{
  "id": 165636,
  "title": "Canada’s Ontario opens new permanent residence programme for foreign workers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/canadas-ontario-opens-new-permanent-residence-programme-for-foreign",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-05T08:09:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/canadas-ontario-opens-new-permanent-residence-programme-for-foreign-workers/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Ontario, a province in Canada, has launched a new Workforce Priority Stream within its Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program, offering eligible foreign workers a new path to permanent residence. The stream, which opened for applications on August 4, 2026, features three pathways: one for higher-skilled workers, one for lower-skilled workers, and another for self-employed physicians who can bill Ontario's public health insurance plan, OHIP. Candidates must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) linked to a job offer from an eligible Ontario employer through the province's e-Filing Portal to be considered. Points-based scoring will be used to rank candidates, with invitations to apply issued through periodic draws. Successful applicants can receive a provincial support letter to apply for a federal work permit while their permanent residence application is processed. Ontario plans to introduce additional streams, including a Priority Healthcare Worker Stream, an Entrepreneur Stream, and an Exceptional Talent Stream, in the program's second phase.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}