Personal Support Worker and Workforce Priority Stream
Date: July 31, 2026
What Does a Personal Support Worker (PSW) Do In Ontario ?
A personal support worker (PSW) in Ontario provides daily living assistance, personal care, and emotional support to elderly, chronically ill, or disabled individuals. Key duties include personal hygiene care, mobility assistance, and meal preparation. Personal support workers (PSWs) in Ontario earn an average median wage of about $22.00 to $24.00 per hour, which translates to roughly $40,000 to $50,000 per year for full-time work. An employer initiates the process of creating the job offer for the PSW applying for the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream (OWPS). The PSW applicant submits an Expression of Interest (EOI) that is linked to the employer-generated job offer through the job offer ID and if approved, receives an Invitation To Apply (ITA). Be careful not to delete any applications in the OINP portal, after signing in with your My Ontario Secure Account credentials. The Expression of Interest to Invitation to apply will end up with several application entries where some are linked and deleting one, deletes the other. Accidental deletion of EOI or ITA applications will result in an Immediate refusal.
What Workforce Priority Stream Pathways are for Personal Support Workers (PSW) ?
A Personal Support Worker (PSW) in Canada falls under two different National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes: 44101 or 33102, depending on where you work and what tasks you do. If you work as a Personal Support Worker (PSW) at Home for private residential clients or through home care agencies your NOC Code is 44101 which means the PSW must apply under the TEER 4-5 Pathway for the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream (OWPS) because the second digit of the NOC Code is a 2. If the Support Worker works at Hospitals, nursing homes, or long-term care facilities, then the Support Worker must apply for the TEER 0-3 Pathway for OWPS because the second digit in the NOC Code is a 3.
How is the Workforce Priority Stream Application Started for Personal Support Workers (PSW)?
The employer initiates the process for the job offer as a Personal Support Worker (PWS) for at home support, or institutional / facility care. An employer submits a job offer for the OINP by registering through the official OINP e-Filing Portal, completing the business profile, and submitting the job offer details electronically. The full process is 1. Portal Registration and Setup, 2. Business Sign Up, and 3. Profile Completion. The whole 3 step process happens in the My Ontario Secure Account. For the second step of Business Sign Up the CRA business number is needed to bind the business to the account. This is part of the employer verification that goes into creating a job offer in the employer portal.
What are Education Requirements for Workforce Priority Stream for Personal Support Workers (PSW)?
Many of our clients at Lawseph have formal education as a Personal Support Worker (PSW) from accredited academic institutions from the Philippines. Popular caregiver and support worker programs in the Philippines are anchored by TESDA-accredited national certifications, prominently featuring Caregiving NC II, Caregiving (Elderly) NC II, and specialized institutional diplomas. These programs prepare graduates for international healthcare pathways in Canada, Japan, and the UK. Many of our clients at Lawseph come to Canada on Study Permits and study to be a Personal Support Worker from popular accredited Canadian Academic Post-Secondary institutions. Popular Personal Support Worker (PSW) programs in Ontario include options at Sheridan College, Humber Polytechnic, and Conestoga College. These public college certificate programs feature hands-on labs and supervised clinical placements in local healthcare facilities. At Sheridan College the student on a Study Permit in the Personal Support Worker Program can Develop the skills you need to provide valuable care and support, Get hands-on experience through labs, simulations and clinical placements, Get taught by experienced and passionate professors, Learn An emotion-based care philosophy, and get hands-on experience with Clinical placement requirements.
