Manitoba Human Capital Pathway

What is Human Capital Pathway immigration program?

The Manitoba Human Capital Pathway is one of the Skilled Workers Overseas Category contained within the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) operated by the province of Manitoba. HCP targets foreign nationals with skills and training in one of Manitoba’s In-Demand Occupations who have the potential to make long term contributions to Manitoba’s labor force.

The renewed Skilled Worker Overseas Stream (SWO) is for applicants who demonstrate an established connection to Manitoba through:

• The support of family members or friends;
• Through previous education or work experience in the province; or
• Through an Invitation to Apply received directly from the MPNP as part of a Strategic Recruitment Initiative.

Priority will be given to candidates with close family connections in Manitoba and spouses who have the language proficiency, training, and experience to quickly find jobs in in-demand occupations.

Eligibility

To be eligible under this stream, you must meet the minimum eligibility criteria and score a minimum of 60 points on the MPNP Points Assessment grid to be considered for nomination.

Certain further eligibility criteria are outlined below.

1. Work Experience: 

Candidates must have a minimum of 6 months of full-time work experience in one of the Manitoba In-Demand Occupations. The employment experience is declared for purposes of obtaining EOI. 

Additional points will be awarded to candidates who can demonstrate more work experience. Candidates applying through this stream will also be asked to submit a career plan indicating their employment intentions in Manitoba.  

There is no minimum but zero points will be awarded for less than one year of work experience in total.

2. Official Languages Proficiency: 

The level of language proficiency required depends on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) Code of the candidate’s claimed work experience:

• Regulated Occupations – minimum Canadian Language Benchmark CLB/NCLC 7 in either English or French
• Compulsory Trade Occupations – minimum CLB/NCLC 6 in English or French
• All other occupations at NOC Skill Level 0, A, or B – minimum CLB/NCLC 5

There are two approved language tests accepted for proving English-language proficiency and two approved tests for proving French-language proficiency. These approved language tests include:

For English:

• International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
• Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP)

For French:

• Test d’évaluation de français (TEF)
• Test de Connaissance du français pour le Canada (TCF Canada)

Please note that when submitting an immigration application, the language test results usually must be taken within two years of the test date. If a test was taken more than two years before applying, the test will likely need to be retaken and the new results submitted. 

Points are awarded for the second official language proficiency of at least CLB/NCLC 5.

3. Education: 

You must have completed a minimum of one post-secondary program of at least one year (Canadian equivalent). However, candidates who can demonstrate completion of post-secondary education above the minimum requirement will be able to claim more points through the MPNP Ranking System. As only those candidates with the highest ranking will be invited to apply to the program, candidates with post-secondary training will have an advantage over others in the pool.  

If the position requires licensure or certification, you must apply to the regulatory body to have your qualifications and skills assessed and/or pass an examination.

4. Adaptability: 

To be eligible for the Manitoba HCP, you must demonstrate the ability and intention to become economically established and reside in Manitoba. This connection can be demonstrated in one of the following ways:

• Previous education completed in Manitoba within the past five years;
• Previous work experience in Manitoba within the past five years;
• Confirmed support of a close relative who has resided in Manitoba for at least one year;
• A valid Invitation to Apply issued by the MPNP.

You may also be awarded Adaptability points if your spouse or common-law partner demonstrates a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and official language proficiency of at least CLB/NCLC 5.

5. Age: 

Candidates need a minimum age of 18 at the time of submission. There is no maximum age but no points are awarded over 45 years of age.

6. Settlement fund: 

Candidates for this stream must demonstrate liquid funds equivalent to Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) requirements as outlined by Canada’s federal immigration authorities. The demonstration is for six-months independent financial resources.

The required settlement funds must be equal to or greater than the sums listed below for each family size.

1 person:   $12,300

2 persons: $15,312

3 persons: $18,825

4 persons: $22,856

5 persons: $25,923

6 persons: $29,236

7 persons: $32,550

For each additional family member: $3,314

Who may be not eligible?

As well as meeting the general requirements, you must have legal immigration status to apply to the MPNP. 

The federal government will not process or nominate any following cases:

• 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 six months and 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.

How to apply?

The process of obtaining Canadian permanent residence through the Human Capital Pathway involves the following steps:

Step 1: Enter Manitoba’s EOI pool 

The Manitoba HCP operates on an Expression of Interest (EOI) system. Candidates who meet the minimum stream requirements can register a profile using the MPNP Online portal. Once the profile has been submitted, candidates will be assigned a score and ranked against one another using the MPNP Ranking System. The highest-ranking candidates will be issued a Letter of Advice to Apply (LAA) during one of the MPNP Draws.

The EOI is not an application for immigration, it is an indication to the province that you wish to immigrate.

Upon entering the pool, candidates are assigned a points score out of 1,000 (your score on the eligibility points chart is no longer relevant once you are in the pool). Points are awarded across six factors: language ability, age, work experience, education, adaptability, and risk assessment. The province periodically invites top-ranking candidates in the pool to submit a full application to the MPNP.

All candidates must answer all EOI questions accurately and completely. If you provide false or misleading information in your EOI, it may be considered misrepresentation and you may be banned submitting another EOI for two years.

There is no limit to the number of candidates who can submit an EOI, and there is no deadline. However, the province does reserve the right to limit EOI submissions in certain occupations, if there is a significant overload, evidence of a limited employment outlook and other barriers to employment in Manitoba.

An EOI is valid for one year after submission – if you have not received an LAA after one year, your EOI will expire and you will need to submit a new one to re-enter the candidate pool.

You can submit your Manitoba EOI here

Step 2: Receive an LAA and submit an application

Top-ranking candidates in the EOI pool receive a Letter of Advice to Apply (LAA), with which they can then submit a full application, including a Career Plan. 

After receiving an LAA, a candidate has 60 days to submit a complete application to MPNP. The application can be submitted online via the applicant’s MPNP Online account. 

It is strongly recommended that candidates start preparing documents when they enter the pool, as it can take some time to gather the required documents in the right format.

Step 3: Apply for Canadian permanent residence

If the application is approved, the applicant will be issued a provincial nomination for permanent residence from the federal government. They will be mailed a nomination package indicating how to prepare and submit a federal application for permanent residence.

Provincial nominees have six months from the date of their nomination to submit an official application for permanent residence. They must prepare a paper-based application and submit it by mail to the appropriate application center. Paper-based PNP applications for permanent residence are generally processed within 18 months.

Supporting documents

The MPNP assesses your eligibility based on the documents you submit with your MPNP Online application. You must substantiate all claims in your EOI and the application with credible supporting documentation.

Be sure that you know what documents you will need and gather all these documents so that you are prepared to scan and upload them.

1. Personal information

To support the information regarding your identity, residency and other personal details of yourself and your dependents, you must submit official (government-issued) documents include:

• ID: birth certificate
• Residence/travel: passport (photo, detail pages, and visas if the country of residence differs from the country of citizenship)
• Marital status: marriage/divorce/death certificates; separation agreement; documents proving your common-law partnership of at least one year
• Dependants: birth certificates must show names of both parents; adoption papers; custody agreements for children of divorce/separation, as well as travel documents

2. Education

Regarding secondary and post-secondary education and/or training, you must provide detail documents such as the name of institution and program, dates of attendance and language of instruction, as well as the certificate, degree or diploma, and transcripts for each program completed for yourself and your spouse.

Certified translation into English or French is required for each document issued in another language.

3. Employment

Submit documents showing work history for the past five years:

• A signed letter of reference from each employer of the applicant and spouse
• Employer letters with contact information
• Mention of start and end dates for employment; a detailed description of position and duties, and the salary you were paid

Upload certified translation into English or French of each document issued in another language.

For self-employed cases, please submit copies of business registration, business tax records for each year, and copies of work contracts, if applicable.

4. Immigration history and status

You must submit documents substantiating of previous immigration applications to Canada and previous (or current) visits to and stays in Canada by yourself, your spouse and any adult dependants.

It can be the provincial nominee or federal immigration/refugee application result letter, visas for temporary work, study or visit – upload copy of an official document.

5. Language ability

To prove your application regarding your English and/or French language proficiency, valid test results from approved language tests are required by all applicants except those currently working in Manitoba in high-skill occupations (NOC 0, A or B). 

Applicants who are not required to submit test results may submit other documents to show their English proficiency.

Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the date you submit your MPNP Online application to be considered valid.

6. Settlement Funds

All applicants should have CAD $10,000 plus for CAD $2,000 for spouse and each accompanying dependant.

This is not a program fee; it is the available amount of money for you to support yourself and your family as you arrive and adjust to life in Manitoba.

Submit copies of three months of bank statements and certificates of deposit demonstrating a clear financial history of sufficient and transferable settlement funds in your name and/or the name of your spouse or common-law partner, and, if applicable:

• Copies of securities and other investments
• Proof of ownership of real estate including a current market price evaluation, or other assets (not including personal items) owned by the applicant or spouse, with objective fair market value evaluation

If there are currency controls in your country of residence, the MPNP may require proof of transferability.

After you submit your application

The MPNP does not accept inquiries about the status of your application after you have uploaded and submitted it. However, you can provide new information about changed circumstances by logging in to MPNP Online (the MPNP does not accept updates to your information or documents by e-mail or in-person).

Before you log in, be sure to review all information about documents required to demonstrate you are eligible to apply to the MPNP. MPNP Online will instruct you to upload documents as evidence of all statements you make in your application.