Living and Working in Toronto: Jobs, Rent, OHIP and Routes In

Toronto is Canada's biggest job market, and also one of its most expensive places to live. If you are aiming for it from Nigeria, you need two answers early: how you will get permanent status, and whether your likely salary covers the rent.

This guide covers both, using official figures that are current as of October 2026.

What the Toronto job market looks like

The Toronto region is Canada's financial and corporate centre. The big banks, insurers and accounting firms are headquartered here, and so are many tech companies, media houses and head offices of national retailers.

Outside the office towers, the region has large hospital networks, a big manufacturing and logistics belt around Mississauga, Brampton and Vaughan, and constant construction work.

For a Nigerian professional, the sectors that most often hire newcomers are:

• Healthcare: nurses, personal support workers, lab staff and allied health roles. Nursing needs registration with the Ontario regulator before you can practise.
• Finance and accounting: banking operations, compliance, audit and analyst roles. A Canadian designation such as CPA helps a lot at senior levels.
• Tech: software, data, cybersecurity and IT support. Employers here care more about portfolios and references than where you studied.
• Logistics and warehousing: steady entry points while you work towards a role in your field.
• Skilled trades: electricians, plumbers and carpenters. Most trades are regulated in Ontario, so check whether yours needs a certificate.

Pay: the minimum wage and what it means

Ontario's general minimum wage is $17.95 an hour from 1 October 2026. It rises every 1 October in line with inflation, and the new rate is published by 1 April.

At 40 hours a week, $17.95 works out to roughly $37,000 a year before tax. That is the floor, not a typical wage, but it shows how tight Toronto is: a single person on minimum wage cannot comfortably rent a one-bedroom alone.

Salaries for professional roles vary widely by sector and seniority. Job Bank, the federal job site, shows wage ranges by occupation and region, so look up your exact occupation for Toronto before you negotiate.

Rent: the real numbers

CMHC, Canada's housing agency, surveys rents every October. Its 2025 Rental Market Report, published in December 2025, is the latest full data set.

The line that matters for you is the second-to-last one. The overall average includes people who have rented the same flat for years at older prices. When a unit changes hands, the rent resets, and that turnover figure is closer to what a newcomer will pay.

There is some good news. Vacancy rose to 3.0%, and CMHC reported that rents for new tenants in Toronto fell compared with 2024. Some landlords now offer incentives such as a free month.

Most newcomers start with a room in a shared house or a basement unit. Rooms are cheaper but vary a lot by area, so compare listings in Scarborough, Etobicoke, North York, Mississauga and Brampton, not just downtown.

Getting around: TTC and GO

The TTC runs Toronto's subway, streetcars and buses. An adult fare is $3.30 when you pay with PRESTO or tap a debit or credit card, and you get a two-hour transfer automatically.

Since 31 August 2026, the TTC has used monthly fare capping. Once you have paid 47 eligible fares in a calendar month, the rest of your TTC trips that month are free, as long as you tap the same card each time.

If you live in Mississauga, Brampton or further out, you will likely also use GO Transit trains and buses, which charge by distance. Factor commute time into where you rent: a cheaper room 90 minutes from work can cost you more than it saves.

Health care: OHIP

OHIP is Ontario's public health insurance. The good news is that Ontario has removed the waiting period: if you are eligible, coverage is immediate once you register.

The catch is eligibility. Permanent residents can apply on arrival. Work permit holders generally qualify only if they work full time in Ontario for an Ontario employer for at least six months, and the rules for spouses and dependants depend on that. Check your exact situation on the Ontario page before you travel.

You register in person at ServiceOntario with three original documents: one proving your status, one proving your Ontario address and one proving your identity. Photocopies are not accepted.

If there is any gap in cover, buy private health insurance before you fly.

Routes in: Express Entry and the new OINP

Express Entry

Express Entry is the federal system for three programmes: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. You create a profile, get a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score and wait for an invitation.

For Nigerians applying from home, this is still the main door, because it does not require a Canadian job offer. IRCC also runs category-based rounds for groups including French speakers, healthcare and social services workers, STEM, trades and education occupations.

Read our Express Entry guide for the full scoring and document picture.

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program in 2026

Ontario restructured its nominee programme in 2026. The province now says all former OINP streams are closed and the new Ontario Workforce Priority stream is the only one open. It has also warned that more changes are coming.

Key points of the new stream, from Ontario's own page:

• You need a full-time, permanent job offer from an Ontario employer. The only exception is a track for self-employed physicians.
• The employer must have been in business for at least three years with premises in Ontario.
• Job offers can be in any TEER category, with different rules for TEER 0 to 3 and TEER 4 to 5.
• Minimum language levels are CLB 6 for most TEER 0 to 3 jobs, CLB 5 for skilled trades and CLB 4 for TEER 4 and 5.
• Candidates register an Expression of Interest and are scored. Higher wages earn more points, with the top band at $40 an hour or more.

In practice, this stream suits people who are already working in Ontario or who have secured a job offer. It is not a route for applying cold from Lagos. For how nominee programmes fit with Express Entry, see our Provincial Nominee Program guide.

Step by step: from Nigeria to a Toronto job

1. Get your credentials assessed. An Educational Credential Assessment from a designated body such as WES is needed for Express Entry and for Ontario's stream. Start early, because collecting transcripts from Nigerian universities often takes months.
2. Write your language test. IELTS General Training, CELPIP General or PTE Core. Results must be under two years old when you create your profile and when you apply, so time it well. Aim above the minimum, because language is the cheapest way to raise your CRS score.
3. Check your passport and documents. Make sure your passport has plenty of validity and your NIN details match it. Request your Nigerian police certificate when IRCC asks for it.
4. Enter the Express Entry pool. Keep your profile accurate and update it if your score changes.
5. Job hunt in parallel. Use Job Bank and employer career pages. A real Ontario job offer can open the OINP route as well.
6. Prepare proof of funds. Federal Skilled Worker and Skilled Trades applicants must show settlement funds unless they have a valid job offer and are authorised to work in Canada. Check the current amount on IRCC's page; it is updated regularly.

Your first month in Toronto: checklist

• Apply for your Social Insurance Number (SIN) at Service Canada
• Register for OHIP at ServiceOntario, if eligible, with three original documents
• Buy private health cover for any gap
• Open a bank account; most big banks have newcomer packages
• Get a PRESTO card or set up tap-to-pay for the TTC
• Find a free settlement agency for résumé help and job leads
• Reformat your CV to the Canadian style: two pages, no photo, no date of birth
• Check whether your profession is regulated and start the licensing process
• Look into a Canadian driver's licence if you will need to drive

Is Toronto the right target?

Toronto offers the most jobs in Canada and the largest Nigerian and African communities, which helps with church, food and networking. The trade-off is rent: you will need more savings here than in almost any other Canadian city.

If you want a cheaper start or a different nominee route, compare it with Halifax, Montreal or other Canadian cities.

This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Rules, fees and rates change, so confirm everything on the official pages listed below before you act.