Ontario revived its REDI regional initiative on October 16, 2026, with six communities and OINP spaces reserved until December 31, 2027. Here is who it helps.
Ontario has brought back Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI), a part of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) that reserves nomination spaces for workers who live and work in smaller communities. The round opened on October 16, 2026 and runs until December 31, 2027.
Six areas are on the list, with boundaries that follow Statistics Canada census divisions:
- Greater Sudbury
- Kenora District
- Nipissing District
- Rainy River District
- Renfrew County
- Thunder Bay
Check that your actual workplace falls inside one of these census divisions, not just near the named city. Thunder Bay is the only community carried over from the first version of REDI, which launched in January 2025 with Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, and Sarnia-Lambton.
REDI is not a separate application. You still have to qualify under an existing OINP stream, and the reserved spaces are for people who plan to live and work in a participating community. Right now, the Ontario Workforce Priority stream is the active pathway. Our launch guide covers its three pathways and eligibility.
For a job-offer application, one source describes this sequence:
- Your employer registers on the OINP Employer Portal and submits a qualifying job offer.
- You receive a job offer ID and register an expression of interest (EOI) within 30 calendar days of the employer's submission.
- If you are invited, your employer submits the position-approval application within 14 calendar days.
- You submit your OINP application and pay the fee within 17 calendar days after the employer's submission.
Registering does not guarantee an invitation. Ontario invites people based on its own priorities.
Ontario has not published how many nomination spaces each community gets, and no fees or draw dates specific to REDI have been announced. The last REDI draw was on April 8, 2026, when Ontario invited 32 candidates for Lanark and Leeds and Grenville. Nearly 1,000 workers have been nominated through REDI so far.
The earlier version ran through the Employer Job Offer streams, which closed in May 2026. So this version should be read as a new round, not a continuation. Past results do not predict eligibility or quotas this time.
If you already work in one of the six areas: ask your employer whether they are registered on the OINP Employer Portal. The employer step comes first, and the 30-day EOI clock starts from their submission.
If you live in Toronto or another large city: REDI does not apply to you unless you take a job in one of these communities. The decision is mostly about whether living there is realistic for you and your family.
If you are in one of the federal pilot towns: separate federal pilots operate in some of these regions, with their own eligibility rules and application process. The Rural Community Immigration Pilot covers Sudbury, North Bay and area, and Thunder Bay. The Francophone Community Immigration Pilot covers Sudbury. These are different programs, so check each one separately.
Tip
Do not wait for quotas to be published before lining up your documents. Both the employer and the candidate must provide proof on a tight clock, so have your credentials, language results and job offer letter ready before your employer submits.
A provincial nomination is not permanent residence. After Ontario nominates you, IRCC makes the final federal decision. Our PNP guide explains that second step, and the Ontario PNP guide covers the rest of the province's streams. If you also want an Express Entry route, check your score with the CRS Calculator.
Confirm current requirements on Ontario's official REDI and OINP pages, since allocations and rules can change.
Two regions have now publicly confirmed their 2027 REDI allocations, per CIC News and CIC News:
- Thunder Bay: 150 spaces, announced by the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission on October 21. That is 50 fewer than the 200 it had in the 2025 round.
- Nipissing District (North Bay): 150 spaces, published by the City of North Bay on October 26.
As of November 3, the OINP had not posted an update on how it will allocate 2027 REDI nominations, and the other four regions had not confirmed figures. The Ontario Workforce Priority Stream is the only active OINP pathway for REDI workers. In Thunder Bay, candidates must create an Expression of Interest within 30 days of their employer registering the job offer.
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute immigration advice. Always verify information with official IRCC sources and consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or licensed immigration lawyer for advice specific to your situation.