targets for International Students

The "2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan" announced by IRCC on November 5, 2025:

Permanent Residents: The annual target is 380,000. Of these, the Express Entry federal economic class (including CEC) targets 109,000 in 2026, and 111,000 each in 2027 and 2028.
New Temporary Residents: The target for students is 155,000 in 2026, and 150,000 each in 2027 and 2028.
Francophone Immigration: The target for Francophone immigration outside Quebec increases from 9% in 2026 to 10.5% in 2028, with a target of 12% in 2029.
The plan also notes that the levels design focuses on transitioning people already in Canada with the needed skills and experience to permanent residents, and will expedite the transition of up to 33,000 temporary workers to permanent residents in 2026 and 2027.

The new plan for 2027–2029 has not been announced as of October 4, 2026. Once the new plan is released, targets related to international students may change. Please refer to the official IRCC announcements.

What This Means for Families Planning to Study in Canada

Here is a summary of the information:

Language scores are the ones you can actively improve. Age, education, and work experience take time to accumulate, but improving your English from CLB 7 to CLB 9 or CLB 10 can make a difference of dozens of points in your CRS score.
French is worth serious consideration. Since July, the cutoff scores for French-language category draws have been about 100 to 140 points lower than those for the CEC, and French proficiency also earns additional points. However, achieving NCLC 7 in all four French skills requires systematic study over a longer period, so the earlier you plan, the more realistic it is.
Provincial nominations depend on the specific province. Ontario's new pathway focuses on employer offers and work location. Since rules vary by province, you can also look into the nomination policies of your target province when choosing a school.
Policies change rapidly. All figures in this article are current as of October 4, 2026. Draw scores change with every round, so please refer to the official IRCC and provincial websites for the latest information.

This article is for informational purposes regarding policy interpretation only and does not constitute immigration or legal advice. If you need an assessment of your personal situation, please consult a licensed immigration consultant or lawyer.

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