- Manitoba launched a Workforce Transition Bridge providing open work permits for twenty-seven hundred temporary foreign workers.
- The policy extends the nomination deadline until December thirty-first, twenty twenty-seven, for those in the provincial pool.
- Eligible workers must hold a Manitoba support letter issued on or before December thirty-first, twenty twenty-five.
The Honourable Lena Metlege Diab signed the Workforce Transition Bridge on July 6, 2026, and Manitoba put new instructions in place on August 5 for roughly 2,700 temporary foreign workers. The measure gives eligible applicants an open work permit after they secure a Manitoba support letter. It runs until December 31, 2027. A narrow bridge, not a wide door.
Diab grounded the measure in public policy. She wrote:
"I hereby establish that there are sufficient public policy considerations that justify the granting. exemptions from the requirements of the Regulations. to foreign nationals who meet the conditions."
The quote does the legal work. It is the hinge.
Malaya Marcelino cast the bridge as a way to keep workers and families in the province while files move. She said:
"By allowing eligible candidates to extend their work permits, we’re helping more Manitoba workers and families to continue building their lives in Manitoba. This is good news for our economy, businesses and communities across Manitoba."
Her message was plain. Keep people working.
The bridge is a follow-on initiative. Manitoba built it after earlier temporary policies left workers in the provincial nominee pool while permits were ending. More than 1,600 of those workers have since become permanent residents, but approximately 2,700 were still waiting for final nomination. Manitoba had expected to miss the original December 31, 2026 deadline. Time ran short.
Workers who never received a Manitoba support letter in 2024 or 2025 do not qualify. Manitoba also left Alberta and Yukon candidates outside the policy. Eligible workers need a current letter of employment from their Manitoba employer, a full-time job of at least 30 hours per week, an active MPNP Expression of Interest profile, continuing eligibility to apply to the MPNP and no prior nomination. Keep the file active.
The support letter has its own cutoff. Manitoba had to issue it on or before December 31, 2025, and the letter must say the worker was screened and placed in the MPNP EOI pool by that date. That date controls the file. Later letters do not count.
Three status groups can ask for the bridge
| Status group | What must be true | What the application includes |
|---|---|---|
| Current permit holders | They hold a valid work permit now, have applied for a work permit and an extension of temporary resident status, and submit the support letter plus a current employment letter. | Support letter; current employment letter |
| Expired permit holders | They held a valid work permit on May 7, 2024, that permit has expired, and they apply for a new work permit plus either an extension of temporary resident status or restoration of status. | Support letter; employment letter |
| Paragraph 186(u) workers | They were authorized to work under paragraph 186(u) on May 7, 2024 after filing a work permit renewal application on or before that date. | Work permit application; required Manitoba and employment letters |
The permit lets people keep working while they wait
Once approved, the permit is broad. It lets holders work for almost any employer in Canada while they wait for provincial nomination. That separates the bridge from an employer-specific permit. It keeps them moving.
Manitoba opened a webform on August 5
Manitoba opened a dedicated webform on August 5, 2026 for eligible candidates to request their new support letters. Applicants need a copy of their previous TPP Support Letter, their current or expired IRCC work permit and a valid passport. The form is the entry point.
The policy extends the MPNP nomination deadline from December 31, 2026, to December 31, 2027. That extra year covers the same group waiting in the pool. The clock now runs to 2027.
