The central Canadian province of Manitoba held a new round of immigration invitations on Wednesday, June 26, through its Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). This draw targeted foreign nationals, including skilled workers and international students, who have demonstrated the potential to contribute to the local labor market and successfully establish themselves in the province.
The draw was divided into two main categories, with the following results:
International Education Stream: Close Relative Support Becomes Key
A staggering 478 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) were issued under the International Education Stream (IES), making it the clear centerpiece of this draw. Notably, all invited candidates, in addition to meeting all basic IES eligibility criteria, were required to declare a "close relative" supporter in Manitoba in their Expression of Interest.
According to the MPNP, a close relative supporter must be a Canadian permanent resident or citizen who has been an established resident of Manitoba for at least one year. Eligible "close relative" relationships include:
- Sibling
- Mother or father
- Grandmother or grandfather
- Aunt or uncle
- Niece or nephew
- First cousin
The relative supporter must co-sign a detailed Settlement Plan with the applicant and provide documentation proving their length of residence in Manitoba. The MPNP also notes that a supporter may sponsor more than one skilled worker application if they can demonstrate the capacity to do so.
The MPNP specifically advises that invited candidates must provide documents verifying their relationship to their Manitoba supporter and the supporter's residency history. If unable to provide sufficient proof, the province suggests that candidates consider declining the LAA to avoid a potential refusal. It is important to note that this specific selection criterion does not represent a permanent change to the overall requirements of the International Education Stream.
Skilled Worker Streams: Focus on Strategic Recruitment Initiatives
In parallel, the Skilled Worker streams (encompassing both the Skilled Worker in Manitoba and Skilled Worker Overseas streams) conducted a small, targeted draw, issuing a total of 14 LAAs.
All invited candidates had to meet two core conditions:
- They must have declared in their profile that they were directly invited by the MPNP under a "Strategic Recruitment Initiative."
- They needed a minimum selection score of 712.
These 14 LAAs were distributed among the following strategic recruitment initiatives:
- Employer Services: 5 LAAs
- Francophone Community: 5 LAAs
- Regional Communities: 3 LAAs
- Ethnocultural Communities: 1 LAA
This draw clearly illustrates the direction of Manitoba's immigration policy: on one hand, attracting and retaining international talent with deep ties to the province through family connections; on the other hand, precisely targeting skilled professionals needed by the labor market through high-score thresholds and strategic programs, with a particular focus on French-speaking candidates and those willing to settle in regional areas. We will continue to monitor immigration policy developments in Manitoba and across Canada to bring you the latest reports.
