On December 16, the Canadian province of Manitoba issued 349 new invitations to immigration candidates in its recent draw, making a total of 10,786 invites this year.
The province issued these invitations under below three immigration streams of MPNP:
- Skilled Workers in Manitoba – A total of 296 invitations were issued under this stream, with a minimum EOI score requirement of 447 points.
- Skilled Workers Overseas – A total of 13 candidates were invited under this stream, with a minimum EOI score requirement of 712 points.
- International Education Stream – A total of 40 invitations were issued under this stream, and candidates under this stream had no specified requirement for EOI score.
Out of these 349 invites, 64 were issued to the candidates who submitted an immigration application through the Express Entry system.
Introduction: Express Entry System
The Express Entry system is popularly known as a fast-track immigration pathway to Canada. This is a management system for immigration applications received under the three federal high-skilled immigration programs of Canada as below:
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
- Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP)
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
For applying for immigration through Express Entry, the candidates need to start with submitting an online profile. After submission of the profile, candidates are compared and assessed against one another based on various factors such as age, education, work experience, language skills, adaptability, and others. The candidates who have maximum CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) scores are then issued an ITA (Invitation to Apply) for permanent residence by IRCC.
It is not mandatory to apply to a PNP; a candidate can be issued an ITA for permanent residence by directly applying through the Express Entry system. However, a successful provincial nomination rewards an additional 600 CRS points to the candidate, which increases his/her chances of receiving an invitation in the following Express Entry draw.
Immigration Programs to Manitoba
Manitoba’s government regulates and manages all its immigration programs with the help of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). The provinces and territories in Canada do not have the authority to grant permanent resident status to the applicants, but they help the federal government in accepting potential candidates through a provincial nomination.
To gain benefits of a provincial nomination, candidates who are willing to live and work in Manitoba can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the MPNP. If the candidate meets the requirement, the provincial government will issue an LAA (Letter of Advice to Apply) to the candidate through one of the below streams:
- Skilled Workers Overseas
- Skilled Workers in Manitoba
In these streams, the province targets to bring such candidates in the province who can fill in the vacant positions to fulfill the workforce needs of the province and support the economy. Under the MPNP, after submission of an EOI, the candidates are scored out of 1000 points by the province on the basis of different human capital factors. The province prioritizes candidates who have close connections to Manitoba.
The applicants overseas can show strong connections to the province, such as:
- Prior experience in Manitoba related to study or work,
- Close family connections in Manitoba, or
- Obtaining an invitation through Manitoba’s Strategic Recruitment Initiative.
Also, it is not mandatory that a candidate must be residing in Canada at the time of his or her application.
To meet the eligibility to receive an invitation under the Skilled Workers in Manitoba stream, the applicants are required to obtain a full-time offer of employment from an employer in the province. In addition, under the International Education Stream, international graduates who finished their education in the province can secure an invitation by showing they have the required skills to fill in an in-demand position.
