As of April 30, 2015, the Canadian province of Manitoba has reopened the Skilled Worker Overseas Stream of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). Through the MPNP, Manitoba seeks skilled workers and their families who have the documented intention and ability to settle successfully in Manitoba and establish themselves economically as permanent residents of Canada.

The skilled workers with a connection to Manitoba portion of this stream allows people with a connection to Manitoba, either through having family or friends in Manitoba or having prior work experience or education in Manitoba, to immigrate as permanent residents, as long as they also fulfil other eligibility criteria. Candidates may also be invited to make an application by the MPNP.

The Manitoba Employment portion of the stream allows certain applicants currently working in Manitoba to make an application. Manitoba Employment is not subject to intake periods, and receives applications year round.

Being nominated for immigration to Canada through the MPNP provides successful applicants with expedited processing of their Canadian immigration application.

Manitoba's new 'Expression of Interest' approach for this stream is designed to provide faster processing for individuals with the skills needed in Manitoba’s labour market. Skilled workers interested in applying to the MPNP will be able to create an 'Expression of Interest' as their first step to immigrating to Manitoba. Candidates who meet the eligibility criteria of one of the MPNP’s existing program streams, Skilled Worker Overseas and Skilled Worker in Manitoba, will be accepted into a pool of prospective applicants, where they will be ranked according to a points grid, which awards points for language proficiency, age, work experience, level of education, and adaptability. Candidates must obtain at least 60 points in order to be eligible to apply. The highest ranking skilled workers will be invited to submit a full application to the MPNP during regular draws from the pool.

Interestingly, the MPNP points grid assigns the maximum number of points for age (10) to candidates from 21 to 45 years of age, and awards points to candidates with a proven language proficiency of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 or above. These parameters may benefit candidates who may not be eligible for other Provincial Nominee Programs or a federal economic immigration program.

Points are also awarded for adaptability, with 20 points available for having a close relative in Manitoba or 10 for having a friend or distant relative in Manitoba. A Manitoba Supporter must be the applicant’s close relative or friend/distant relative, and must be:

• able to provide documents proving they reside and are established in Manitoba and have been living in the province continuously for at least one year;
• a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
• able to demonstrate sufficiently close ties to the applicant and to Manitoba; and
• able to demonstrate that any applications they previously supported resulted in successful, permanent economic establishment in Manitoba.

To be considered a close relative, a Manitoba Supporter must be related to the applicant (or the applicant’s spouse) in one of the following ways:

• sister or brother;
• niece or nephew;
• aunt or uncle;
• first cousin;
• mother or father; or
• grandmother or grandfather.

An additional five points are available to candidates wishing to immigrate to a town or region outside Winnipeg, the provincial capital city.

The following are NOT eligible to submit an application to the MPNP:

• Refugee claimants, or individuals involved in a federal appeal or removal process;
• Live-in Caregivers currently living in Canada;
• Temporary Foreign Workers currently working and residing in a province other than Manitoba;
• Spouses of Canadian Citizens or permanent residents;
• Individuals who have been refused by the MPNP within the last 6 months and who are not able to address the reason(s) for refusal;
• Individuals who have an active immigration application with any other provincial immigration program in Canada.

The MPNP contains additional streams for entrepreneurs and candidates in the federal Express Entry pool.Manitoba is one of the Prairie provinces in CentralCanada. Over the last 10 years, around 130,000 people from around the world have made Manitoba their new home. Click here to learn more about Manitoba.