MB PNP - (Worker) Skilled Worker Overseas (SWO) Pathway

To apply under the Skilled Worker Overseas (SWO) Pathway, you must demonstrate an established connection to Manitoba through one of the following methods:

• Supported by family or friends (Manitoba Support)
• Have previously studied or worked in the province (Manitoba Experience)
• Receive an invitation to apply directly from MPNP as part of a Strategic Recruitment Initiative (Manitoba Invitation).

You can find more information about the eligible types of connections below.

In addition to having a connection to Manitoba, you must achieve a minimum of 60 points based on five factors: language proficiency, age, work experience, education, and adaptability. If you do not have a connection to Manitoba, you are ineligible to apply under the SWO program, regardless of your total score.

Connection to Manitoba

1) Manitoba Support

A Manitoba Supporter is a settled resident of Manitoba who is a friend or relative of the applicant and is willing and able to review and endorse the applicant's settlement and employment plans in the intended community.

A Manitoba Supporter must be a close relative or friend/distant relative of the applicant, and must:

• They can provide documentation proving they reside and have settled in Manitoba and have lived continuously in the province for at least one year (e.g., a copy of their Manitoba Health Card).
• are Canadian citizens or permanent residents
• Demonstrate a sufficiently close relationship with the applicant and with Manitoba.
• Demonstrate that their previous support applications have resulted in the applicant receiving long-term economic support in Manitoba.
• We can assist with the applicant's Settlement Plan.

For close relatives, both the applicant and the supporter must provide documentation proving the blood relationship. Close relatives may support more than one skilled worker at the same time if they can adequately demonstrate their ability to do so.

Who is considered a "close relative"?

A Manitoba Supporter is considered a close relative if they have a relationship to the applicant (or the applicant's spouse) as follows:

• sister or brother
• niece/nephew (child of a sister or brother)
• Aunt/Uncle/Cousin (sibling of mother or father)
• first cousin (child of an aunt/uncle/cousin)
• mother or father
• Mrs. or Mr.

For friends and distant relatives, their household must not be supporting the settlement of another MPNP applicant, a provincial nominee, or another Canadian immigration program participant.

Ultimately, Manitoba Supporter must not be, and MPNP will not accept, Settlement Plan Part 2 signed by:

• a fee-paying immigration agent
• Anyone who cannot prove they are a relative or friend of the applicant or the applicant's spouse
• a Canadian elected official or their staff member

Applicants with a Manitoba Supporter should declare that person and their contact information so that the MPNP can communicate with the supporter. The MPNP requires that the Manitoba Supporter's contact information be up-to-date. The supporter must notify the MPNP if they change their address or any other changes to their contact information. If the MPNP is unable to contact the supporter using the information provided, your application may be denied.

Note: The MPNP is not a sponsorship program. As it is an economic immigration program, all applicants must be skilled workers capable of working and adapting, possess sufficient English language skills to be ready for employment, have sufficient funds to settle, and have a genuine intention and ability to establish themselves economically in Manitoba as permanent residents.

Frequently asked questions

Can children support their parents?

No. Children living in Manitoba cannot be Manitoba Supporters for their parent's MPNP petition. Instead, you can sponsor a parent or grandparent under the federal Family Class stream. Please see the IRCC website for information on sponsoring parents and grandparents.

Can Canadian citizens/permanent residents assist in filing a petition for their spouse?

No. If you are married to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you are not eligible to apply for the MPNP, but you may be eligible under IRCC's spouse/partner sponsorship stream. Please see the IRCC website for spouse, partner, or child sponsorship.

2) Manitoba Experience

Manitoba Experience means you have previously lived in Manitoba as a temporary foreign worker or international student.

If you are a temporary foreign worker, you must have worked full-time for a Manitoba employer for at least six consecutive months. You will be required to submit a signed letter of work experience on company letterhead and a copy of your Manitoba work permit.

If you are an international student, you must be enrolled in and complete an approved educational/training program at a registered public post-secondary institution or private vocational school in Manitoba; language studies are not considered an approved program. You will be required to submit your study permit, transcripts, and any certificates/diplomas you have received.

3) Manitoba Invitation

The MPNP regularly issues Invitations to Apply to eligible candidates identified through one of its Strategic Recruitment Initiatives in Manitoba and overseas. The issuance of an Invitation to Apply is entirely at the MPNP's discretion, and candidates cannot choose to qualify through this affiliation.

To apply for the MPNP with the Manitoba Invitation link, you must upload the Letter of Invitation you received directly from the MPNP after being interviewed by a program officer during a recruitment or exploratory visit to your MPNP Online application.

Recruitment missions

MPNP regularly travels overseas to recruit, often in collaboration with Manitoba employers. Follow this page for updates on the next initiative.

Exploratory visits

An exploratory visit is a pre-arranged trip for potential candidates to research the community and job opportunities in Manitoba, helping them decide whether they intend to and are capable of finding work and settling with their family in Manitoba as permanent residents.

After an approved MPNP interview during an exploratory visit, the MPNP may invite you to apply online. Note that it is the Invitation to Apply, not the exploratory visit, that establishes the necessary Manitoba connection.

The MPNP conducts exploratory visits at its discretion when resources permit, to provide opportunities for qualified—but otherwise ineligible—skilled workers to establish the mandatory Manitoba link for all MPNP applicants. Exploratory visits must be approved by the MPNP and then arranged through the MPNP, only by invitation after your request is accepted.

Eligibility criteria for visits and missions may vary, but generally include:

• from 21 to 45 years old
• You can convince the MPNP that you don't have stronger ties to another province.
• Can demonstrate the ability to work and adapt to the requirements of the MPNP
• Complete at least one one-year post-secondary education/training program and receive a diploma/degree/certificate.
• Applicants must have at least two years of full-time work experience within the last five years and be able to demonstrate their ability to secure employment in Manitoba in that occupation (including a plan to obtain professional certification for managed occupations).
• Having the genuine intention and ability to stabilize economically and settle in Manitoba as a permanent resident, as demonstrated in part through the Settlement Plan.
• At the time of submitting your application to participate in the initiative, provide MPNP with the official results of an accepted language test taken within the last two years showing that you achieved a minimum equivalent score of CLB 5 in each skill and overall.

Only applicants whose applications are accepted will receive guidance from the MPNP on what to do during the exploratory visit and what documents to bring (e.g., educational certificates and experience confirmation letters). Activities during the exploratory visit include meeting potential employers, working with the employment agency, and learning about housing, schools, and lifestyle in the Manitoba community they plan to visit.

Note: Acceptance of your application, the trip and interview, or receiving an Invitation to Apply does not guarantee approval of your MPNP Online application, nor does it guarantee approval of any separate permanent residency application submitted to the Government of Canada.

Points assessment

MPNP will fully evaluate any applications received and score each applicant based on the information and supporting documents you provide at the time, according to current criteria and information on conditions, policies, and procedures published on this website.

Factor 1: Language Proficiency

Language points are awarded based on evidence of training and proficiency in one or both of Canada's official languages, English and French. If you are proficient in both, choose the language you are most confident in as your first language.

You must submit a valid result from an MPNP-accepted language test. To be considered valid, the test must have been taken no more than two years prior to the date you submit your MPNP Online application.

CLB stands for Canadian Language Benchmarks (or NCLC for French). To find out which tests are accepted and how your scores can be converted to CLB, please see the Language Proficiency section on this website.

Applicants with occupations in TEER 4 or 5 (formerly NOC C or D) must have at least CLB/NCLC 4 to be eligible to apply.

First language

• Clubs with 8 or more members: 20
• Club 7: 18
• Club 6: 16
• Club 5: 14
• Club 4: 12
• Clubs with 3 or fewer players: 0

Second language

• Club of 5 or more: 5

Maximum score: 25 (25% of total score)

Factor 2: Age

Your age score is calculated based on the date MPNP receives your complete application.

• 18:4
• 19:6
• 20:8
• 21 to 45: 10
• 46:8
• 47: 6
• 48: 4
• 49:2
• 50 or more: 0

Maximum score: 10 (10% of total score)

Factor 3: Work Experience

Experience points are based on evidence of full-time employment in the last 5 years. Only full-time work of 6 consecutive months or more will be counted.

• Under 1 year: 0
• 1 year: 8
• 2 years: 10
• 3 years: 12
• 4 years or more: 15
• Maximum score: 15 (15% of total score)

Factor 4: Education

Academic points are based on evidence of completion of a program of study/training at an accredited educational institution. A completed program is one in which you meet the requirements and receive a certificate/diploma/degree. The MPNP reserves the right to request third-party evaluation to demonstrate that vocational training is equivalent to Canadian standards.

• Master's or PhD: 25
• Two post-secondary programs, each a minimum of two years: 23
• A post-secondary program of 2 years or more: 20
• A one-year post-secondary program: 14
• Vocational Certificates: 14
• No post-secondary education: 0
• Maximum score: 25 (25% of total score)

Factor 5: Adaptability

The fitness score is based on evidence of established ties to Manitoba and the ability to work in the assessed occupation, demonstrating your genuine intention and ability to settle and become economically stable in Manitoba as a permanent resident.

All applicants must have a connection to Manitoba. You will only receive points for one type of connection, even if you have multiple connections.

In addition to the suitability points, you may receive “regional immigration” points if you have ties to and intend to settle in areas outside of Winnipeg. Regional points are supplemental and cannot replace other types of ties to Manitoba.

Connection to Manitoba

• Close relatives in Manitoba: 20
• Invitation to Apply from MPNP under the Strategic Recruitment Initiative: 20
• Previous work experience in Manitoba (at least 6 months): 12
• Completed a post-secondary program of two years or more in Manitoba: 12
• Complete a post-secondary program of at least one academic year in Manitoba: 10
• Friends or distant relatives living in Manitoba: 10
• Supplemental factors
• Regional immigration(*): 5

Maximum score: 25 (25% of total score)

(*) All applicants intending to settle outside Winnipeg must, at the time of application, provide satisfactory evidence that they have a compelling connection to an area outside the capital, demonstrating a high likelihood of making a long-term economic contribution to that area.

Who is ineligible to apply for the MPNP?

The following individuals are not eligible to apply for the MPNP:

• Asylum seekers, or individuals currently in federal appeals/deportation proceedings.
• Live-in Caregivers currently live in Canada.
• Temporary foreign workers are those working and residing in a province other than Manitoba.
• Spouse of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• Individuals who have been rejected by the MPNP within the last 6 months and are unable to remedy the reason for rejection.
• Individuals with active immigration profiles under other provincial or federal immigration programs in Canada (Note: Express Entry profiles are not considered immigration profiles).
• If you or your spouse already have an active MPNP profile, you are not eligible to apply for another MPNP stream/pathway.

How to Apply

This process applies to pathways within the Skilled Worker Stream and International Education Stream, excluding the International Student Entrepreneur Pilot. Pathways within the Business Investor Stream have a different, separate process and do not utilize the MPNP Online portal.

• Create an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile.
• If you receive a Letter of Advice to Apply (LAA), submit your complete application to the MPNP.
• The application will be thoroughly reviewed by an MPNP officer.
• Successful candidates will be nominated by the MPNP (Nominated).
• Within 180 days of your nomination, submit a separate application to the Government of Canada to apply for permanent residency for you and your family.

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