Ontario Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream (Closed)
The French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream was a former Express Entry pathway under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) for skilled workers with strong French and English language abilities who wanted to settle permanently in Ontario. Applicants needed a valid Express Entry profile and had to qualify under either the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Canadian Experience Class. A job offer was not required, making the stream particularly relevant to eligible bilingual candidates already in the federal Express Entry pool. As part of Ontario’s OINP redesign, the stream was permanently closed on June 25, 2026, together with the other former OINP streams and is no longer available for new Notifications of Interest or applications.
Former Stream Requirements
Before it closed, the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream was available to eligible Express Entry candidates who received a Notification of Interest from Ontario.
Applicants generally needed:
- a valid Express Entry profile
- eligibility under either the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Canadian Experience Class
- a Notification of Interest from Ontario
- qualifying skilled work experience under either the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Canadian Experience Class requirements
- French-language proficiency of at least NCLC 7 in all four language abilities
- English-language proficiency of at least CLB 6 in all four language abilities
- a Canadian bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, or an equivalent foreign credential supported by a valid Educational Credential Assessment
- sufficient settlement funds
- legal status in Canada when applying from inside Canada
- an intention to live in Ontario
A job offer was not required.
Ontario selected candidates from the Express Entry pool and issued Notifications of Interest to those who met the stream requirements and any additional criteria used for a particular selection round. Candidates could apply to the OINP only after receiving a Notification of Interest.
Because the stream was aligned with Express Entry, candidates who received an Ontario nomination could accept it through their Express Entry account. An accepted provincial nomination added 600 CRS points to the candidate’s Express Entry score, but the nomination itself did not constitute permanent residence approval.
French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream Closure and Current Options
Ontario closed the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream as part of the 2026 OINP redesign, which removed the former stream structure and began transitioning the program to a new four-stream system. The stream is no longer available for new Notifications of Interest or applications.
Applications submitted before the redesign continue to be assessed under the eligibility requirements that applied when they were received.
French-speaking candidates interested in immigrating to Ontario should now review the current OINP pathways as well as federal Express Entry programs for which they may qualify. The closure of the former French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream does not prevent eligible candidates from entering or remaining in the federal Express Entry system.
The current Ontario Workforce Priority Stream has its own eligibility requirements and generally requires a qualifying Ontario job offer, subject to the specific criteria that apply to each pathway. It should therefore be assessed separately rather than treated as a direct replacement for the former French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream.
