Manitoba's 100th PNP draw invites 191 immigration candidates

Manitoba issued 191 invitations in its latest draw for immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence.

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) invited skilled workers and international graduates through three immigration streams:

The invitations, also known as Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs), were distributed as follows along with their respective Expression of Interest (EOI) score requirement:

Skilled Workers in Manitoba— 152 LAAs with a minimum score of at least 528;
Skilled Workers Overseas— 14 LAAs with a minimum score of at least 611; and
International Education Stream— 25 LAAs, no EOI score requirement.

The October 8 draw brings the total number of LAAs issued so far this year up to 3,671.

This is Manitoba's 100th draw since the program began in 2014.

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How Manitoba's NHL hockey team kick-started the province's push for immigration

Ice hockey is a very important part of Canadian culture. So much, that when Manitoba lost its only National Hockey League team to the U.S., a group of business leaders got together to figure out how to get it back. Their solution: bolster immigration.

After the Winnipeg Jets were sold to Pheonix, Arizona, in 1996, the Business Council of Manitoba was formed two years later. In 1999, it helped create Manitoba's Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), in hopes that increasing the population would stimulate the economy and consequently allow the province to bring back their beloved NHL team.

Manitoba immediately saw an uptick in immigration. The number of immigrants who came to the Prairie Province every year went up from about 3,700 to around 15,000.

As for the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba got them back in 2011, which had fans across the country shouting, "Go Jets! Go!"

Express Entry Manitoba

Among the LAAs issued in the October 8 draw, 20 went to candidates with a valid profile in the federal Express Entry system.

Candidates who qualify for the Express Entry pool are ranked based on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score that considers human capital factors such as age, work experience, education, and language ability.

The highest-scoring candidates are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence through regular draws from the Express Entry pool.

Those who receive a provincial nomination are awarded an additional 600 CRS points and are effectively guaranteed an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Express Entry candidates who received a provincial nomination from Manitoba in this draw declared a valid Express Entry ID and provided a job seeker validation code.

Manitoba’s EOI system

People who want to immigrate through Manitoba’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) need to register an Expression of Interest with the MPNP to receive an LAA through the Skilled Workers in Manitoba and Skilled Workers Overseas streams.

Under Manitoba’s system, such candidates are ranked out of 1,000 points for human capital characteristics such as their English or French language skills, education, work experience, Manitoba connections, and other factors.

About Manitoba immigration streams

The Skilled Workers Overseas Category and Skilled Workers in Manitoba streams allow the province to nominate skilled workers who can support Manitoba’s labour market needs.

People who are applying from overseas need to have an established connection to Manitoba. This can be demonstrated through close family ties or friends in the province, previous experience in Manitoba, or an invitation under one of the MPNP’s Strategic Recruitment Initiatives.

Candidates do not need to be physically present in Manitoba at the time of the application to be eligible.

Successful candidates in the Skilled Workers in Manitoba category must meet certain criteria, such as having a full-time permanent job offer from an employer in Manitoba.

International students that graduated from an educational institution in Manitoba may receive an LAA under the International Education Stream if they have in-demand skills.

Find out if you are eligible for Canadian immigration