The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) has issued a final call for foreign workers whose work permits have expired—or will soon expire—to request a provincial support letter that unlocks a special two-year open work permit (OWP). Applications for the letter must be submitted no later than 12:59 a.m. EDT on December 16, 2025; the federal public-policy window to file the work-permit application itself closes December 31.
The opportunity stems from Ottawa’s “Temporary Public Policy to Facilitate Work Permits for Prospective Provincial Nominee Program Candidates,” first introduced in August 2024 and later extended. Candidates who held a valid MPNP Expression of Interest profile on 15 January 2025, have lived continuously in Manitoba since that date, and possess a letter of employment from their current Manitoba employer are eligible. They must also meet at least one of three federal criteria tied to expired or soon-to-expire work permits and evidence of having applied to maintain status or restore authorization.
![Manitoba Issues December 16 Deadline for PNP Candidates Seeking Two-Year Open Work Permit]()
Securing the provincial support letter is only the first step. Applicants must still submit a complete online application to IRCC, pay federal fees that can total CA$501.25 (including restoration where applicable), and upload proof such as the Manitoba letter, current or past permits and an employer letter. Manitoba cautions that it may limit the number of support letters issued, meaning not all qualified candidates are guaranteed approval.
For employers, the announcement offers a last-minute retention tool at a time when labour shortages in agriculture, manufacturing and health care remain acute. Workers who lose status often have to stop working, disrupting production schedules. The two-year OWP buys time for candidates awaiting provincial nomination decisions and allows employers to avoid repeat Labour Market Impact Assessments.
Global mobility teams with assignees in Manitoba should act quickly: confirm employee eligibility, gather documentation and submit both the provincial request and federal work-permit application before the dual deadlines. Given the approaching holiday period, allowing at least a week for document collection is prudent. Failure to meet the cutoff could leave candidates without legal work status—and employers without critical staff—until a new or extended federal policy is announced.
The opportunity stems from Ottawa’s “Temporary Public Policy to Facilitate Work Permits for Prospective Provincial Nominee Program Candidates,” first introduced in August 2024 and later extended. Candidates who held a valid MPNP Expression of Interest profile on 15 January 2025, have lived continuously in Manitoba since that date, and possess a letter of employment from their current Manitoba employer are eligible. They must also meet at least one of three federal criteria tied to expired or soon-to-expire work permits and evidence of having applied to maintain status or restore authorization.
Securing the provincial support letter is only the first step. Applicants must still submit a complete online application to IRCC, pay federal fees that can total CA$501.25 (including restoration where applicable), and upload proof such as the Manitoba letter, current or past permits and an employer letter. Manitoba cautions that it may limit the number of support letters issued, meaning not all qualified candidates are guaranteed approval.
For employers, the announcement offers a last-minute retention tool at a time when labour shortages in agriculture, manufacturing and health care remain acute. Workers who lose status often have to stop working, disrupting production schedules. The two-year OWP buys time for candidates awaiting provincial nomination decisions and allows employers to avoid repeat Labour Market Impact Assessments.
Global mobility teams with assignees in Manitoba should act quickly: confirm employee eligibility, gather documentation and submit both the provincial request and federal work-permit application before the dual deadlines. Given the approaching holiday period, allowing at least a week for document collection is prudent. Failure to meet the cutoff could leave candidates without legal work status—and employers without critical staff—until a new or extended federal policy is announced.
