Manitoba PNP Launches First Skilled Worker Draw of the Year with Targeted Invitations

Manitoba has officially opened its 2026 immigration selection activity by conducting its first Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw of the year, focusing exclusively on skilled workers identified through targeted recruitment initiatives.

The draw was held on January 15, 2025, under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP), and invitations were issued through the Skilled Worker Stream, reinforcing the province’s strategy of aligning immigration with labour market needs and community priorities.

Total Invitations Issued

In this draw, Manitoba issued 55 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) to eligible candidates. All invited applicants had previously declared in their Expression of Interest (EOI) profiles that they were directly invited by the province through an official strategic recruitment initiative.

Unlike general draws based on ranking scores, this round was highly selective, prioritizing candidates already identified by Manitoba as meeting specific workforce or demographic needs.

Immigration Streams Included

Invitations were issued under both pathways of the Skilled Worker Stream:

• Skilled Worker in Manitoba
• Skilled Worker Overseas

Candidates in either pathway were considered, provided they had a valid strategic recruitment invitation recorded in their EOI.

Strategic Recruitment Initiatives Breakdown

The majority of invitations were issued to candidates recruited through employer-led and community-focused initiatives. The distribution of LAAs was as follows:

• Employer Services: 21 invitations
• Regional Communities: 15 invitations
• Ethnocultural Communities: 9 invitations
• Francophone Community: 7 invitations
• Temporary Public Policy for Prospective PNP Candidates (TPP): 3 invitations

Notably, Employer Services accounted for approximately 38% of all invitations, highlighting Manitoba’s strong emphasis on employer-driven immigration to address workforce shortages.

Express Entry Candidates Included

Out of the 55 invited candidates, 10 applicants had declared a valid Express Entry profile and job seeker validation code, allowing them the opportunity to pursue faster federal processing if nominated.

Comparison with Previous Year

Manitoba’s first Skilled Worker draw of the previous year invited 197 candidates in early January, indicating that the province has taken a slower and more targeted approach at the start of this year. This shift suggests a more controlled intake aligned with labour market planning rather than volume-based selection.

Reasons Some Eligible Candidates May Not Have Been Invited

The MPNP has clarified that candidates who believed they met the selection criteria but did not receive an invitation may have faced technical or documentation issues, including:

• Entering expired or invalid English or French language test results
• Failing to provide a valid language test identification number
• Entering an incorrect or invalid strategic recruitment invitation number

Applicants are encouraged to carefully review and update their EOI profiles to avoid such issues in future draws.

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