Canada's 2026 Immigration Levels Plan: PNP Allocations Rise, Federal Express Entry Decreases
Canada released its Immigration Levels Plan for 2026–2028 earlier this year. The plan includes two notable changes in how permanent residence allocations are distributed across major categories.
Changes in the 2026 allocation
The Federal High Skilled category — covering all Express Entry programs (Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades) — is allocated approximately 109,000 spots for 2026, down from 124,680 the previous year.
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) category increases from roughly 55,000 to over 90,000 spots. Of total PNP nominations, approximately 43% flow through the Enhanced Nomination stream (linked to Express Entry). The remainder are base nominations, in which each province sets its own eligibility criteria and scoring systems, independent of the federal CRS score.
The plan also includes the Work Permit Holders Accelerated Pathway, a priority stream for current work permit holders in Canada, projected to process approximately 33,000 applications during 2026–2027.
Manitoba draw data — July 2026
Manitoba has been allocated 6,239 nominations for 2026 under the Levels Plan. In July 2026, the province conducted two Expression of Interest (EOI) draws:
Draw #274 (July 2, 2026): 77 candidates invited. Of these, 15 held a linked Express Entry profile; the remaining 62 were invited through the base stream.
Draw #275 (July 17, 2026): 1,874 candidates invited, at a minimum SEP score of 825 (Manitoba's own ranking score, separate from the federal CRS).
Manitoba holds EOI draws on a recurring basis throughout the year, with separate draws for different candidate streams.
Current MPNP streams
The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) currently operates the following streams:
Skilled Worker in Manitoba: for candidates currently employed in Manitoba under a valid work permit, with Manitoba-based work experience.
Skilled Worker Overseas: for candidates outside Manitoba who hold a valid job offer from a Manitoba employer, or are in a designated priority occupation.
International Education Stream: for graduates of Manitoba post-secondary institutions who are or have been employed in Manitoba.
Strategic Recruitment Initiative: for candidates recruited through MPNP-authorized employer events.
Specific eligibility requirements for each stream — including accepted work experience types, NOC codes, language thresholds, and SEP scoring criteria — are available on the official Immigrate Manitoba website.
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