A Practical Guide for U.S. Candidates and Manitoba Employers
A&M Canadian Immigration Law Corporation
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.
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):
- Canada Job Bank (kept
current through the recruitment; provide the Job Bank Employer
Portal Activity Report);
- Manitoba
Start Job Matching Unit (JMU), with proof
of ongoing correspondence;
- Work
in Manitoba portal; and
- 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).