Express Entry candidates issued invitations in April 11 Manitoba draw

Manitoba issued 403 invitations to immigration candidates in a draw held April 11 through its Skilled Workers Overseas stream.

The Skilled Workers Overseas stream is a key component of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP), which allows the province to nominate a set number of economic immigration candidates for Canadian permanent residence each year.

The April 11 draw issued 352 invitations to two groups of candidates, including an unspecified number with a profile in the federal Express Entry system.

The Express Entry system manages the pool of candidates for three of Canada's main economic immigration categories — the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class.

Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination from Manitoba obtain an additional 600 points toward their Express Entry ranking score and are effectively guaranteed an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Find out if you are eligible to enter the Express Entry pool

To be considered for a provincial nomination from Manitoba, Express Entry candidates must submit a separate Expression of Interest (EOI) profile to the MPNP.

Eligible EOI profiles are ranked based on scores awarded for factors that include education, work experience and a candidate's connection to Manitoba. The highest-ranked candidates are then invited to apply for a provincial nomination through regular draws from the pool.

Express Entry candidates invited in the April 11 draw were required to have a valid Express Entry ID and job-seeker validation code, and at least six months of recent work experience in an occupation listed as in-demand by the MPNP.

The other group met the following criteria:

a close relative residing in Manitoba or past education or work experience in Manitoba;
at least six months of recent experience in an occupation on Manitoba’s In-demand Occupations list; and
a minimum language proficiency in English or French of CLB/NCLC 5 unless the work experience is primarily in a regulated occupation, in which case the requirement is a minimum of CLB/NCLC 7, or a compulsory trade, in which case the minimum is CLB/NCLC 6.

The lowest-ranked candidate in these two groups had a score of 561.

The April 11 draw also issued 51 invitations to candidates through one of the MPNP's Strategic Recruitment Initiatives. These include overseas recruitment missions conducted by the MPNP in association with Manitoba businesses.

The lowest-ranked candidate invited through a Strategic Recruitment Initiative was 695.

Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs