Ottawa Extends Work Permits for 2,700 Manitoba Foreign Workers Until 2027 After Province Misses Nomination Deadline

Ottawa is extending federal work permits for 2,700 foreign workers in Manitoba until Dec. 31, 2027, Cbc reported. The extension follows months of pleas from Manitoba Immigration Minister Malaya Marcelino and protests by affected workers at the Manitoba Legislature.

Kevin Lamoureux, the member of Parliament for Winnipeg North, said the workers contribute to the local economy and have built lives in the province. He added they should not lose status while their Manitoba provincial nominee program nominations are finalized.

Terry Duguid, the member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, described the measure as a time-limited exception during the federal shift toward lower immigration levels.

Marcelino stated the extension stems from ongoing requests her office has made since last fall. Protesters held multiple rallies this year, including one in April, after the federal government rejected her extension request at least twice. The federal government reduced nationwide provincial nominee program allotments from 110,000 in 2024 to 55,000 in 2025.

Manitoba's allotment fell from 9,600 in 2023 to 6,239 in 2025. Beginning in 2023, Ottawa stopped extending post-graduate work permits. In 2024, Manitoba secured a two-year extension for thousands of workers on the condition that the province finish nominating supported candidates by the end of 2026.

The federal government said the province will not meet that deadline. Bram Strain, president and CEO of the Business Council of Manitoba, said the reduced allotments created the need for further extensions. He noted the situation placed thousands of applicants and their employers in severe limbo.