OINP Phase 2 Entrepreneur Stream 2026: What Business Immigration Advisors Need to Know Now

• GenesisLink
• June 3, 2026
• Business Immigration

Ontario revoked all nine OINP streams on May 30, 2026, including the Entrepreneur stream. Phase 2 proposes a new Entrepreneur and Exceptional Talent stream — but no details are confirmed. Here is what advisors with Ontario-based C11 and ICT files should be doing right now.

Ontario's OINP Entrepreneur Stream is gone. As of May 30, 2026, all nine Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) nomination categories were formally revoked under amendments to Ontario Regulation 421/17 — including the Entrepreneur stream that many C11 and ICT holders were counting on as their pathway to provincial nomination and permanent residence.

This is the largest single regulatory change in OINP history. The full scope of what comes next is still unclear, and that uncertainty is exactly what immigration professionals advising Ontario-based entrepreneur clients need to get ahead of right now.

What Changed on May 30, 2026

Under amendments to Ontario Regulation 421/17, all nine OINP nomination categories were revoked on May 30, 2026. The full list of revoked streams includes the Foreign Worker, International Student with Job Offer, In-Demand Skills, Master's Graduate, PhD Graduate, Human Capital Priorities, French-Speaking Skilled Worker, Skilled Trades, and Entrepreneur categories.

The legal basis for all nine streams no longer exists. Applications submitted before May 30 continue to be assessed under the eligibility rules in effect at the time of filing. Existing job offer-based Expressions of Interest (EOIs) remain active in the OINP pool, and the online system continues to accept new job offer-based EOI registrations. However, no new entrepreneur applications can be filed under the revoked framework.

The Ontario government's official OINP page at ontario.ca/page/ontario-immigrant-nominee-program-oinp confirms that the May 30 amendments "prepare for the redesign of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program." No further transition guidance for the revoked entrepreneur category has been published.

What Phase 2 Proposes — and What Remains Unconfirmed

Ontario's December 2025 stakeholder consultation outlined a two-phase redesign approach for the OINP.

Phase 1 is underway: the three existing employer job offer streams are being consolidated into a single stream with two tracks — one for TEER 0 to 3 occupations (higher-skilled) and one for TEER 4 to 5 (in-demand skills). The employer registration requirement through Ontario's OINP Employer Portal is now formally codified in regulation.

Phase 2 is proposed but not confirmed: Ontario's consultation contemplated three entirely new pathways — a Priority Healthcare stream, a new Entrepreneur stream, and an Exceptional Talent stream. Ontario has not published eligibility criteria, minimum investment requirements, business performance benchmarks, or launch timelines for any Phase 2 pathway. No regulatory implementation date has been announced.

Equally significant is what Ontario has left unaddressed: the province has not confirmed whether existing entrepreneur EOI profiles will carry over to new streams, require re-registration, or be withdrawn entirely. During the Employer Portal transition in July 2025, existing profiles were withdrawn. Ontario has not confirmed whether the same approach applies here.

What This Means for Business Immigration File Strategy

For advisors with C11 or ICT clients who were building toward OINP Entrepreneur nomination as their PR pathway, the position today is straightforward: that pathway does not exist, and its replacement has no confirmed launch date. This is a strategic planning gap that requires active management — not a reason to pause the work of building a strong Canadian business.

Here is what advisors and their clients should be doing now.

Document business performance rigorously. When Ontario's new Entrepreneur stream launches, it will require evidence of business establishment and performance — job creation figures, revenue milestones, operational documentation, community and economic contribution. Clients who have this record organized and current will be positioned to apply immediately. Building that evidentiary file today is the single highest-value activity for any Ontario-based entrepreneur with PR ambitions through OINP.

Assess alternative PNP entrepreneur streams. Ontario is not the only viable provincial pathway. British Columbia's PNP Entrepreneur stream, Alberta's AINP Entrepreneur and Farm streams, Saskatchewan's SINP Entrepreneur category, and Manitoba's MBPNP Business Investor pathway each maintain active entrepreneur intake with their own eligibility frameworks. For clients whose businesses are not geographically constrained to Ontario, provincial diversification is now a legitimate and timely file strategy.

Anticipate the Exceptional Talent stream. The proposed Exceptional Talent pathway could be particularly relevant for C11 holders with documented economic impact — measurable job creation, sector significance, and capital deployment. If this stream is structured around demonstrated economic contribution rather than a staged investment model, a well-built C11 file with strong performance metrics could be a compelling candidate profile. The documentation work done today directly supports eligibility under this proposed stream.

Maintain and extend C11 work authorization. C11 work permits under IRPR 205(a) remain fully valid, LMIA-exempt, and available to qualifying entrepreneurs. The uncertainty around Ontario's OINP redesign does not affect the C11 pathway itself. Entrepreneurs can and should continue building their Canadian businesses. The goal now is to ensure the PR documentation keeps pace with the business performance.

The Strategic Position for Advisors Right Now

The OINP redesign is a genuine pause on Ontario's entrepreneur PR pathway — but it is not a permanent closure. Ontario has signalled intent to maintain an entrepreneur immigration stream through Phase 2. The advisors who use this transitional period to strengthen client file documentation, explore alternative provincial options, and position their clients for the moment new stream details are released will be operating from a position of preparedness rather than reaction.

The business case behind the immigration file has always mattered. In a period where the eligibility framework itself is being rewritten, it matters more than ever.

GenesisLink builds the business case behind the immigration file. If this update affects your current Ontario-based entrepreneur files, contact us to book a strategy call and discuss how to structure the business documentation and PR pathway planning for this transitional period.