Manitoba issues invitations to 150+ skilled worker candidates in provincial nominee program draw

It has been a while since Canada made public its intention of widening its scope of immigration. The country has decided to welcome more immigrants as permanent residents in order to combat the shortage of labor caused by Canada’s aging population.

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program organized a new draw on 18th July in order to select candidates eligible to apply for a provincial nomination in Manitoba. The draw witnessed 173 skilled worker candidates being invited to apply for nominations so they can apply for Canadian permanent residence subsequently. The purpose of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) is to allow Manitoba to nominate economic-class immigration candidates depending on the needs of the province. If these candidates qualify for Canadian permanent residence, they will be able to contribute to the progress of the province.

The invitations that were distributed, also named Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs), were channeled through three MPNP immigration streams, namely the Skilled Workers in Manitoba, International Education, and Skilled Workers Overseas. The July 18 draw saw the following pattern of distribution of the LAAs:

• Skilled Workers Overseas: 40
• Skilled Workers in Manitoba: 110
• International Education: 23

According to the MPNP, 29 LAAs were received by candidates who already had a valid profile in the federal database of the Express Entry system. The relevance of the Express Entry in Canadian immigration cannot be undermined as it serves as the principal provider of skilled foreign talent. Canada’s three primary economic-class immigration programs (Federal Skilled Trades Class, Federal Skilled Worker Class, and Canadian Experience Class) are managed by the Express Entry category.

The MPNP said that the 40 Skilled Workers Overseas candidates who were invited to the draw were received direct invitations under the MPNP under the Strategic Recruitment Initiative. The minimum score for candidates to receive an LAA was:

• Skilled Workers in Manitoba: 539
• Skilled Workers Overseas: Strategic Recruitment Initiative candidates: 718