Manitoba gains more immigration nomination spots, i.e., the province is set to welcome more foreign nationals as the province secures a significant increase in its 2025 nomination allocation for permanent residence (PR).
The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) successfully persuaded the federal government to raise its immigrant nomination allocation by 1,489 additional spots.
This brings the province’s total allocation for 2025 to 6,239 nominations – a move expected to strengthen Manitoba’s ability to attract and retain skilled workers.
With this increase, the province can nominate nearly 1,500 additional candidates for permanent residence, helping meet labour market demands and support economic growth.
What The New Allocation Means For MPNP?
As Manitoba gains more immigration nomination spots, let us discuss what this new allocation means for the MPNP.
With the restored total of 6,239 nomination spots, the MPNP has regained 65% of its 2024 allocation of 9,500.
Although the province has not revealed which specific streams will receive these extra spots, it emphasized that the increase will boost MPNP’s ability to respond to workforce needs and support Manitoba’s strategic goals.
Throughout 2025, Manitoba has largely focused on inviting applicants through two key skilled worker streams:
- Skilled Worker in Manitoba stream
- Skilled Worker Overseas stream
The Skilled Worker Overseas stream has been especially important for the province’s strategic recruitment initiatives, helping connect Manitoba with qualified candidates abroad. This approach is expected to continue through the remainder of the year.
Enhanced Pathways Mean Faster Processing
The Skilled Worker Overseas stream is an enhanced stream aligned with Express Entry. This allows Manitoba to invite candidates directly from the federal Express Entry pool, giving nominees access to faster PR processing times.
Strategic recruitment initiatives are specialized employer-led or community-led efforts that identify foreign nationals with the in-demand skills Manitoba needs. These initiatives help fill critical labour shortages while offering candidates a clear pathway to permanent residence.
To participate, employers must meet eligibility requirements and complete Manitoba’s ABC Recruitment Process. Once approved, they can submit candidate details to Manitoba Employer Services for review.
Candidates must also meet specific conditions, including minimum language scores, relevant work experience, education, and age requirements. In addition, they must satisfy the criteria of the specific MPNP stream they’re applying to.
Applicants with stronger ties to other provinces (e.g., previous work or study) may be considered retention risks. This could result in a refusal from Employer Services or MPNP. Each application is assessed individually.
Manitoba Joins Other Provinces In Nomination Increases
Manitoba is one of several provinces and territories to receive an increase in their nomination allocations for 2025. Other jurisdictions include:
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Saskatchewan
- Nova Scotia
- New Brunswick
- Northwest Territories
These increases come after the federal government drastically cut allocations earlier in the year, slashing them to 50% of 2024 levels.
This reduction followed policy changes under Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan, announced in October of last year. The federal government scaled back overall immigration numbers to address housing shortages and affordability concerns. As part of this move, provincial nomination allocations were cut by half.
The new increase signals a partial recovery for provinces like Manitoba, enabling them to continue addressing critical labour gaps through skilled immigration.
By regaining more nomination spots, Manitoba strengthens its ability to attract skilled workers who can contribute to its economy and communities. The province’s strategic use of enhanced and overseas streams positions it well to meet its labour market demands for the remainder of 2025.
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