Introduction

1. Immigration Trends

Manitoba has been steadily contributing to its population growth by welcoming 163,650 immigrants from 2010 to 2020. By Q4 2020, Manitoba was estimated to have more than 1.38 million people, accounting for about 3.6% of Canada's total population of just over 38 million.^[1] In 2020, 8,620 immigrants who chose Manitoba as their immigration destination became permanent residents, representing 4.7% of total immigration to Canada. This marks a decrease of 10,290 permanent resident admissions from 2019 (a 54.4% annual reduction), primarily due to travel restrictions associated with COVID-19.

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) continues to be the main tool for bringing skilled immigrants to meet Manitoba's labour and economic development needs. On an annual basis, the MPNP nominates skilled workers, international student graduates, and business investors who are best suited to contribute to Manitoba's economy.

Between 2010 and 2020, Provincial Nominee admissions represented close to 70% of all immigrants who declared Manitoba as their intended destination, and approximately 92% of all economic immigrants to the province. In 2020, Manitoba's Provincial Nominees accounted for 89.7% of all economic immigrants (5,835) while 10.2% of immigrants (665) were to have arrived under other, federal economic streams.

Table 1: Manitoba (Province of Intended Destination) - Admissions of Permanent Residents by Immigration Category, 2010–2020

Immigration Category	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	Total
Sponsored Family	1,455	1,490	1,800	2,000	1,845	1,850	2,375	2,475	2,745	3,160	1,490	22,685
Skilled Workers	900	620	660	620	390	715	490	295	540	620	295	6,135
Provincial Nominees	12,180	12,355	9,540	8,865	12,195	10,260	9,960	9,430	9,895	12,545	5,835	113,055
Other Economic	200	190	140	130	275	275	245	335	440	485	370	3,080
Resettled Refugees & Protected Persons in Canada	1,030	1,305	1,140	1,460	1,495	1,770	3,730	2,130	1,565	2,045	600	18,275
Other	50	20	45	50	30	35	25	35	50	50	35	425
Total	15,810	15,975	13,330	13,120	16,235	14,900	16,820	14,705	15,225	18,910	8,620	163,650

In 2020, Canada welcomed 184,370 new permanent residents, which constitutes a decrease of 45.9% from 2019. By immigration category, the largest groups of permanent residents who settled in Canada in 2020 were family class (26.6%), Provincial Nominees (21.0%), federal skilled workers (19.4%), other economic immigrants (17.3%), and refugees (13.7%).

Table 2: Canada - Admissions of Permanent Residents by Immigration Category, 2010–2020

Immigration Category	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	Total
Sponsored Family	65,550	61,330	69,870	83,375	67,645	65,485	78,000	82,470	85,170	91,310	49,165	799,370
Skilled Workers	119,380	88,760	91,415	83,225	67,575	70,135	65,610	47,415	71,235	77,855	35,800	818,400
Provincial Nominees	36,435	38,420	40,885	39,905	47,625	44,535	46,180	49,730	62,440	68,645	38,720	513,525
Other Economic	31,140	28,910	28,450	25,130	49,995	55,750	44,240	62,145	52,690	50,155	31,905	460,515
Resettled Refugees & Protected Persons in Canada	24,670	27,880	23,085	24,005	23,460	31,615	58,550	41,120	45,495	48,530	25,380	373,790
Other	3,515	3,400	4,065	3,400	4,005	4,315	3,790	3,630	4,025	4,680	3,405	42,240
Total	280,695	248,705	257,775	259,040	260,305	271,835	296,370	286,510	321,055	341,175	184,370	3,007,835

2. Immigration Levels

Immigration to Canada decreased by 46.0% from 341,175 in 2019 to 184,370 in 2020.

Table 3: Canada - Admissions of Permanent Residents by Immigration Category, 2018–2020

Immigration Category	2018		2019		2020
	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage
Sponsored Family	85,170	26.5%	91,310	26.8%	49,165	26.7%
Skilled Workers	71,235	22.2%	77,855	22.8%	35,800	19.4%
Other Federal Economic	52,690	16.4%	50,155	14.7%	31,905	17.3%
Provincial Nominee**	62,440	19.4%	68,645	20.1%	38,720	21.0%
Resettled Refugees & Protected Persons in Canada	45,495	14.2%	48,530	14.2%	25,380	13.8%
Other*	4,025	1.3%	4,680	1.4%	3,405	1.8%
Total	321,055	100%	341,175	100%	184,370	100%
Difference from previous year	34,545	12.1%	20,120	6.3%	-156,805	-46.0%

*Includes Humanitarian and Compassionate cases, Public Policy cases, and Other immigrants not included elsewhere (permit holders applying for permanent residence).

**Provincial Nominees are a subcategory of the Economic Class.

Immigration by Province or Territory

In 2020, the top destinations for new permanent residents were Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, Alberta, and Manitoba. Though all provinces/territories experienced a decrease in the absolute number of permanent resident admissions, the proportion of admissions relative to total immigration to Canada increased in Quebec and British Columbia, and decreased in all other provinces/territories except Ontario, which remained steady at ~45%. Permanent resident admissions with Manitoba as an intended destination decreased to 4.7% in 2020 from 5.5% a year earlier.

Table 4: Canada - Admissions of Permanent Residents by Province/Territory of Intended Destination, 2018–2020

Province/Territory	2018		2019		2020
	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage
Newfoundland and Labrador	1,530	0.5%	1,850	0.5%	905	0.5%
Prince Edward Island	2,135	0.7%	2,445	0.7%	1,290	0.7%
Nova Scotia	5,965	1.9%	7,580	2.2%	3,505	1.9%
New Brunswick	4,610	1.4%	6,000	1.8%	2,890	1.6%
Quebec	51,125	15.9%	40,565	11.9%	25,195	13.7%
Ontario	137,440	42.8%	153,395	45.0%	82,850	44.9%
Manitoba	15,225	4.7%	18,910	5.5%	8,620	4.7%
Saskatchewan	15510	4.8%	15,855	4.6%	7,390	4.0%
Alberta	42,020	13.1%	43,690	12.8%	22,935	12.4%
British Columbia	44,870	14.0%	50,230	14.7%	28,470	15.4%
Yukon	305	0.1%	400	0.1%	175	0.1%
Northwest Territories	280	0.1%	195	0.1%	125	0.1%
Nunavut	30	0.0%	40	0.0%	20	0.0%
Not stated	10	0.0%	15	0.0%	– –	– –
Total	321,055	100.0%	341,175	100.0%	184,370	100.0%

Manitoba saw a year-on-year increase in the proportion of Provincial Nominee admissions compared to the previous year (67.7% in 2020 versus 66.3% in 2019). Provincial nominees remain Manitoba's most important source of immigrants. Also of note, Manitoba saw a decrease in refugee landings from 10.8% in 2019 to 7.0% in 2020.

Table 5: Manitoba (Province of Intended Destination) - Admissions of Permanent Residents by Immigration Category, 2018–2020

Immigration Category	2018		2019		2020
	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage
Sponsored Family	2,745	18.0%	3,160	16.7%	1,490	17.3%
Skilled Workers	540	3.5%	620	3.3%	295	3.4%
Other Federal Economic Class*	440	2.9%	485	2.6%	370	4.3%
Provincial Nominee**	9,895	65.0%	12,545	66.3%	5,835	67.7%
Resettled Refugees & Protected Persons in Canada	1,565	10.3%	2,045	10.8%	600	7.0%
Other***	50	0.3%	50	0.3%	35	0.4%
Total landings and percentage of Canada's total immigration	15,225	4.7%	18,910	5.5%	8,620	4.7%
Difference from previous year	520	3.5%	3,685	24.2%	-10,290	-54.4%

*Includes permanent residents who landed in Manitoba through the Canadian Experience Class, Caregivers, Federal Skilled Trades, and Business streams.

**Provincial Nominees are nominated by the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP), and are a category of Economic Class immigrants.

***Includes permanent residents admitted to Manitoba through federal Humanitarian & Compassionate case streams, and all other permit holder classes not covered by the table.

Immigration by City

Winnipeg ranked seventh among Canadian cities as a destination for immigrants in 2020, following Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, and Ottawa. This is down one rank from the previous two years, in which Winnipeg ranked sixth above Ottawa. Together, the ten cities in Table 6 attracted close to 79% of new permanent residents to Canada in 2020.

Table 6: Canada - Admissions of Permanent Resident by Top Ten (Total 2018–2020 Rank) Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) of Intended Destination, 2018–2020

Census Metropolitan Area	2018			2019			2020			2018–2020
	Number	Percentage	Rank	Number	Percentage	Rank	Number	Percentage	Rank	Number
Toronto	106,460	33.2%	1	117,770	34.5%	1	60,975	33.1%	1	285,205
Montréal	43,795	13.6%	2	34,630	10.2%	3	20,950	11.4%	3	99,375
Vancouver	35,265	11.0%	3	39,950	11.7%	2	22,725	12.3%	2	97,940
Calgary	18,950	5.9%	4	19,625	5.8%	4	10,650	5.8%	4	49,225
Edmonton	15,730	4.9%	5	16,420	4.8%	5	8,345	4.5%	5	40,495
Winnipeg	12,120	3.8%	6	14,740	4.3%	6	6,450	3.5%	7	33,310
Ottawa - Gatineau (Ontario Part)	9,830	3.1%	7	10,935	3.2%	7	6,805	3.7%	6	27,570
Regina	6,035	1.9%	8	6,140	1.8%	9	2,960	1.6%	9	15,140
Saskatoon	5,800	1.8%	9	5,865	1.7%	10	2,805	1.5%	10	14,470
Halifax	5,005	1.6%	10	6,240	1.8%	8	2,805	1.5%	– –	14,050
Total Top Ten	258,990	80.7%		272,320	79.8%		145,470	78.9%		676,785
Other	62,065	19.3%		68,855	20.2%		38,900	21.1%		169,820
Total	321,055	100.0%		341,175	100.0%		184,370	100.0%		846,605

3. Manitoba Permanent Residents

Sponsored Family

Eligible Canadian citizens and permanent residents living in Canada can sponsor their family members; spouses and dependents; and grandparents to come to Canada. In 2020, there were 1,490 permanent residents (17.3% of all admissions) who declared Manitoba as their intended destination through the Sponsored Family category, a decrease from 3,160 in 2019. The top source countries, accounting for 56.7% of permanent resident admissions in this category, included India (330), Philippines (320), China (105), and the United States (90) in 2020.

Table 7: Manitoba (Province of Intended Destination) - Admissions of Permanent Residents by Immigration Category, 2018–2020

Immigration Category	2018		2019		2020
Sponsored Family	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage
Principal Applicant (PA)	2,295	15.1%	2,610	13.8%	1,220	14.2%
Spouse/Partner/Dependent (SD)	450	3.0%	555	2.9%	270	3.1%
Sponsored Family Subtotal	2,745	18.0%	3,160	16.7%	1,490	17.3%
Economic Class
Business	15	0.1%	20	0.1%	15	0.2%
Canadian Experience Class - PA	270	1.8%	280	1.5%	235	2.7%
Canadian Experience Class - SD	100	0.7%	135	0.7%	110	1.3%
Caregiver Class - PA	20	0.1%	20	0.1%	– –	– –
Caregiver Class - SD	30	0.2%	30	0.2%	– –	– –
Provincial Nominees - PA	4,195	27.6%	5,890	31.1%	2,870	33.3%
Provincial Nominees - SD	5,695	37.4%	6,650	35.2%	2,965	34.4%
Skilled Trades	0	0.0%	– –	– –	5	0.1%
Skilled Workers - PA	255	1.7%	285	1.5%	170	2.0%
Skilled Workers - SD	285	1.9%	335	1.8%	125	1.5%
Economic Class Subtotal	10,870	71.4%	13,650	72.2%	6,500	75.4%
Resettled Refugees & Protected Persons in Canada
Government-Assisted Refugees	445	2.9%	550	2.9%	165	1.9%
Privately Sponsored Refugees	935	6.1%	1,105	5.8%	185	2.1%
Blended Sponsorship Refugees	70	0.5%	155	0.8%	– –	– –
Protected Persons in Canada & Dependants	120	0.8%	235	1.2%	250	2.9%
Resettled Refugees & Protected Persons in Canada Subtotal	1,565	10.3%	2,045	10.8%	600	7.0%
Other	50	0.3%	50	0.3%	35	0.4%
Total	15,225	100.0%	18,910	100.0%	8,620	100.0%

Refugees

In 2020, refugees from all over the world settled in communities throughout Manitoba, supported by various groups and service provider organizations. Of all permanent residents admitted to Manitoba in 2020, 7.0% were admitted as refugees and protected persons (600). Manitoba was the intended destination of 2.4% of all refugees and protected persons to Canada in 2020, down from 4.2% in 2019 (2,045). However, Manitoba accounted for 4.3% of Canada's government-assisted refugee admissions (165) and 3.5% of privately sponsored refugee admissions (185) in 2020. These numbers still constitute decreases from 2019, when 5.5% of Canada's government-assisted refugee admissions (550) and 5.7% of privately sponsored refugees (1,105) declared Manitoba as their intended destination.

Of all resettled refugees (excludes protected persons) who came to Manitoba from 2018–2020, the top countries of citizenship are Eritrea, Syria, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia.

Table 8: Manitoba (Province of Intended Destination) - Admissions of Resettled Refugees by Country of Citizenship, 2018–2020

Country of Citizenship	Number	Percentage
Eritrea	1,045	28.9%
Syria	645	17.9%
Democratic Republic of Somalia	630	17.5%
Democratic Republic of the Congo	285	7.9%
Ethiopia	225	6.2%
Iraq	215	6.0%
Democratic Republic of Sudan	85	2.4%
Central African Republic	85	2.4%
Afghanistan	60	1.7%
Iran	55	1.5%
Burundi	50	1.4%
Pakistan	40	1.1%
Republic of South Sudan	35	1.0%
All other countries	150	4.2%
Total	3,610	100.0%

4. Destination

Regional Destination (Economic Region)

Immigration continues to benefit regional communities. Since 2018, approximately 33,010 immigrants declared the Winnipeg Economic Region to be their intended destination, while approximately 9,730 immigrants declared other economic regions outside of Winnipeg as their intended destinations. In 2020, 26.1% of newcomers had a destination outside of the Winnipeg Economic Region (2,245), an increase of just over 3.0% from 2019. All economic regions of the province outside of Winnipeg saw increases in the proportion of anticipated admissions compared to 2019.

Table 9: Manitoba (Province of Intended Destination) - Admissions of Permanent Residents by Economic Region of Intended Destination, 2018–2020

Economic Region	2018			2019			2020
	Number	Percentage	Rank	Number	Percentage	Rank	Number	Percentage	Rank
Winnipeg	12,030	79.0%	1	14,610	77.3%	1	6,370	73.9%	1
Southwest	1,285	8.4%	2	1,710	9.0%	2	830	9.6%	2
South Central	705	4.6%	3	1,135	6.0%	3	600	7.0%	3
Southeast	500	3.3%	4	535	2.8%	4	265	3.1%	4
North	310	2.0%	5	305	1.6%	5	190	2.2%	5
Interlake	135	0.9%	7	285	1.5%	6	145	1.7%	6
Parklands	155	1.0%	6	175	0.9%	7	90	1.0%	8
North Central	105	0.7%	8	150	0.8%	8	125	1.5%	7
Not stated	– –	– –	9	10	0.1%	9	– –	– –	9
Total	15,225	100.0%		18,910	100.0%		8,620	100.0%

Community Destination (Municipality)

Since 2018, approximately 32,955 immigrants declared Winnipeg as their intended destination compared to 9,800 who chose one of more than 130 regional communities in Manitoba. From 2018–2020, top regional destinations included Brandon (2,110), Neepawa (1,385), Morden (980), Winkler (745), and Thompson (620).

In 2020, 2,265 new permanent residents had regional communities outside of Winnipeg as their intended destinations, a 47.7% decrease from 2019 (4,330). This is consistent with the 54.4% year-on-year reduction in permanent resident admissions for all of Manitoba due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Table 10: Manitoba (Province of Intended Destination) - Admissions of Permanent Residents by Top Ten (2020 Rank) Municipality of Intended Destination, 2018–2020

Municipality	2018			2019			2020			2018–2020
	Number	Percentage	Rank	Number	Percentage	Rank	Number	Percentage	Rank	Number
Winnipeg	12,020	78.9%	1	14,580	77.1%	1	6,355	73.7%	1	32,955
Brandon	705	4.6%	2	875	4.6%	2	530	6.1%	2	2,110
Neepawa	430	2.8%	3	700	3.7%	3	250	2.9%	3	1,385
Morden	250	1.6%	4	515	2.7%	4	215	2.5%	4	980
Winkler	210	1.4%	7	325	1.7%	5	210	2.4%	5	745
Thompson	230	1.5%	5	245	1.3%	7	145	1.7%	6	620
Steinbach	225	1.5%	6	270	1.4%	6	125	1.5%	7	615
Portage la Prairie	80	0.5%	9	110	0.6%	9	75	0.9%	8	260
Altona	80	0.5%	8	90	0.5%	10	60	0.7%	9	235
Selkirk	20	0.1%	—	120	0.6%	8	45	0.5%	10	185
Total Top Ten (2020 Rank)	14,250	93.6%		17,830	94.3%		8,015	93.0%		40,090
Other municipalities in Manitoba	975	6.4%		1,080	5.7%		610	7.1%		2,665
Total	15,225	100.0%		18,910	100.0%		8,620	100.0%		42,755

5. Source Country

In 2020, India, China, Philippines, Nigeria and Brazil ranked among the top five source countries for immigrants to Manitoba, representing 58.1% of all immigrants.

The top immigrant source countries to regional communities in 2020 were India (620), Philippines (555), Nigeria (140), Germany (135), and Pakistan (100).

Table 11: Manitoba (Province of Intended Destination) - Admissions of Permanent Residents by Top Ten (2020 Rank) Country of Citizenship, 2018–2020

Country of Citizenship	2018			2019			2020
	Number	Percentage	Rank	Number	Percentage	Rank	Number	Percentage	Rank
India	3,765	24.7%	1	4,625	24.5%	1	2,030	23.5%	1
China, People's Republic of	1,300	8.5%	4	1,810	9.6%	3	1,050	12.2%	2
Philippines	2,370	15.6%	2	2,585	13.7%	2	1,000	11.6%	3
Nigeria	1,475	9.7%	3	1,625	8.6%	4	580	6.7%	4
Brazil	225	1.5%	—	585	3.1%	6	350	4.1%	5
Pakistan	325	2.1%	7	445	2.4%	7	245	2.8%	6
Algeria	40	0.3%	—	185	1.0%	—	210	2.4%	7
Ukraine	330	2.2%	6	370	2.0%	10	200	2.3%	8
Israel	320	2.1%	9	295	1.6%	—	190	2.2%	9
Eritrea	480	3.2%	5	635	3.4%	5	175	2.0%	10
Total Top Ten (2020 Rank)	10,635	69.9%		13,160	69.6%		6,030	70.0%
Other Countries	4,590	30.1%		5,750	30.4%		2,590	30.0%
Total	15,225	100.0%		18,910	100.0%		8,620	100.0%

World Region

In 2020, 56.4% of Manitoba's new permanent residents were to have arrived from the Asia & Pacific region, followed by Africa and the Middle East (24.1%), The Americas [not including the United States] (8.9%), Europe (8.8%), and the United States (1.7%).

Table 12: Manitoba (Province of Intended Destination) - Admissions of Permanent Residents by World Area of Country of Citizenship, 2018–2020

World Region	2018	2019	2020
Asia & Pacific	8,700	10,620	4,860
Africa & Middle East	4,300	5,170	2,080
Europe	1,185	1,445	760
Americas	760	1,315	765
United States of America	275	320	145
Stateless	5	40	15
Total	15,225	18,910	8,620

6. Demographics

Age-Gender Structure

7. Official Languages

Mother Tongue

People arrive from all over the world with the ability to communicate in many languages other than just English or French. In 2020, permanent residents with Manitoba as their intended destination declared an ability to communicate in over 140 languages. The top languages spoken are Punjabi (14.0%), Chinese (13.1%), Tagalog (10.0%), Arabic (6.6%), and English (5.4%).

Table 13: Manitoba (Province of Intended Destination) - Admissions of Permanent Residents by Top Ten (2020 Rank) Language Spoken, 2018–2020

Language Spoken	2018			2019			2020
	Number	Percentage	Rank	Number	Percentage	Rank	Number	Percentage	Rank
Punjabi	2,640	17.3%	1	3,095	16.4%	1	1,210	14.0%	1
Chinese	1,425	9.4%	3	1,910	10.1%	3	1,130	13.1%	2
Tagalog	1,960	12.9%	2	2,120	11.2%	2	865	10.0%	3
Arabic	665	4.4%	6	935	4.9%	5	565	6.6%	4
English	895	5.9%	4	1,055	5.6%	4	465	5.4%	5
Gujarati	570	3.7%	7	715	3.8%	7	445	5.2%	6
Portuguese	250	1.6%	—	605	3.2%	8	360	4.2%	7
Russian	515	3.4%	8	525	2.8%	10	315	3.7%	8
Yoruba	845	5.6%	5	920	4.9%	6	285	3.3%	9
Spanish	280	1.8%	—	355	1.9%	—	260	3.0%	10
Total Top Ten (2020 Rank)	10,040	65.9%		12,235	64.7%		5,905	68.5%
Other Languages	5,185	34.1%		6,675	35.3%		2,715	31.5%
Total	15,225	100.0%		18,910	100.0%		8,620	100.0%

English and French Official Languages Spoken

In 2020, the percentage of Manitoba's immigrants who identified English as an official language spoken was 80.0%.

In 2020, Manitoba was the intended destination of 530 immigrants who declared French or Both French and English as their official languages, representing 6.1% of all immigrants to Manitoba. By comparison, Manitoba was the intended destination of 820 immigrants who declared French or Both French and English as their official languages in 2019, which accounted for 4.3% of all permanent residents admitted that year. The percentage of immigrants with French or Both French and English as their official languages and Manitoba as an intended destination grew from 2.5% in 2018 to 6.1% in 2020. Overall, 1,745 immigrants with Manitoba as their intended destination declared an ability to communicate in French from 2018–2020. This represents 4.1% of all permanent resident admissions to Manitoba during the most recent three-year period.

In 2020, the top source countries for immigrants who identified either French, or Both French and English, as their official language(s) were Algeria (175), Morocco (60), Tunisia (40), France (30), and Djibouti (25). In 2019, the top source countries were Algeria (150), Democratic Republic of Congo (125), Morocco (75), France (65), and Tunisia (60).

In 2020, 2.2% of all MPNP nominations were French-speaking, down from 3.9% in 2019. Nearly 71 per cent of all immigrants with Manitoba as their intended destination who declared either French or Both French and English as their official languages were Provincial Nominees in 2020, up from 65.9% in 2019.

Table 14: Manitoba (Province of Intended Destination) - Admissions of Permanent Residents by Official Language Spoken, 2018–2020

Official Language	2018	2019	2020
English	11,795	14,950	6,900
French	110	300	195
Both French and English	285	520	335
Neither	2,570	2,850	1,105
Not stated	465	290	85
Total	15,225	18,910	8,620

8. Education, Occupation, and Skill Level

A key component of Manitoba's Skills, Talent and Knowledge Strategy is increasing alignment of post-secondary and immigration systems to labour market need. In 2020, four of the top five assessed occupations among highly skilled economic immigrants to Manitoba were considered high-demand occupations in the Manitoba Labour Market Outlook Report 2021–2025^[4] (food service supervisors being the one exception).

In 2020, approximately 47.9% of permanent residents admitted to Manitoba aged 25 and older had a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 51.1% in 2019.

Table 15: Manitoba (Province of Intended Destination) - Admissions of Permanent Residents Aged 25 Years and Over by Education Qualification, 2018–2020

Level of Education	2018		2019		2020
None	140	1.4%	160	1.3%	50	0.9%
Secondary or Less	1,495	15.1%	1,785	14.7%	705	12.3%
Trade Diploma or Certificate	660	6.7%	710	5.9%	360	6.3%
Non-University Certificate or Diploma	700	7.1%	790	6.5%	375	6.6%
Post-Secondary - No Degree	555	5.6%	685	5.7%	375	6.6%
Bachelor's Degree	3,590	36.3%	4,145	34.2%	1,850	32.4%
Post-Graduate - No Degree	205	2.1%	385	3.2%	195	3.4%
Master's Degree	1,450	14.7%	1,570	13.0%	640	11.2%
Doctorate - PhD	95	1.0%	95	0.8%	55	1.0%
Not stated	995	10.1%	1,785	14.7%	1,110	19.4%
Total	9,890	100.0%	12,115	100.0%	5,715	100.0%

Occupation

Based on the NOC system, in 2020, 66.3% of principal applicants under the economic category were considered highly skilled (NOC 0, A and B); up from 64.3% in 2019. Skilled and Technical professions and Intermediate and Clerical positions were the top occupations of economic immigrants (principal applicants only) to Manitoba in 2020. The leading NOC 0, A, B occupations among immigrants to Manitoba in 2020 were:

1. Cooks [Skill B] (205)
2. Food service supervisors [Skill B] (115)
3. Administrative assistants [Skill B] (115)
4. Computer programmers and interactive media developers [Skill A] (70)
5. Administrative officers [Skill B] (65)

By comparison, the most numerous, highly skilled NOCs amongst immigrants in 2019 were Cooks (285), Food service supervisors (160), Administrative assistants (145), Early childhood educators and assistants (105), and Administrative officers (105).

The five most common occupations across all skill levels (NOC 0, A, B, C, D) among permanent residents with Manitoba as an intended destination (based on principal applicants only) in 2020 were as follows:

1. Cooks [Skill B] (205)
2. Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related occupations [Skill D] (175)
3. Transport truck drivers [Skill C] (130)
4. Other customer and information services representatives [Skill C] (120)
5. Food service supervisors [Skill B] (115)

By comparison, the top 5 assessed occupations in 2019 were food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations (335); cooks (285); transport truck drivers (265); industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers (255); and other customer and information services representatives (230).

Table 16: Manitoba (Province of Intended Destination) - Admissions of Economic Permanent Residents (Principal Applicant Only) by Skill Level, 2020

Skill Level	Number	Percentage
0 - Managerial	285	8.7%
A - Professionals	595	18.1%
B - Skilled and Technical	1,295	39.5%
C - Intermediate and Clerical	760	23.2%
D - Elemental and Labourers	315	9.6%
Intending to work*	10	0.3%
Not intending to work*	– –	– –
Not stated	15	0.5%
Total	3,280	100.0%

The table represents skill level for Economic Immigrant Principal Applicants only, including Provincial Nominees, federally selected skilled workers, businesspersons, live-in caregivers, and Canadian Experience Class.

*Intending to work includes new workers (15 years of age or older); not intending to work includes other non-workers (15 years of age or older) and students (15 years of age or older). Rank is based on the highest number of permanent resident admissions by occupation for economic principal applicants only in 2019 and 2020.

Skill Type Category

Sales and service professions accounted for nearly one third of the assessed occupations of Manitoba Economic Class Permanent Residents in 2020 (31.7%), a figure comparable to 2019 (31.0%), and nearly 10 percentage points higher than what was observed in 2018 (22.1%). Professions in sales and services; business, finance and administration; natural and applied sciences; and trades, transport and equipment operation accounted for 72.3% of assessed occupations in 2020. This marks an increase from 2019 (67.3%) and 2018 (61.1%).

Table 17: Manitoba (Province of Intended Destination) - Admissions of Economic Permanent Residents (Principal Applicant Only) by Intended Occupation (1-Digit NOC 2011), 2018–2020

Occupations	2018		2019		2020
	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage
0 - Management occupations	460	9.7%	575	8.9%	250	7.6%
1 - Business, finance and administration occupations	765	16.1%	970	15.0%	515	15.7%
2 - Natural and applied sciences and related occupations	650	13.7%	755	11.6%	480	14.6%
3 - Health occupations	310	6.5%	230	3.5%	100	3.0%
4 - Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services	430	9.1%	410	6.3%	215	6.6%
5 - Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport	50	1.1%	75	1.2%	30	0.9%
6 - Sales and service occupations	1,050	22.1%	2,010	31.0%	1,040	31.7%
7 - Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations	435	9.2%	630	9.7%	335	10.2%
8 - Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations	75	1.6%	85	1.3%	40	1.2%
9 - Occupations in manufacturing and utilities	255	5.4%	505	7.8%	210	6.4%
Not stated	– –	– –	35	0.5%	15	0.5%
Other*	265	5.6%	195	3.0%	50	1.5%
Total	4,750	100.0%	6,485	100.0%	3,280	100.0%

The table represents skill level for Economic Immigrant Principal Applicants only, including Provincial Nominees, federally selected skilled workers, businesspersons, live-in caregivers, and Canadian Experience Class.

*Other category includes principal applicants not intending to work and other occupations not covered by a NOC code.

9. Temporary Foreign Workers and International Students

Temporary Residents

In Manitoba, temporary residents who have worked for more than six months on a full-time, continuous basis – or who have graduated from a post-secondary program in the province – have pathways to apply to the MPNP to become permanent residents. A total of 9,095 temporary foreign workers (TFWs) declared Manitoba as their intended destination through the federal International Mobility Program in 2020. This marks an increase of 1.2% from the previous year. There were also 940 TFWs who declared Manitoba as their intended destination through the Government of Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program (with a Labour Market Impact Assessment). This marks a decline of 28.5% from 2019.

Table 18: Manitoba (Province of Destination) - Work Permit Holders by Program and Year in which Permit(s) Became Effective*, 2011–2020

Program	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Temporary Foreign Worker Program Work Permit Holders	1,345	1,860	1,795	1,380	885	875	770	1,170	1,315	940
International Mobility Program Work Permit Holders	3,875	4,025	4,720	5,040	5,060	6,695	7,205	8,110	8,985	9,095

*This term refers to permit holders with a valid permit that was signed in the given calendar year. The total unique count may not equal the sum of permit holders in each program, as an individual may hold more than one type of permit over a given period.

Table 19: Manitoba (Province of Destination) - Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) Work Permit Holders with Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) by Census Metropolitan Area of Destination and Year in which Permit(s) Became Effective*, 2011–2020

Census Metropolitan Area	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Brandon	190	315	245	220	180	140	135	130	140	– –
Winnipeg	730	820	855	520	255	270	250	280	370	375
Other	430	730	700	645	455	465	380	760	800	560
Total Unique TFWP Work Permit Holders	1,345	1,860	1,795	1,380	885	875	770	1,170	1,315	940

*This term refers to permit holders with a valid permit that was signed in the given calendar year. The total unique count may not equal the sum of permit holders in each program, as an individual may hold more than one type of permit over a given period.

Table 20: Manitoba (Province of Destination) - International Mobility Program (IMP) Work Permit Holders by Census Metropolitan Area of Destination and Year in which Permit(s) Became Effective*, 2011–2020

Census Metropolitan Area	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Brandon	230	170	195	265	195	185	245	245	295	340
Winnipeg	2,755	3,000	3,380	3,260	3,550	5,100	5,455	6,310	6,940	7,220
Other	895	860	1,185	1,565	1,340	1,440	1,545	1,580	1,775	1,560
Total Unique IMP Work Permit Holders	3,875	4,025	4,720	5,040	5,060	6,695	7,205	8,110	8,985	9,095

*This term refers to permit holders with a valid permit that was signed in the given calendar year. The total unique count may not equal the sum of permit holders in each program, as an individual may hold more than one type of permit over a given period.

International Students

In 2020, the number of international students declaring Manitoba as their intended destination was 8,400. This constitutes a 30.1% decrease from 2019 (12,020). Most international students (93.3%) were issued permits in connection with educational institutions in Winnipeg, a proportional increase from the previous year (91.7%). The top source countries of international students to Manitoba were China (22.6%), India (20.2%), Nigeria (11.1%), Bangladesh (7.6%), and Vietnam (4.8%). This is similar to what was observed in 2019, though China overtook India as the number one source country for international students to Manitoba in 2020.

Table 21: Manitoba (Province of Destination) - Study Permit Holders by Census Metropolitan Area of Destination and Year in which Permit(s) Became Effective*, 2011–2020

Census Metropolitan Area	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Brandon	145	150	175	160	240	290	410	495	605	320
Winnipeg	3,980	4,450	5,235	5,650	6,365	7,955	9,660	11,155	11,020	7,840
Other	395	375	320	340	325	335	395	350	405	250
Total Unique Study Permit Holders	4,510	4,975	5,725	6,145	6,925	8,570	10,450	11,990	12,020	8,400

*This term refers to permit holders with a valid study permit that was signed and issued in each calendar year noted above. The total unique count may not equal the sum of permit holders in each program, as an individual may hold more than one type of permit over a given period.

Table 22: Manitoba (Province of Destination) - Study Permit Holders by Top Ten (2020 Rank) Country of Citizenship and Year in which Permit(s) Became Effective*, 2018–2020

Country of Citizenship	2018			2019			2020
	Number	Percentage	Rank	Number	Percentage	Rank	Number	Percentage	Rank
China, People's Republic of	2,745	22.9%	2	2,565	21.3%	2	1,895	22.6%	1
India	2,935	24.5%	1	2,990	24.9%	1	1,695	20.2%	2
Nigeria	960	8.0%	3	1,155	9.6%	3	935	11.1%	3
Bangladesh	795	6.6%	4	930	7.7%	4	640	7.6%	4
Vietnam	500	4.2%	5	470	3.9%	5	405	4.8%	5
Hong Kong SAR	125	1.0%	—	135	1.1%	—	245	2.9%	6
Pakistan	235	2.0%	8	220	1.8%	8	200	2.4%	7
Korea, Republic of	340	2.8%	7	305	2.5%	7	185	2.2%	8
Brazil	400	3.3%	6	315	2.6%	6	150	1.8%	9
Kenya	165	1.4%	10	155	1.3%	—	135	1.6%	10
Total Top Ten (2020 Rank)	9,205	76.8%		9,240	76.9%		6,490	77.3%
Other Countries of Citizenship	2,785	23.2%		2,780	23.1%		1,910	22.7%
Total Unique Study Permit Holders	11,990	100.0%		12,020	100.0%		8,400	100.0%

*This term refers to permit holders with a valid study permit that was signed and issued in each year noted above. Rank is based on the highest number of study permits by country of citizenship.

The majority of international students in Manitoba who were in possession of a study permit at the end of 2020 received permits in connection with educational institutions in Winnipeg (93.3%); a proportional increase from 2019 (92.4%). The top source countries of international students to Manitoba (based on valid study permit holders at year end) were India (26.3%), China (18.6%), Nigeria (10.5%), Bangladesh (7.2%), and Vietnam (4.8%). This is comparable to what was observed in 2019.

Table 23: Manitoba (Province of Destination) - Study Permit Holders on December 31st by Census Metropolitan Area of Destination*, 2011–2020

Census Metropolitan Area	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Brandon	195	245	285	295	355	450	585	715	925	735
Winnipeg	5,800	7,190	8,685	10,010	11,055	12,840	15,285	17,400	17,835	15,575
Other	485	520	500	515	480	480	560	525	540	385
Total Unique Study Permit Holders	6,480	7,955	9,470	10,815	11,895	13,770	16,425	18,635	19,300	16,695

*Defined by the intended destination as specified on the permit. When the intended destination is not specified, the last known address of the permit holder is used, as of December 31st of the given year.

Table 24: Manitoba (Province of Destination) - Study Permit Holders on December 31st by Top Ten (2020 Rank) Country of Citizenship, 2018–2020

Country of Citizenship	2018			2019			2020
	Number	Percentage	Rank	Number	Percentage	Rank	Number	Percentage	Rank
India	4,085	21.9%	2	5,035	26.1%	1	4,395	26.3%	1
People's Republic of China	4,235	22.7%	1	3,765	19.5%	2	3,110	18.6%	2
Nigeria	1,810	9.7%	3	1,855	9.6%	3	1,750	10.5%	3
Bangladesh	1,045	5.6%	4	1,305	6.8%	4	1,205	7.2%	4
Vietnam	890	4.8%	5	925	4.8%	5	805	4.8%	5
Pakistan	450	2.4%	8	390	2.0%	8	355	2.1%	6
Republic of Korea	525	2.8%	7	465	2.4%	7	340	2.0%	7
United States of America	375	2.0%	9	375	1.9%	9	330	2.0%	8
Hong Kong SAR	210	1.1%	—	205	1.1%	—	325	1.9%	9
Brazil	605	3.2%	6	475	2.5%	6	295	1.8%	10
Total Top Ten (2020 Rank)	14,235	76.4%		14,790	76.6%		12,905	77.3%
Other Countries of Citizenship	4,400	23.6%		4,510	23.4%		3,790	22.7%
Total Unique Study Permit Holders	18,635	100.0%		19,300	100.0%		16,695	100.0%

Footnotes

^[1] Statistics Canada. Population estimates, quarterly. www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1710000901. Accessed October 28, 2021.

^[2] Statistics Canada, (Manitoba). 2016 Census Data tables – Admission Category and Applicant Type (47), Immigrant Status and Period of Immigration (11B), Age (7A), Sex (3) and Selected Demographic, Cultural, Labour Force and Educational Characteristics (825) for the Population in Private Households of Canada, Provinces and Territories and Census Metropolitan Areas, 2016 Census - 25% Sample Data (statcan.gc.ca) (Accessed October 22, 2021).

^[3] Statistics Canada Demographic Estimates Program, Table 17-10-0005-01, released September 29, 2021.

^[4] Manitoba Economic Development and Jobs. The Manitoba Labour Market Outlook Report 2021–2025. www.gov.mb.ca/jec/lmi/pdfs/mb_labour_market_outlook_2021_25.pdf. Accessed October 29, 2021.

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