Manitoba Issues 793 Letters of Advice to Apply in MPNP Draw #279

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) has issued 793 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) for permanent residence in Expression of Interest (EOI) Draw #279, held on September 10, 2026.

This was the 18th MPNP selection round of 2026 and the largest since Draw #276 on July 30. The single biggest component was a selection of candidates who completed post-secondary education in Manitoba, which accounted for 508 of the 793 LAAs at a minimum ranking score of 825 — the highest cut-off Manitoba has published in a 2026 round.

Draw Breakdown

Draw #279 combined four separate selections across two MPNP streams.

Of the 793 LAAs issued, 272 went to candidates who declared a valid Express Entry profile number and job seeker validation code — roughly a third of the round, and the highest Express Entry share of any MPNP draw since July.

Manitoba Graduates Drive the Round

The largest selection targeted top-scoring profiles declaring that the applicant or their spouse had completed a post-secondary education program in Manitoba. It issued 508 LAAs at a minimum ranking score of 825.

That threshold is well above anything else published this year: Draw #278 on August 27 cut off at 731 for its top-scoring selection, and Draw #276 on July 30 at 632. The jump reflects the selection being restricted to top-scoring profiles within an already narrow group rather than any broad tightening of the pool.

The MPNP cautions that candidates invited under this selection must be able to produce documents proving that they or their spouse completed a post-secondary program in Manitoba — specifically a diploma and transcript. Candidates who declared Manitoba study but cannot document it may wish to decline the Letter of Advice to Apply rather than have a full application refused.

Health Occupations Targeted in the Occupation-Specific Selection

A second selection issued 233 LAAs to profiles declaring current employment in Manitoba in Broad Occupational Category 3 — health occupations. All qualifying profiles in that category were considered, and no minimum ranking score was published.

Broad Occupational Category 3 is a wide grouping under the National Occupational Classification. It covers physicians, dentists and veterinarians; nursing and allied health professionals; technical occupations in health; and assisting occupations in support of health services, including nurse aides and orderlies. Selecting at that level, rather than by individual unit group, makes this a notably broad health-sector selection — Draw #278 by contrast named just two specific NOC unit groups.

A third selection invited 11 candidates who declared French as their language of communication with the MPNP and who held a valid French language test result.

Skilled Worker Stream — Strategic Recruitment

A further 41 LAAs went to profiles submitted under the Skilled Worker in Manitoba or Skilled Worker Overseas pathways that declared being directly invited by the MPNP through a strategic recruitment initiative. Those invitations broke down as follows:

MPNP Expression of Interest Draw #279 — September 10, 2026

Manitoba Passes 6,400 Invitations for 2026

Draw #279 brings the MPNP’s 2026 total to 6,409 Letters of Advice to Apply across 18 rounds.

The province has held its draws on a steady two-week Thursday rhythm through the late summer, and the alternation between round types has continued: the August 13 draw (#277) issued just 53 LAAs entirely under strategic recruitment, while Draw #278 on August 27 issued 741 and Draw #279 has now issued 793. Larger rounds continue to arrive when Manitoba opens up an occupation group or a top-scoring band, with narrow strategic-recruitment rounds in between.

What distinguishes #279 from #278 is where the volume came from. August’s round was built on technical trades and transportation; September’s is built on Manitoba-educated graduates and the health sector, which together account for 741 of the 793 invitations.

Why Some Eligible Candidates Were Not Invited

The MPNP notes that candidates who met the selection criteria but did not receive an LAA may have been passed over for one of two reasons:

• They indicated they had taken an approved third-party language test but did not provide a valid test number in their EOI, or the test result is no longer valid.
• They indicated they had received an Invitation to Apply under a strategic recruitment initiative but did not provide a valid invitation number.

Candidates in either position can update their EOI with the correct information to be considered in a future draw. Help text is available for each EOI question explaining exactly what information is required.

The MPNP also cautions candidates working in regulated occupations. Those who indicated they are fully licensed to work in Manitoba were selected in this draw, but the province may refuse full applications from candidates who are not actually working in the regulated occupation or who cannot show they have completed all necessary licensing steps. Full results are published on the Government of Manitoba website.

Business Investor Stream Draws Remain Suspended

EOI draws for the Business Investor Stream are not currently being conducted. All EOIs received under that stream are reviewed within four weeks, after which the MPNP issues either a Letter of Advice to Apply, if the EOI meets program requirements, or a feedback letter.

A Manitoba provincial nomination adds 600 points to a candidate’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score under the federal Express Entry system, effectively guaranteeing an invitation to apply in a subsequent federal round. With the Manitoba-graduate selection cutting off at 825 points, candidates relying on a Manitoba study credential should expect a high bar in future rounds. Use our free CRS score calculator to estimate your CRS score and see where a provincial nomination would place you in the Express Entry pool.