MPNP draw 281, held on October 8, 2026, issued 340 Letters of Advice to Apply, which is what Manitoba calls its invitations. Most went to people already working in Manitoba in health care and education, according to Manitoba Immigration’s draw notice. Of the 340, 103 went to candidates with a valid Express Entry profile. No minimum ranking score was published for this draw.
This was a narrow draw. If you are not working in Manitoba in one of the listed jobs, or were not directly invited by the province, you were not in it.
Who was invited in MPNP draw 281?
Three groups were invited. Manitoba issued 46 letters to people working in the province in health occupations (NOC broad category 3, the health group in Canada’s job codes). It issued 211 to people working in four education jobs, and 83 to Skilled Worker candidates directly invited through a strategic recruitment initiative. Together that is 340 letters.
The four education unit groups were 41220 secondary school teachers, 41221 elementary school and kindergarten teachers, 42202 early childhood educators and assistants, and 43100 teacher assistants.
The 83 strategic recruitment letters split as Employer Services 45, Francophone Community 16, Regional Communities 12, Ethnocultural Communities 9, and 1 under the temporary public policy for prospective PNP candidates.
How does MPNP draw 281 compare with draw 280?
It was smaller and more targeted. Draw 280 on September 24, 2026 issued 474 letters, including 417 to top scoring workers in natural and applied sciences with a lowest ranking score of 760. Draw 281 had no score-based selection at all. It picked people by job and by direct invitation, so the lowest invited score was not part of the result.
Draw 279 on September 10 issued 793 letters, so the last three draws have shrunk from 793 to 474 to 340.
For a wider view of where provincial invitations are going this year, see our PNP draw results for 2026 and our guide to which province is easiest for PR in 2026.
Why did some eligible candidates miss MPNP draw 281?
Manitoba names two common reasons. Some profiles claimed an approved language test but gave no valid test number, or the test had expired. Others claimed a strategic recruitment invitation but did not enter a valid invitation number. Either mistake drops an otherwise eligible profile out of the draw.
Check both fields in your profile now, before the next draw. An expired test result quietly takes you out of the running.
FAQ
How many invitations did MPNP draw 281 issue?
340 Letters of Advice to Apply on October 8, 2026: 46 to health workers in Manitoba, 211 to education workers in Manitoba and 83 to Skilled Worker candidates directly invited by the province. 103 went to candidates with a valid Express Entry profile.
Was there a minimum score in MPNP draw 281?
No ranking score was published. Manitoba chose candidates by occupation and by direct invitation, not by a points cut-off. In draw 280 on September 24, 2026, the lowest invited score in the natural and applied sciences group was 760.
Why might an eligible Manitoba candidate miss a draw?
Manitoba names two common reasons: no valid language test number in the profile, or an expired test, and a claimed strategic recruitment invitation with no valid invitation number.
What should you do next?
If you work in Manitoba in health care or education, make sure your current job and NOC code are on your profile. Manitoba keeps choosing by occupation, so the job you list decides which draws you can enter.
If you are outside Manitoba, note that in this draw, Skilled Worker Stream profiles were only considered if Manitoba had directly invited them under a strategic recruitment initiative or through the temporary public policy for prospective PNP candidates.
Read more about the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program and federal rules on the IRCC website.
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Source: Manitoba Immigration, Expression of Interest Draw #281, with draws #280 and #279 for comparison, checked October 11, 2026.
