Draw details
On June 18, 2026, the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) issued a total of 124 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) across both pathways of the Skilled Worker Stream: Skilled Worker in Manitoba and Skilled Worker Overseas. Each invited candidate had declared in their Expression of Interest (EOI) profile that they were directly invited by the MPNP as part of a Manitoba strategic recruitment initiative, or that they hold a Manitoba-supported work permit.
Broken down by strategic recruitment initiative, the 124 LAAs in this round were distributed as follows:
| Strategic recruitment initiative | LAAs issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Employer Services | 49 | 39.5% |
| Temporary Public Policy (TPP) | 32 | 25.8% |
| Regional Communities | 19 | 15.3% |
| Francophone Community | 15 | 12.1% |
| Ethnocultural Communities | 9 | 7.3% |
| Total | 124 | 100% |
Employer Services received the largest number of invitations, accounting for nearly 40% of the total. Of the 124 LAAs, 22 went to candidates who also held a valid Express Entry profile number and a job seeker validation code. If ultimately nominated, these candidates can receive a 600-point boost to their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score through the enhanced nomination route under Express Entry, moving them more quickly toward permanent residence (PR).
Why some eligible candidates were excluded
To be considered in this round, candidates had to indicate in their EOI profile that they had received an invitation through a recruitment mission or through the now-expired Temporary Public Policy to Facilitate Work Permits for Prospective Provincial Nominee Program Candidates (TPP).
The province also cautioned that some candidates who appeared to meet the draw criteria may still have been excluded from this round for one of the following reasons:
- They listed an approved third-party English or French language test result in their EOI profile, but the test identification number was missing or invalid, or the language results had expired; or
- They declared an invitation under a strategic recruitment initiative but did not provide a valid invitation number.
Manitoba advises affected candidates to correct their EOI information promptly so that they can be considered in future rounds.
The Temporary Public Policy and targeted draws
The TPP, which accounted for the second-largest share in this round, is a transitional measure Manitoba introduced to address labour shortages and ease the status gap facing large numbers of temporary foreign workers (TFWs). The policy allowed eligible prospective MPNP candidates — those whose work permits expired or were set to expire in 2024 or 2025 — to apply for a two-year Manitoba-specific work permit extension, so they could remain legally in the province and continue working while awaiting a provincial nomination decision. The application window for the policy's Support Letters closed at the end of 2025, and the policy is no longer in effect.
On May 1, 2026, the MPNP announced that it would hold targeted EOI draws specifically for people who had received a Support Letter under the TPP, prioritizing candidates whose Support Letters were approved between April 22 and June 30, 2025. The 32 invitations issued under the TPP category in this round are a continuation of that arrangement.
A shift toward targeted selection under a tighter allocation
This draw takes place against a backdrop of dramatic swings in Canada's provincial nomination allocations in recent years. In late 2024, the federal government cut the national Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allocation by nearly half, from roughly 110,000 to about 55,000, and Manitoba's allocation in early 2025 was also sharply reduced — from roughly 9,500 the previous year to 4,750 — before being restored to 6,239 through a subsequent top-up. For 2026, the federal allocation to Manitoba stands at 6,239 nominations; at the same time, in its latest 2026–2028 immigration levels plan, Ottawa has significantly raised the national PNP admissions target back to roughly 91,500 to ease the impact that the earlier cuts had on provincial labour markets.
With allocations relatively limited and the federal government requiring that most provincial nominees already be temporary residents in Canada, Manitoba — like Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and other provinces — is shifting away from its earlier model of broad scoring and inviting the highest-ranked candidates, toward targeted invitations based on occupation, community and in-Canada status. The fact that every invitation in this round went to strategic recruitment candidates or holders of a provincially supported work permit reflects exactly this approach: reserving limited allocation slots for candidates who are already working in the province, can fill positions quickly, and are more likely to stay.
The gap between invitations and nominations
As of June 18, Manitoba has issued 1,833 provincial nomination invitations so far this year. By comparison, the federal allocation to the province for the year is 6,239 nominations; and according to Manitoba government data, the province has nominated 2,165 skilled workers as of May.
The gap between the number of invitations and the number of nominations actually issued is likely because many nomination applications stem from LAAs issued in 2025 — candidates submit a complete application only after receiving an invitation, and the province then issues a formal nomination after assessment. Given this time lag, invitations issued in one year often do not convert into nominations until the following year.
Other recent MPNP updates
Closure of the Career Employment Pathway under the International Education Stream. On June 11, 2026, the MPNP closed the Career Employment Pathway (CEP) under the International Education Stream, effective immediately. The province encourages former CEP candidates who have at least six months of Manitoba work experience to move to the Skilled Worker in Manitoba pathway and update their EOI profile so they can be considered in future draws. The change means the fast track that allowed international students to apply for permanent residence upon graduation has been eliminated; they must now accumulate a certain amount of in-province work experience before they can continue to apply.
Easing work permit access for rural Manitoba employers. On April 14, 2026, Manitoba introduced two temporary measures for employers outside the Winnipeg Census Metropolitan Area (CMA): first, allowing them to retain an existing share of low-wage temporary foreign worker (TFW) positions at a worksite above the standard cap; and second, raising the cap on low-wage positions from the usual 10% to 15%. Both measures rely on a temporary public policy the federal government established on April 1, 2026 for participating provinces, and will remain in effect until March 31, 2027.
