Manitoba kicked off the new week by issuing 35 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) Skilled Worker stream, targeting both in-province employees and overseas talent identified through the province’s strategic recruitment initiatives. According to the draw summary published 24 November 2025, 18 invitations went to candidates already working in Manitoba under the Employer Services initiative, while 17 were split between Recruitment Missions and francophone strategic initiatives. The minimum ranking score remained in the mid-500s, broadly in line with the province’s 2025 average.
The MPNP continues to play an outsized role in Manitoba’s labour-market strategy. Over the past three years, more than 90 % of newcomers settling in the province arrived through the PNP. Demand has risen sharply in advanced manufacturing, agribusiness, and digital services, prompting the government to hold more targeted draws that prioritise candidates with job offers outside Winnipeg and those with French-language proficiency. For employers, the program’s employer-driven model offers a faster route to foreign-worker retention compared with the federal Express Entry system.
![Manitoba issues fresh Provincial Nominee invitations as province courts talent]()
From a global-mobility perspective, the latest draw underscores that provincial nomination remains the most reliable gateway to Canadian permanent residence for skilled workers whose Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores fall short of recent federal cut-offs. Once nominated, candidates receive 600 additional CRS points, virtually guaranteeing an Invitation to Apply in forthcoming federal rounds. Multinational companies with operations in Manitoba therefore have a strategic opportunity to transition temporary foreign workers to PR status, improving retention and reducing compliance burdens associated with employer-specific work permits.
The program’s growing emphasis on francophone recruitment also aligns with Ottawa’s broader goal of boosting the share of French-speaking newcomers outside Quebec to 10 % by 2028. Employers able to provide French-language support—or with operations in bilingual communities such as St. Boniface—may find an additional advantage when endorsing candidates.
Practical tip: HR teams should audit current work-permit holders whose LMIA or International Mobility Program permits expire in 2026–27 and identify candidates who meet Manitoba’s settlement-fund and language thresholds. Because several MPNP sub-streams require proof of residing and working in Manitoba for at least six months, early action is essential to ensure eligibility for the next quarterly draw.
The MPNP continues to play an outsized role in Manitoba’s labour-market strategy. Over the past three years, more than 90 % of newcomers settling in the province arrived through the PNP. Demand has risen sharply in advanced manufacturing, agribusiness, and digital services, prompting the government to hold more targeted draws that prioritise candidates with job offers outside Winnipeg and those with French-language proficiency. For employers, the program’s employer-driven model offers a faster route to foreign-worker retention compared with the federal Express Entry system.
From a global-mobility perspective, the latest draw underscores that provincial nomination remains the most reliable gateway to Canadian permanent residence for skilled workers whose Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores fall short of recent federal cut-offs. Once nominated, candidates receive 600 additional CRS points, virtually guaranteeing an Invitation to Apply in forthcoming federal rounds. Multinational companies with operations in Manitoba therefore have a strategic opportunity to transition temporary foreign workers to PR status, improving retention and reducing compliance burdens associated with employer-specific work permits.
The program’s growing emphasis on francophone recruitment also aligns with Ottawa’s broader goal of boosting the share of French-speaking newcomers outside Quebec to 10 % by 2028. Employers able to provide French-language support—or with operations in bilingual communities such as St. Boniface—may find an additional advantage when endorsing candidates.
Practical tip: HR teams should audit current work-permit holders whose LMIA or International Mobility Program permits expire in 2026–27 and identify candidates who meet Manitoba’s settlement-fund and language thresholds. Because several MPNP sub-streams require proof of residing and working in Manitoba for at least six months, early action is essential to ensure eligibility for the next quarterly draw.
