Ontario has shut down a key immigration pathway for skilled tradespeople and returned all pending applications after an internal review uncovered widespread fraud, officials announced last week.
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program suspended its Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream and will refund application fees to all affected candidates. Officials found they could not reliably verify applicant qualifications due to widespread document fraud and false information about work experience.
Ontario determined the program’s design allowed fraud to flourish, preventing the province from filling labor shortages with qualified workers. The suspension affects applications dating back to October 2024, when the province last issued invitations.
The closure is part of Canada’s broader crackdown on immigration fraud. Federal authorities investigated more than 9,000 suspected fraud cases monthly in 2024, resulting in thousands of application refusals and permanent entry bans.
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Misrepresentation cases doubled from about 26,000 in 2022 to 46,000 in 2023. Authorities rejected more than 52,000 applications in just the first half of 2024.
The federal government removed bonus points for job offers from its Express Entry system in December 2024 to combat fraud involving falsified employment documents. Officials also imposed penalties, including fines up to $1.5 million, for immigration representatives who assist clients with fraudulent applications.
The suspension follows federal cuts that reduced provincial nomination allocations by approximately 50% for 2025, which pushed Ontario to focus resources on healthcare and technology workers.
Applicants may submit new expressions of interest for other Ontario immigration streams if they meet eligibility requirements. The province has not announced when or if it will reopen the Skilled Trades Stream.
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