Updated
Updated · Canada Immigration News · Jun 12
Manitoba Closes Student PR Pathway, Shifting Graduates to 6-Month Skilled Worker Route
Updated
Updated · Canada Immigration News · Jun 12

Manitoba Closes Student PR Pathway, Shifting Graduates to 6-Month Skilled Worker Route

3 articles · Updated · Canada Immigration News · Jun 12

Summary

  • June 11's MPNP update shut the Career Employment Pathway immediately, ending one permanent-residence route for international graduates in Manitoba.
  • 6 months of continuous full-time work in Manitoba now becomes the key threshold for many graduates, who can seek selection under the Skilled Worker in Manitoba pathway if eligible.
  • 11 Skilled Worker draws have already been held in 2026, and the province said future targeted Expression of Interest rounds will prioritize Manitoba graduates working in the province.
  • CEP applicants with active profiles were told to review Skilled Worker rules and update their EOIs, including all Manitoba education and other provincial ties.
  • Mitacs-linked master's and PhD candidates still have the Graduate Internship Pathway, as Manitoba says the overhaul is meant to standardize graduate criteria and better match labor-market needs.

Insights

With a key residency path now closed, will Manitoba's new 'prioritized' system truly benefit graduates or create a fiercer competition?
Is Manitoba's immigration pivot a strategic response to federal cuts or a gamble that will drive away skilled graduates?