October 14, 2026: Ontario Launches a New REDI Round Through the End of 2027

On October 14, 2026, Ontario updated the Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) initiative. The 2026 OINP program updates page, updated October 16, 2026, says a new REDI round has launched and will run to the end of 2027. The REDI initiative page, updated October 13, 2026, names six partnering communities for 2026-2027.

REDI sits inside the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). It is a partnership between the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development and selected communities. Ontario uses the OINP to attract and retain skilled workers where the local labour market cannot fill the jobs.

The REDI page says the initiative has supported the nomination of nearly 1,000 workers across 7 partner communities to date, including healthcare and the skilled trades. Ontario presents that figure as the result to date, not as the size of the 2026-2027 round.

What the October update says

The program updates page states three points you can use:

• The program issued the update on October 14, 2026. A new round is underway and runs to the end of 2027.
• Nomination spaces go to selected partner communities that showed a critical need for newcomer talent and a strong chance of immigration uptake, including economic diversification, employer engagement, and settlement services.
• There is no separate application process. To be considered, you must meet OINP eligibility requirements.

Ontario has not published a per-community nomination number for this round. Use the live stream rules.

The end of 2027 is how long this round runs. It is not the deadline on an invitation. The invitation and the live stream page set the filing date.

The six partnering communities

The REDI page lists these partnering communities for 2026-2027. Ontario defines each boundary as the census division used by Statistics Canada.

A workplace in a nearby municipality that sits outside that census division is outside the partner community. Use the geographic-boundary links on the REDI page before you treat a job location as covered.

In the spring of 2026, the Ministry invited communities outside the Greater Toronto Area to express interest. Selection looked at diversity, labour needs including healthcare, capacity to run the initiative, settlement readiness, and support from employers and municipalities. The regional effort began as a pilot in 2020 with 3 communities and added 4 partners in 2025. The table above is the 2026-2027 list on the page updated October 13, 2026.

How you apply

The October 16 note does not create a REDI form. It keeps selection inside the OINP rules that are already in force.

On the same program updates page, the live employer-led pathway since the June 2026 redesign is the Ontario Workforce Priority stream. The expression-of-interest portal for that stream opened on August 4, 2026. Our August 4 OINP post walks through that opening. A worker who wants to be considered in a REDI community still needs to meet that stream, including a qualifying job offer where the stream requires one.

Self-employed physicians follow the pathway already on the updates page, which does not require a job offer. Confirm that page if it is your case.

A job inside one of the six census divisions does not produce a nomination on its own. Ontario still has to invite you. An invitation is not a nomination, and a nomination is not permanent residence. After a nomination, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada assesses the permanent residence application.

What this means for workers and employers

If you have a full-time permanent job offer inside one of the six census divisions, read the current Workforce Priority criteria before you pay a fee or leave a job. The REDI pages still require you to meet OINP eligibility. Living in the community is not a separate test on those pages.

If you employ people in a partner community, or you are a local stakeholder, Ontario asks you to email immigration.ontario@ontario.ca to learn about the program or to schedule an employer consultation. The REDI page says participating communities receive OINP information sessions, and employers can access business service support.

If the workplace is in the Greater Toronto Area, this round does not name the GTA as a partner. The spring 2026 call for interest was for communities outside the GTA.

Healthcare and the skilled trades appear in the results to date. The 2026-2027 pages do not limit the new round to those sectors. Your occupation still has to fit the stream you use. The Ontario PNP page sets out how a nomination sits next to a work permit and a later permanent residence file.

What to do this week

• Open the REDI initiative page and the October 16 program update. Confirm the workplace census division.
• Read the current Ontario Workforce Priority requirements, including language, education, work experience, and employer criteria, before anyone files.
• Employers in a partner community can use the email above. For general OINP questions, use Ontario's webform or call 416-327-0374 on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (toll-free in North America: 1-866-214-6820). Visa, permit, and permanent residence questions go to IRCC.
• Keep the job offer, language tests, and work history consistent with the expression of interest.

If you want a structured review of a job offer in one of these six communities against the current Workforce Priority rules, contact JSR Immigration & Legals through the consultation page, the Ontario PNP page, or the work permit page.

This article is general information current to October 22, 2026, and is not legal or immigration advice. Confirm the live REDI page and the OINP program updates page on Ontario.ca before you file or hire.