Canada immigration news: Huron County did not make the cut for Ontario’s new regional immigration program, so the province carved out something just for the county instead. Twenty five reserved Huron County OINP nomination spaces are now set aside for local workers, first come, first served, in a small but telling win for a rural community fighting to keep its employers staffed.
Huron County has received 25 reserved Huron County OINP nomination spaces for local workers after the county was passed over for Ontario’s Regional Economic Development through Immigration program. The spaces go to eligible local applicants on a first come, first served basis, and the regular provincial nominee program remains open once they are gone.
By Maplestime News Desk | Winnipeg, Manitoba | November 13, 2026
Sources: Huron Chamber Daily Business Briefing, Huron Chamber Municipal Matters | Last updated: November 13, 2026
Key Takeaways
- 25 reserved spaces: Huron County gets its own dedicated allocation through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program.
- First come, first served: eligible local applicants can claim the spaces in order of application.
- REDI snub: Huron County was not selected as one of the six regions in Ontario’s Regional Economic Development through Immigration program for 2026 to 2027.
- Regular stream stays open: once the 25 spaces are used, local candidates can still apply through the regular provincial nominee program.
- Details still coming: county staff are working with the province to clarify how employers and applicants access the allocation.
How do the Huron County OINP nomination spaces work?
The 25 spaces are reserved for eligible Huron County applicants through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program, the province’s route for nominating workers for permanent residence. They will be available on a first come, first served basis, which means local workers and the employers backing them should move quickly rather than assume the spaces will wait.
County council received the update from Mark Nonkes, Manager of the Huron County Local Immigration Partnership. The news was reported on November 12, 2026, sourced to CKNX News Today. Council heard that county staff are still working with the province to clarify exactly how local employers and applicants can access the reserved allocation, so the practical steps for claiming a space are still being nailed down.
The Lake Huron shoreline in Ontario, near Huron County. Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Why did Huron County miss out on REDI?
Ontario’s Regional Economic Development through Immigration program, known as REDI, picked six regions for 2026 to 2027. Huron County was not one of them. The county had applied to join REDI to help employers deal with critical workforce shortages, and losing out stung precisely because the need is real. Rural employers in the county have struggled to fill jobs, and immigration was supposed to be part of the answer.
The separate 25 space allocation is the province’s answer to that miss. It is smaller than a REDI designation and it comes without the program’s wider framework, but it is reserved for Huron County alone, which means local applicants are not competing with the rest of Ontario for these particular spots.
Related: Manitoba PNP draw 2026 — 1,304 Skilled Workers Invited in the Province’s Biggest Recent Round
What happens when the 25 spaces run out?
Once the 25 spaces are used up, eligible candidates can keep applying through the regular provincial nominee program, competing with applicants from elsewhere in Ontario. The reserved allocation is a head start, not a separate permanent stream, so the county’s longer term challenge remains the same: making the case that its employers and its communities deserve a standing place in Ontario’s immigration planning.
For now, the county’s job is to make sure the 25 Huron County OINP nomination spaces actually get used. That means getting the word out to employers with foreign workers on staff and to workers who already live in the county and want to stay. A reserved space only helps if someone claims it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can use the 25 reserved spaces?
Eligible Huron County applicants can use the 25 Huron County OINP nomination spaces, on a first come, first served basis. County staff are still clarifying with the province how local employers and applicants access the allocation.
What is the REDI program?
REDI is Ontario’s Regional Economic Development through Immigration program. It selected six regions for 2026 to 2027. Huron County applied to join and was not selected, so the province set up this separate 25 space allocation instead.
What happens after the 25 spaces are gone?
Eligible candidates can keep applying through the regular provincial nominee program, competing with applicants from elsewhere in Ontario.
Council Line in Huron County, Ontario. Photo: Magnolia677, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Maplestime will provide updates from Huron County and Ontario immigration as announcements are made.
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Should every rural county get its own reserved spaces, or should small towns have to fight the big cities for every nomination? Tell us in the comments. And share this with every Huron County worker waiting for a chance.
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