Manitoba has held its first provincial nominee draw of June, inviting 104 candidates through the Skilled Worker Stream. The selection focused on people who had already been identified by the province under strategic recruitment initiatives, including employer-led recruitment, francophone and ethnocultural outreach, regional efforts, and a temporary public policy for certain work permit holders.
Manitoba issues 104 invitations in new provincial draw
Manitoba has invited 104 foreign nationals to apply for provincial nomination in its latest immigration selection round, held on June 4, 2026. The draw was conducted through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) under the Skilled Worker Stream.
Unlike some provincial draws that rely mainly on score cut-offs alone, this round targeted candidates who had already told Manitoba they were directly invited under a strategic recruitment initiative. In practical terms, that means the province focused on people it had already identified as matching labour market or community needs.
The invitations, called Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs), were issued through both branches of the Skilled Worker Stream: Skilled Worker in Manitoba and Skilled Worker Overseas. For many applicants, an LAA is the key first step toward a provincial nomination, which may later support an application for permanent residence in Canada.
This was Manitoba’s 11th provincial immigration draw of the year. It also continues a clear pattern in 2026: the province is using targeted selection to bring in workers with ties to employers, communities, and priority groups inside and outside Manitoba. If you are comparing provincial pathways, you can explore Provincial Nominee Program options across Canada, including the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program.
How this draw fits into Canada’s broader immigration system
Provincial programmes such as the MPNP work alongside federal systems managed by IRCC. While Manitoba can nominate candidates who meet provincial needs, the final permanent residence process still involves federal review for admissibility, medical, criminal, and security requirements.
Some provincial nominees also have profiles in Express Entry. When a nomination is aligned with Express Entry, it can significantly strengthen a candidate’s position in the federal pool. That is why many applicants closely track both PNP draws and recent Express Entry draws when planning their immigration to Canada process.
Who Manitoba selected under strategic recruitment initiatives
This draw was limited to candidates who declared in their Expression of Interest profile that they had received a direct invitation from Manitoba through a recognised recruitment initiative. These initiatives are designed to help the province respond to specific workforce and community priorities.
The distribution of the 104 LAAs shows where Manitoba placed its emphasis in this round:
| Strategic recruitment initiative | LAAs issued |
|---|---|
| Employer Services | 40 |
| Temporary Public Policy for prospective PNP candidates | 39 |
| Francophone Community | 17 |
| Ethnocultural Communities | 6 |
| Regional Communities | 2 |
The largest share went to candidates identified through Employer Services. This suggests Manitoba remains strongly focused on employer-supported immigration, especially where businesses have trouble filling jobs locally. The second-largest group came from the temporary public policy stream for certain work permit holders, showing that the province is still working through that pool in a structured way.
Express Entry-linked candidates also received invitations
Out of the 104 LAAs, 15 were issued to candidates who said they had a valid Express Entry profile number and job seeker validation code. This matters because enhanced nominations connected to Express Entry can create a faster and more competitive route to permanent residence for eligible applicants.
If you are not sure whether you may qualify under a federal or provincial stream, it can help to review the Comprehensive Ranking System, check your score with a CRS calculator, and compare that with PNP opportunities. Many applicants benefit from looking at both systems together rather than choosing only one path too early.
Important reasons some candidates may have been left out
Manitoba also explained why some people who seemed to meet the draw conditions may still not have received an invitation. This is an important reminder for anyone in an Expression of Interest pool: small profile errors can make a real difference.
Language test and invitation number issues
According to the province, some candidates may have been excluded if they entered language test information incorrectly or used results that were no longer valid. For example, a profile may be passed over if the identification number for an approved English or French test is missing or invalid, or if the results have expired.
For immigration applicants, this underlines the importance of keeping test details current and accurate. Common accepted exams in Canadian immigration include IELTS and CELPIP for English, and TEF or TCF for French, depending on the programme. Even where a province is interested in your profile, outdated or incorrect information can stop an invitation from being issued.
Another issue involved candidates who said they had been invited under a strategic recruitment initiative but did not provide a valid invitation number. In a targeted draw like this one, that detail is essential.
Special note for certain work permit holders
Manitoba also noted that some work permit holders connected to the temporary public policy may not yet have received an LAA if their Manitoba Support Letter was approved after June 30, 2025. The province said it is starting with support letters approved before that date.
This is especially relevant for temporary residents already working in Canada. People in Manitoba on a valid Canadian work permit often assume that having local work experience alone is enough, but timing, documentation, and programme-specific rules still matter. If you are trying to determine your next step, it may be wise to assess your immigration options before your status or supporting documents approach expiry.
What Manitoba’s 2026 numbers show so far
As of June 4, Manitoba had issued 1,709 LAAs in 2026, all through the Skilled Worker Stream. The province also publishes monthly data that helps applicants understand how active the programme has been and how many files are moving through the system.
Selections and nominations from January to April
The latest published figures available at the time of reporting covered January through April 2026. During those four months, Manitoba drew 603 Expressions of Interest from the pool. Over the same period, it issued 1,743 nominations in total, including 571 enhanced nominations linked to Express Entry.
That enhanced nomination number is worth watching. It shows that Manitoba continues to use both base and Express Entry-aligned provincial pathways. For candidates who may qualify under federal streams such as the Canadian Experience Class or the Federal Skilled Worker Program, a provincial nomination can become an important advantage.
Applications received, pending, and refused
Between January and April, Manitoba received 743 nomination applications. It also reported 8,004 applications that were in assessment or pending assessment across those months. That figure shows there is still a large volume of active cases under review.
At the same time, the province recorded 263 refusals during that period. Refusals do not necessarily mean the programme is becoming inaccessible, but they do show that applicants must be careful with eligibility, documentation, and consistency across forms. In many cases, strong preparation includes checking language validity, confirming work history, reviewing education and, where needed, obtaining an Educational Credential Assessment.
For people looking beyond Manitoba, Canada continues to offer several other Canadian immigration pathways, including family sponsorship, the Atlantic Immigration Program, and community-based routes such as the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot. Choosing the right stream depends on your work history, language ability, family situation, and long-term settlement plans.
Immigration rules and programme requirements can change quickly, so readers should always confirm the latest details with IRCC and the province, or speak with a licensed immigration professional before making decisions. EverNorth Immigration is here to help with experienced, compassionate support at every stage of your move to Canada, from strategy to application preparation. If you are ready to take the next step, you can book your free immigration assessment.
