Eligibility Requirements for Employers

Employer Services can support eligible Manitoba businesses that have demonstrated a labour market need or are positioning their business to be more competitive in the global marketplace.

Employer Services can assist you with your recruitment efforts, when your business has exhausted all local recruitment avenues or can demonstrate that international recruitment will provide a significant benefit to a Manitoba based company and create additional opportunities for Canadians.

Employer eligibility

Eligible employers

  • are registered as a corporation, limited partnership or sole proprietorship;
  • are established in Manitoba for a minimum of three years;
  • have a commercial business and are not home-based;
  • have a minimum of $250,000 in gross revenue in the immediate three years preceding the application;
  • have an established employer-employee relationship and the employee cannot be in a partnership or proprietor relationship with the employer (e.g., owner-operator in trucking industry or partnership in a restaurant);
  • are not working with employment agencies using temporary workers;
  • are not seeking to sell their business or portions of their business in the next two years;
  • have a positive history with Employment Standards (no systemic history of non-compliance) and the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program, if applicable;
  • are not currently on the Employment and Social Development Canada/Service Canada suspension list; and
  • have not been assessed a fine for breaking the rules of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) or the International Mobility Program (IMP).

Once you have determined your business meets the eligibility requirements, follow the ABC Step recruitment process. Please note that transportation and logistics businesses that employ long-haul truck drivers must satisfy the long-haul truck driver recruitment guidelines.

Note: Employer Services will only communicate directly with the employer and or declared representative regarding the assessment of eligibility. MPNP's Integrity and Qualifications Assessment Unit may assist where the employer vetting or candidate assessment process requires additional document integrity, clarification and/or review.

Position criteria

  • Positions must reference the National Occupation Classification (NOC) 2021 list.
  • Starting wages cannot be less than the median prevailing wage rate for that occupation in the respective region, as indicated in the NOC.
  • Positions must be for long-term/permanent and full-time employment and meet the wages and working conditions offered to citizens/permanent residents.
  • If the occupation requires licensure or certification, the intended candidate must apply to the regulatory body to have their qualifications and skills assessed and/or pass an examination.

TEER 4 and 5 occupations

If the wage rate is less than Manitoba's median wage, the employer must consider additional factors to assist low wage earners and

  • provide access to affordable housing and transportation until the worker can obtain their own means of transportation in remote areas where transportation is not readily accessible;
  • pay the fees for the TFW's work permit;
  • pay the transportation costs (i.e., airfare) of the TFW's to the work location in Canada and repatriation costs should the TFW be terminated and plans to return to place of origin; and
  • provide reasonable access to assistance with all aspects of settlement including information on registering for Manitoba Health, schooling (for children if applicable), banking, obtaining identity documents, etc.

Ineligible positions

The following positions are ineligible:

  • Temporary or seasonal
  • Part-time employment (less than 30 hours per week)
  • Commission-based
  • Home-based
  • Not based in Manitoba

Advertising requirements

Employers are required to:

  • Advertise for (4) continuous weeks immediately preceding the employer application submission to Employer Services
  • Advertise continuously on the Government of Canada Job Bank throughout the entire recruitment process
  • Utilize (2) additional methods of recruitment that are consistent with the occupation (targets an audience that has the appropriate education, professional experience and or skill level required for the occupation).
  • Post job ads on the MB Start Job Matching Unit's website and provide proof of recent and on-going correspondence with the JMU to gauge results

Manitoba Start connects businesses to a world-class workforce and offers intercultural supports that build workplace diversity. With pools of skilled, Manitoba job-ready permanent residents, Manitoba Start offers employers quality staffing solutions, work placement programs and follow-up supports. For more information, call 204-942-JOBS (5627) or email jobs@manitobastart.com.

Additional methods of recruitment include:

  • General employment websites
  • Employer career websites
  • Online classified websites (Indeed, Kijiji, Local Job Shop)
  • Specialized websites which are dedicated to specific occupational profiles (for example, accounting, marketing, biotechnology, education, engineering)
  • Local, regional and national newspapers or newsletters
  • Local stores, places of worship, and community resource centres
  • Local, regional and provincial/territorial employment centres
  • Magazines and journals (for example, national journals or magazines,
  • Professional associations magazines, specialized journals)
  • Participation at job fairs
  • Partnering with training institutions or offering internships/bursaries
  • Professional recruitment agencies
  • Consultations with unions for available labour
  • Advertising through professional associations
  • Recruitment within the company (for example, considering internal candidates for the position)
  • Contacting schools and post-secondary institutions in your area
  • Aboriginal Careers website

Job advertisements must include:

  • Company operating name
  • Business address
  • Title of the position and National Occupation Classification (NOC)
  • Skills requirements (includes education and work experience)
  • Job duties (for each position, if advertising for more than one vacancy)
  • Terms of employment (project based, permanent position)
  • Wage (a wage range can be used for the purposes of complying with the advertisements; however the minimum wage in the range must meet median prevailing wage rate for that occupation
  • Benefits package offered (if applicable)
  • Location(s) of work (local area, city or town)
  • Contact information: telephone number, email address, fax number and mailing address

See Employer and Candidate Overview for more information.