To address the labour shortage and improve the workforce mobility, the Ontario government has made an announcement. Stating that starting from January 1, 2026, the Certified professionals in the territories and provinces of Canada will be able to work in Ontario without the requirements of re-certification delays. This reform is known as “As of Right”. The primary objective of this framework is to eliminate barriers faced by skilled workers across Canada. The non-regulated professions are not affected by the new labour mobility.
New Rules Under the “As of Right” Framework
The “As of right” is a new legislation created to shorten the timelines of individuals who are certified in other provinces & territories and are seeking work in Ontario. Starting from January 1, the professionals with the Out-of-Province certification will be able to start working in Ontario within 10 business days after the validation of their credentials by the regulatory authority. Applicants with approved credentials can work up to 6 months while completing the whole registration process with the regulatory body of Ontario.
The professionals, such as engineers, Electricians, and Architects, are highly affected by the right rules. Hence, these rules apply to over 50 Ontario regulatory bodies and more than 300 certifications. These changes are particularly impactful, as approximately 20 per cent of jobs in Canada are regulated professions.
Only selected healthcare professionals are covered under this New legislation. Other provinces and territories are working in the following roles:
- Surgeon
- Physician
- Registered Nurse
- Nurse Practitioner
- Respiratory therapist
- Medical Laboratory Technologist
- Registered Practical Nurse
Professionals in the District of Columbia or the state of the US working as:
- A Board-Certified surgeon or Physician
- Registered Nurse, registered practical nurse or nurse practitioner.
Ways to Take Advantage of the New Labour Mobility Changes
To become licensed to work in the non-health occupations in Ontario, applicants who are authorised to work in another Canadian province or territory can go through and take the following steps:
Find out the regulatory authority that oversees the Trade or professions in Ontario.
- Individuals must meet the specific regulations of the regulatory authority within 30 calendar days. After meeting the requirements, they must complete and submit the labour mobility application.
- To ensure reciprocity in the Labour Market, Ontario has signed 10 agreements with other territories and Provinces of Canada. This enables the Ontario-certified Professionals to migrate and work in the jurisdictions.
These rules apply to those who work in professions overseen by Ontario regulatory bodies under the OLMA (Ontario Labour Mobility) Act 2009.
Ontario’s Immigration Pathways
These changes are highly beneficial for Foreign nationals through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). This supports Skilled workers to permanent residency. The Province has a wide range of immigration streams, a few of which require foreign nationals to have a job offer for consideration. The OINP utilises an Expression of Interest (EOI) system to manage the application process in the following streams.
- Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream
- Employer Job offer: In-Demand Skills Stream
- Express Entry- aligned Skilled Trades and Human Capital Streams.
The most prestigious immigration streams, which are aligned with the Express Entry-Stream, are:
- Human Capital Priorities Stream
- Skilled Trades Stream
- French-speaking skilled worker Stream.
This stream does not require a job offer; however, individuals must have a valid and complete Express Entry profile to be successful. To date in 2025, 8,799 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) have been issued by the OINP across a variety of immigration streams.
Croyez immigration offers valuable support, especially for the internationally trained professionals from India and other countries. Applicants seeking to enter under Ontario’s new Framework can contact Croyez immigration for professional advice.
