Manitoba holds second Express Entry-linked draw in less than a week

Manitoba invited 132 Express Entry candidates to apply for a provincial nomination July 9 in its second Expression of Interest draw in three days. Once again, the minimum ranking score was 519 — the lowest score yet for Manitoba’s Express Entry sub-stream. (Photo by AJ Batac/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Manitoba invited 132 Express Entry candidates to apply for a provincial nomination July 9 in its second Expression of Interest draw in three days. Once again, the minimum ranking score was 519 — the lowest score yet for Manitoba’s Express Entry sub-stream.

The 132 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAA) issued through Manitoba’s Express Entry-linked Skilled Workers Overseas sub-stream followed 202 LAAs issued to Express Entry candidates on July 6.

The July 9 draw issued invitations to candidates with a valid Express Entry profile and job-seeker validation code and at least six months of recent experience in an occupation on Manitoba’s In-Demand Occupation list that is designated skill level “B” under Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) system.

This specification was different than the July 6 draw, which did not limit work experience to NOC B occupations.

Eligible Express Entry candidates must also have the confirmed support of a close friend or relative who has resided in Manitoba for at least one year, among other criteria.

The July 9 draw was the seventh that Manitoba has held since introducing its Express Entry-linked sub-stream in January 2018. Since then, a total of 1,155 Express Entry candidates have received LAAs under this sub-stream.

The federal Express Entry system manages applications for Canada’s three economic immigration categories — the Federal Skilled Worker Class, the Federal Skilled Trades Class and the Canadian Experience Class.

Most Canadian provinces and territories have at least one immigration pathway that allows them to select candidates in the Express Entry pool and invite them to apply for a provincial nomination.

An Express Entry candidate who applies for and receives a provincial nomination is awarded an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

Express Entry candidates who are interested in being considered under this sub-stream must first register an Expression of Interest with the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program.

An Expression of Interest is not an application but is instead a way for individuals to indicate that they wish to be considered for a particular immigration stream or program.