OINP's New $80,000 Earnings Tier: Points Math for the Workforce Priority Stream
Llandora·Updated 2026-10-14
⚠️ Disclaimer: For general information only — not tax, financial, legal, or medical advice. Figures may be outdated or incorrect; tax rules change frequently. Verify important decisions with the CRA/IRS or a qualified professional (for health topics, a licensed healthcare provider). You use this information at your own risk.
The short answer
On October 7, 2026, Ontario announced a change to the Expression of Interest (EOI) scoring for its Employer Job Offer: Workforce Priority stream. Effective October 5, 2026, candidates who earned $80,000 or more in a single year within the past five years — verified by a CRA Notice of Assessment — receive 10 points under the "Canadian work experience: earnings history" factor. Existing EOIs were updated automatically. Here is how the points math actually works, with examples.
The current earnings-history grid
Annual earnings (one year, past 5 years, CRA NOA)
Points
$80,000 or more
10
$70,000–$79,999
8
$50,000–$69,999
6
$30,000–$49,999
4
Under $30,000
0
Before this change, the top band was $70,000+ at 8 points. So the practical effect for most people is +2 points, not +10: if your best NOA year showed $85,000, you moved from 8 to 10. If your best year was $75,000, nothing changed — that band is still 8.
Three rules people get wrong
One year, not an average, not a sum. Ontario looks at a single tax year's earnings on a single NOA. Two years of $45,000 do not combine into $90,000. A $95,000 year and a $40,000 year give you the $95,000 band — 10 points — and the other year is irrelevant.
NOA, not T4s, not your offer letter. The factor is verified by the CRA Notice of Assessment. T4 slips alone are not accepted, and your current job-offer salary is a different factor entirely — a new $85,000 contract does not qualify you; a past $85,000 NOA does.
Five-year window on the NOA. You need one qualifying year within the past five years. Never filed taxes in Canada? You score zero on this factor — there is no alternative proof.
Worked examples
Example A — the +2. Priya's NOAs: 2021: $52,000; 2022: $61,000; 2023: $88,000; 2024: $90,000. Best year: $90,000 → 10 points (was 8). Net gain: +2.
Example B — no change. Chen's best NOA year is $74,500 → 8 points, before and after. The new tier does not help him. If a future NOA shows $80,000+, his score updates.
Example C — the trap. Diego just signed an $85,000 job offer and assumes 10 points. Wrong factor: the offer letter feeds the job-offer wage factor, not earnings history. His past NOAs top out at $58,000 → 6 points on this factor.
Example D — newcomer. Aisha arrived in 2024 and has one Canadian NOA (2024: $47,000) → 4 points. She cannot use pre-arrival foreign income — the factor is Canadian earnings history verified by CRA.
What this does and does not mean
It is not a draw. Ontario has not announced a Workforce Priority invitation round tied to this change. Points position you for potential selection; they are not an invitation.
It is not Express Entry. This is OINP's own EOI grid, separate from federal CRS.
No action needed. Ontario says it applied the update to existing EOIs automatically — you do not need to log in or edit your profile to receive it.
Check the official grid. Ontario's update notice introduced the new top bracket without republishing the full grid; confirm the current bands on ontario.ca rather than relying on secondhand summaries (including this one).
Frequently asked questions
Which line of the NOA does Ontario use for the $80,000?
Ontario has not publicly specified which NOA line it measures. Do not treat any single figure (employment income, total income) as the rule — if you are near the line, have your documents reviewed rather than guessing.
I have the $80,000 year but my EOI score didn't change. Why?
Possibilities: the NOA is older than five years; the EOI hasn't refreshed yet; or your profile's earnings data wasn't captured. Verify against the official scoring page and contact OINP if the math looks wrong.
Does self-employment income count?
The factor is about earnings verified by a CRA NOA. Self-employment income reported on a Canadian return and reflected on the NOA should count the same as employment income — but this is exactly the kind of near-the-line question to confirm against official wording.
I'm on a study permit. Does this factor apply to me?
The earnings-history factor applies to the stream generally, but remember the stream also scores legal status separately (work permit holders currently score higher than study permit holders on that factor). Eligibility for the stream itself is a separate question from scoring.
Sources
CIC News, Ontario boosts points for higher earners under new permanent residence pathway (Oct 7 announcement, bands, automatic update): https://www.cicnews.com/2026/10/ontario-boosts-points-for-higher-earners-under-new-permanent-residence-pathway-1081090.html
Moving2Canada, New OINP Scoring Factors for Ontario Workforce Priority Stream (full grid, NOA requirement): https://moving2canada.com/2026/07/new-oinp-scoring-factors-ontario-workforce-priority/
SettleCanada, OINP Workforce Priority: $80,000 earnings now worth 10 EOI points (no login needed, no draw announced): https://www.settlecanada.ca/news/oinp-workforce-earnings-points/
This article is general information about the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program's scoring, not immigration advice. Scoring grids change — verify current factors on ontario.ca and consult a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) or lawyer for your situation.
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