Manitoba International Student Entrepreneur Pilot (ISEP)

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) has an International Education Stream for people who studied in the province. It has included three routes:

• the Career Employment Pathway, which closed on June 11, 2026
• the Graduate Internship Pathway, which remains open
• the International Student Entrepreneur Pilot (ISEP), covered on this page

The ISEP is for graduates who want to be their own boss rather than an employee. The idea is to keep young entrepreneurs who already know Manitoba, its market, and its people. It is a pilot, so it has a small number of spaces and Manitoba can change or end it.

A provincial nomination is not permanent residence (PR). If Manitoba nominates you, you still apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which makes the final decision. See our PNP overview and Manitoba guide.

We could not confirm the pilot's current intake status in September 2026. Here is what is known:

• When Manitoba closed the Career Employment Pathway on June 11, 2026, it confirmed that the Graduate Internship Pathway continues. Reports of that announcement did not mention the ISEP either way.
• Manitoba reviews business Expressions of Interest on a rolling basis rather than in scheduled draws.
• Since March 2, 2026, the MPNP answers questions only through online webforms, not email.

Before you spend money on a business plan, check the International Education Stream section of immigratemanitoba.com for the current status, rules, and number of spaces. If the page is unclear, ask through the MPNP webform.

The MPNP sets the exact rules. Based on how the pilot has been designed, expect to need:

• A completed program at an eligible Manitoba post-secondary institution. The MPNP sets the minimum program length and how recently you must have graduated.
• A plan to start a new business or buy an existing one in Manitoba, with a clear business plan.
• Enough money to set up and run the business and to support yourself and your family.
• Active management. You must run the business day to day, in a senior management role, not as a passive investor.
• An approved language test at the level the MPNP sets. See language tests.
• Legal status in Canada, such as a Post-Graduation Work Permit, if you are in the country.

The pilot has not asked for the long business ownership history that the regular Entrepreneur Pathway requires. That is what makes it attractive to recent graduates, and also why spaces are limited.

The ISEP has worked in two phases.

Phase 1: approval to start

You submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). If the MPNP invites you, you receive a Letter of Advice to Apply (LAA) and send a full application with your business plan. If your plan is approved, you move to phase 2.

Phase 2: operate, then seek nomination

You start or take over the business and run it in Manitoba. Under past rules, you had to operate it actively for at least six months in a senior management role before Manitoba would consider nominating you. The MPNP checks that the business matches your plan and is really operating.

If you meet the terms, Manitoba nominates you and you apply to IRCC for PR. Keep your work permit valid throughout. A business that stops operating, changes hands, or never really starts can end your file.

Whatever route you use, running a business in Manitoba means meeting the same rules as any local owner:

• Register the business. Choose a structure, such as a sole proprietorship or a corporation, and register it with the province or federally.
• Get a business number and tax accounts. You may need to register for the goods and services tax (GST) and Manitoba's retail sales tax, and to set up payroll accounts if you hire staff.
• Get licenses and permits. Cities and towns, including Winnipeg, have their own business licensing, zoning, and health rules.
• Keep clean books. The MPNP will want to see that the business is real and active. Monthly records, a business bank account, and filed tax returns are your proof.

A local accountant can set this up correctly from the start. Manitoba also has business support centers and settlement agencies that help newcomer entrepreneurs.

• Your permit clock. A PGWP has a fixed end date. Count backward: business setup, the required period of operation, nomination, and the federal PR process all take time.
• Real demand. Pick a business with real customers in Manitoba. The MPNP looks for active, for-profit businesses, not holding companies or passive investments.
• Money you can prove. Keep records of where your funds came from. Unclear funds are a common reason for refusal.
• Buying a business. Buying an existing business can be faster, but check the MPNP rules on purchases first and get independent legal and accounting advice.
• Paid promises. Nobody can guarantee a nomination. Be wary of anyone who sells a ready-made business "with PR included." See our scam protection guide.

The federal routes for founders are not available right now. The Start-Up Visa closed at the end of 2025, and the Self-Employed Persons program is paused.

If your case is complicated, for example you have a past refusal or your permit is ending soon, talk to a lawyer or licensed consultant (RCIC). See how to verify a lawyer or consultant.