Manitoba expanded its Temporary Resident Retention Pilot on February 4, 2026, letting employers in all sectors support work permit extensions for workers in 16 specific skilled trades occupations, even if the employer’s business no longer falls within a previously eligible sector.
The change matters most for skilled trades workers whose employers sit outside the pilot’s sector list but still want to keep trained staff in Manitoba, and for businesses that previously could not use the program because their industry did not qualify.
Manitoba runs the Temporary Resident Retention Pilot, known as the TRRP, as an employer-driven pathway designed to support certain work permit extensions for existing temporary resident workers in the province. Under the expanded approach, a “sector exemption” means the employer’s sector no longer controls eligibility for the designated skilled trades occupations, although other TRRP employer requirements still apply.
The timing of submissions now carries added weight because Manitoba tied the update to a sector change that took effect on February 4, 2026. On that date, Hospitality and Food Services stopped being an eligible sector, and Manitoba said it would not accept applications from that sector received after the change unless they support a worker in an exempt occupation.
Manitoba also set a transition rule for cases already in motion. Applications submitted before February 4, 2026, are processed under the prior rules, which means employers and workers need to focus on when a submission was made rather than when preparation started or when a filing was planned.
For workers and employers trying to apply the timing rule in practice, the distinction Manitoba drew is between applications submitted before the change date and those received after it. That submission date can determine whether an employer in Hospitality and Food Services can use the TRRP for a non-exempt occupation, and it can also decide whether an employer outside the remaining eligible sectors can proceed at all if the occupation is not one of the designated skilled trades.
The exemption itself attaches to occupations, not to businesses. Manitoba framed the update as allowing employers in all sectors to support work permit extensions when the worker’s job falls into one of the 16 listed skilled trades occupations.
Manitoba identified “sector-exempt” occupations as skilled trades roles that can be supported regardless of the employer’s sector. In the materials outlining the change, Manitoba listed Agricultural Equipment Technician (NOC 72401), Heavy Duty Equipment Technician (NOC 72401), Automotive Service Technician (NOC 72410), Diesel Engine Mechanic (NOC 72410), Boilermaker (NOC 72304), Railway Car Technician (NOC 72403), Auto Body and Collision Technician (NOC 73202), Automotive Refinishing Technician (NOC 73202), and Water and Wastewater Technician (NOC 22101) among the exempt occupations, while maintaining that the total number of exempt occupations is 16.
For employers and workers, the practical first step is confirming the correct National Occupational Classification, or NOC, for the job being used to seek support under the TRRP. Manitoba’s use of NOC codes means the match should turn on job duties rather than job title, because job titles can vary widely across workplaces even when the core work resembles the same occupation.
That duties-based approach can matter in skilled trades, where small differences in day-to-day work can point to different NOC codes, and where the same title can be used for different roles across employers. A worker whose title includes “technician,” for instance, still needs the duties to align with the NOC code Manitoba treats as exempt for the TRRP.
When a role qualifies as sector-exempt, the employer’s industry no longer acts as a gatekeeper for that TRRP submission. Employers still need to meet Manitoba’s program requirements, and the program remains employer-driven, but the exemption means a business outside the remaining eligible sectors can support a work permit extension if the worker’s occupation is one of the designated skilled trades.
For non-exempt occupations, Manitoba kept the sector filter in place. Employers supporting workers whose occupations are not on the sector-exempt list must operate in an eligible sector to use the TRRP.
Manitoba listed the remaining eligible sectors for non-exempt occupations as Agriculture, Construction and trades, Information Technology, Food processing, Education, Healthcare, and Manufacturing. In practice, that sector requirement relates to the employer’s business activity rather than the worker’s personal work history, education, or background.
The sector distinction can create different outcomes for workers in the same workplace, depending on their occupation. A sector-exempt skilled trades worker may remain eligible for employer support even if the business operates outside the listed sectors, while a worker in a non-exempt role at the same company could be blocked if the employer does not fall within one of Manitoba’s eligible sectors.
Manitoba also tightened one sector’s treatment at the same time it expanded the exemptions. Hospitality and Food Services dropped from the eligible sectors on February 4, 2026, and Manitoba said it would not accept applications from that sector received after that date unless the worker’s occupation is exempt.
Employer eligibility remains central to the TRRP because Manitoba designed the pilot around business compliance and the relationship between a current employee and a Manitoba employer. Manitoba requires employers to hold a valid WRAPA Certificate of Registration.
Manitoba set operational history expectations as well. Employers need to demonstrate, over the past three years, active ownership and operation of a non-home-based business in Manitoba.
Manitoba also tied eligibility to a revenue threshold over that same three-year period. Employers must show at least $350,000 gross annual revenue.
The documents an employer uses to support those points will vary by business, but Manitoba’s criteria point employers toward keeping clear records that demonstrate ongoing operations in Manitoba, that the business is not home-based, and that gross annual revenue meets or exceeds $350,000 across the relevant period. For employers that already maintain organized financial and registration records, preparing a TRRP submission may center on presenting those materials in a way that aligns with the program’s screening.
Manitoba listed categories of employers it treats as ineligible, reflecting program integrity checks and limits on the kinds of business arrangements the TRRP will support. Ineligible employers include placement agencies supplying workers as-needed.
Manitoba also excluded businesses employing only owner-operators, self-employed workers, or independent contractors. That restriction means an employer that does not have an employer-employee structure beyond those categories cannot use the TRRP to support a work permit extension.
Planned ownership changes can also affect eligibility. Manitoba listed businesses planning to sell all or part within 2 years among ineligible employers.
Federal compliance actions can disqualify businesses as well. Manitoba included those on the ESDC/Service Canada suspension list.
Manitoba also excluded employers fined under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, known as the TFWP, or the International Mobility Program, known as the IMP. That connects the TRRP to broader compliance expectations for employers who hire foreign workers and signals that Manitoba screens participating employers for past violations.
The TRRP’s core mechanics are employer-driven. Manitoba described it as a process in which eligible businesses apply on behalf of current temporary resident employees, rather than a worker applying independently.
In practical terms, the sequence begins with eligibility checks that cover both the employer and the role being used to seek support. Employers and workers need to determine whether the occupation is one of the sector-exempt skilled trades or a non-exempt role that still depends on the eligible sector list.
After that initial check, the employer submits an application to support the current employee under the TRRP. Manitoba then assesses the submission before issuing an outcome that can be used for work permit extension planning where applicable.
Manitoba set expectations on timing but also left room for variation. It said processing can take as little as 60 days.
Even with that timeline, processing speed can depend on how complete the submission is and whether Manitoba needs to verify details. Employers that anticipate questions about their operational history, revenue, or business structure may need to be prepared to respond quickly within Manitoba’s process.
Manitoba did not frame TRRP approval as automatic. It said approval aligns with Manitoba’s economic and immigration priorities and is not guaranteed, underscoring that the pilot remains discretionary even when an employer and worker appear to meet baseline criteria.
For workers, that discretionary element means a TRRP-supported approach to a work permit extension depends not only on the worker’s current job and the employer’s documents, but also on Manitoba’s assessment. For employers, it means the submission should be treated as a formal application that needs to demonstrate compliance and eligibility clearly, rather than as a routine administrative request.
The February 4, 2026 update also means employers need to avoid relying on outdated sector assumptions. A business in Hospitality and Food Services that previously considered itself eligible for non-exempt occupations now faces a different rule for applications received after February 4, 2026, while employers in other sectors may newly see a path to support a worker in a skilled trade that Manitoba designated as exempt.
Manitoba directed applicants to the official Manitoba Immigration TRRP page for full details and applications. With eligibility hinging on a mix of occupation coding, sector rules for non-exempt jobs, and employer compliance requirements like the WRAPA Certificate of Registration and the $350,000 gross annual revenue threshold over the past three years, employers and workers seeking to use the TRRP have a narrow task: confirm whether the job is sector-exempt, confirm the employer’s eligibility, and submit in a way that fits Manitoba’s rules as they apply after February 4, 2026.
