OINP Skilled Trade Workers Left in Limbo After Ontario Cancels Immigration Applications

Skilled trade workers rallied outside Queen’s Park after the Ontario government abruptly cancelled 2,600 applications submitted through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). The province suspended the skilled trades stream, citing what it called “systemic misrepresentation or fraud,” and returned all applications without offering individual explanations. Workers Kulginder and Gurjeed told RPTV they followed every requirement. They submitted documents on time, paid the $1,500 application fee, and waited more than a year with almost no communication from the program. Now, they say the province has labelled thousands of honest applicants as fraudulent with no clear evidence. Many workers are facing severe consequences. Some have lost their status, can no longer work, and now struggle to support their families—at a time when housing costs, food prices, and basic expenses are already out of reach for many in Toronto. Kulginder Singh explained that they were trained in Ontario, work for long-standing manufacturing companies, and were directly invited by the province to apply. He sasy the sudden rejection feels like a betrayal of both their labour and their investment in building a future in Canada. Beyond Queen’s Park, this decision has ripple effects across Ontario. Communities rely on skilled workers to keep essential industries functioning. Sudden shifts in immigration policy place additional pressure on families already facing economic hardship and raise questions about transparency, fairness, and the province’s commitment to supporting workers who keep Ontario moving.