A Practical Guide for U.S. Candidates and Manitoba Employers

U.S. citizens and U.S. residents who’ve been recruited by a Manitoba employer, and Manitoba employers who need to hire internationally.

About the Employer Direct Initiative (EDI)

Manitoba’s Employer Direct Initiative lets eligible Manitoba businesses recruit talent from overseas or outside Canada when local recruitment has been exhausted and
when the hire will significantly benefit the Manitoba operation and create opportunities for Canadians. The initiative aligns with changing provincial priorities, so which employers and candidates are approved can vary over time. If the goal is to retain temporary residents already working in Manitoba, the province directs employers to a separate Temporary Resident Retention Pilot (not EDI).

Who Should Use This Pathway (U.S.-First View)

• U.S. workers with a long-term, full-time job offer from a Manitoba employer that qualifies under EDI and is ready to sponsor recruitment from outside Canada. Expect age, experience, language, and points thresholds (below).
• Manitoba employers with sustained labour shortages who can meet strict employer and advertising criteria (including weeks of advertising and Job Bank activity reporting) before submitting an EDI application.

Manitoba Employer Eligibility

An employer must, among other items:

• Be incorporated/registered and in good standing, have operated 3+ consecutive years, run a commercial (not home-based) Manitoba business, and have ≥ $350,000 annual gross revenue in each of the past 3 years.
• Show financial capacity and a positive compliance history (no fines/penalties).
• Maintain a true employer-employee relationship (no owner-operators or partnerships for the employee role).
• Hold a valid WRAPA registration (Worker Recruitment and Protection Act).
• Provide a detailed overseas recruitment plan; placement agencies must submit contracts proving long-term, full-time roles.

Position Criteria

• NOC 2021 referenced; starting wages must meet local standards and cannot be below the regional median on Job Bank for that occupation.
• If regulated, the candidate must start licensure/credential steps with the Manitoba regulator.

TEER 4 & 5 in Winnipeg Metropolitan Region (WMR): The occupation must have a “Very Good” Job Outlook for the next 3 years on Job Bank. If the offered wage is below the median, the employer must bolster with measures like temporary housing/transport, paying work-permit and airfare costs, and providing settlement assistance (health, schools, banking, IDs, etc.).

Ineligible positions: temporary/seasonal, part-time (<30 hrs), commission-based, home-based, or not in Manitoba. 

Mandatory Advertising (Before the Employer Applies)

For 4 continuous weeks immediately before applying, employers must post the role(s):

1. Canada Job Bank (kept current through the recruitment; provide the Job Bank Employer Portal Activity Report);
2. Manitoba Start Job Matching Unit (JMU), with proof of ongoing correspondence;
3.  Work in Manitoba portal; and
4. One additional recruitment method targeted to the occupation (e.g., sector job boards, newspapers, job fairs, professional associations). Ads must include prescribe details (NOC, duties, wage, location, etc.). 

Candidate Criteria (What U.S. Candidates Must Show)

• Age: Typically 21–45 (or as specified by the employer).
• Work experience: ≥ 2 years related experience in the last 5 years (long-haul truck drivers: ≥ 3 years).
• Job offer: Long-term, full-time with wages/conditions meeting Manitoba standards; employer must meet EDI eligibility.
• Education/training: Post-secondary or job-aligned training; licensure steps if regulated.
• Language: Minimum CLB/NCLC 5 for TEER 0–3; CLB/NCLC 4 for TEER 4–5 (scores dated within 2 years; the lowest band sets your CLB).
• Adaptability: Intention and ability to reside in Manitoba (ties to Manitoba stronger than elsewhere in Canada).
• Points: Minimum 60 on the MPNP assessment grid.

How the Pieces Fit Together

• Position approval & candidate identification: Employer Services reviews eligibility, position criteria, and advertising evidence; successful employers identify candidates (often overseas or outside Canada). Program priorities can shift, affecting which occupations/candidates are selected at a given time.
• MPNP pathway for candidates: Depending on circumstances, candidates typically proceed under Skilled Worker Overseas via a Manitoba Invitation (Strategic Recruitment), which requires ≥ 60 points; or, for those already working in Manitoba, Skilled Worker in Manitoba (after at least 6 months full-time with the employer).
• Work authorization while PR is in progress (common scenario): After an MPNP decision, Manitoba may issue a Nomination Certificate and a Work Permit Support Letter so the worker can apply for an employer-specific (closed) work permit; the employer pays the $230 IRCC employer-compliance fee via the Employer Portal.

Border reality for U.S. candidates: Visiting to explore is not “working.” If you will perform work in Manitoba, you’ll need the proper employer-specific work permit, regardless of U.S. citizenship/green-card status.

Adding Certainty with A&M Canadian Immigration Law Corporation

• Creating strong business plans to show Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program about the hiring.
• Employer readiness & compliance: End-to-end build of the advertising plan, Job Bank Activity Report evidence, JMU/Work-in-Manitoba integrations, and ad content that satisfies EDI’s must-include list and TEER/WMR nuances.
• Position & wage defensibility: NOC 2021 mapping, median-wage validation on Job Bank, and TEER 4–5 “Very Good” outlook verification with supporting documents.
• Candidate file strength: CLB strategy (meeting CLB 5/4 bands), licensure roadmap for regulated occupations, and proofs tailored to 60-point MPNP requirements and adaptability.
• Pathway orchestration: Smooth hand-off from EDI approval to the right MPNP stream (SWO or SWM), and—when appropriate—work-permit planning using Nomination + Work Permit Support Letter, including the employer-compliance steps.

Manitoba’s Employer Direct Initiative to work

Book a strategy session with A&M Canadian Immigration Law Corporation to structure your EDI position(s), ready your candidate file(s), and deliver an officer-ready
MPNP and work-permit pathway so U.S. talent can arrive, start, and stay in Manitoba with confidence.

Key Sources

• Employer Direct Initiative (eligibility, positions, TEER 4–5, advertising, ineligible roles, other recruitment options).
• How to Apply – 3 Step Process (employer steps, email submission, PDF rules). 
• Candidate Overview (age, experience, education, language, adaptability, 60 points).
• Skilled Worker Overseas (Manitoba Invitation, points, strategic recruitment). 
• Employer Services update (Sept 2025) (reopened intake, updated criteria/forms).
• ES & MPNP Process (WP support letter; $230 employer-compliance fee) (operational overview).