Manitoba International Student Entrepreneur Pilot (ISEP)

Licensed RCIC guidance on Manitoba’s International Student Entrepreneur Pilot, a small capped route for graduates of Manitoba institutions who run a Manitoba business.

Written and reviewed by Usman Khalil, RCIC (R709592), a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant and member of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). Last reviewed: June 2026.

Manitoba’s International Student Entrepreneur Pilot is a small, capped route for graduates of Manitoba post-secondary institutions who operate a business in Manitoba. This page explains the cap, the mandatory information session, and the conditions, reviewed by a licensed RCIC.

Current status: The Manitoba International Student Entrepreneur Pilot (ISEP) is open but tightly capped at a maximum of 20 nominations per year, and a mandatory information session is required before applying. It is for graduates of Manitoba post-secondary institutions, not a broad open business immigration route.

1. What the Manitoba ISEP is

The Manitoba International Student Entrepreneur Pilot, part of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program’s International Education Stream, is a small, specialised route for international students who graduated from a Manitoba post-secondary institution and who build and operate a business in Manitoba. It is not a broad business immigration program. It is capped at a maximum of 20 nominations per year, and a mandatory information session is required before you can apply. Because of the cap, it is selective.

2. Eligibility at a glance

The pilot generally looks for completion of a full-time Manitoba post-secondary program of at least two years, an age within a defined range, language ability at CLB or NCLC 7, majority ownership of a Manitoba business that you operate on site as a senior manager for a minimum period before nomination, a valid work permit, and continuous residence in Manitoba since graduation. A mandatory information session must be attended before applying. Confirm the current details, because pilot conditions can change.

3. Who this is for

This pilot fits Manitoba graduates who stayed in Manitoba, hold majority ownership of a genuine Manitoba business they run on site, and meet the age, language, and residence conditions.

4. Who this is not for

It is not a general business immigration route, not for graduates of institutions outside Manitoba, and not for passive owners. Applicants seeking a broader Manitoba business route should look at the Manitoba Entrepreneur Pathway or the Farm Investor Pathway, where eligible.

5. The staged process

You attend the mandatory information session, build and operate your Manitoba business as a majority owner and on-site senior manager for the required period, and then apply. If approved and within the annual cap, Manitoba can nominate you, and you then apply federally for permanent residence. Because nominations are capped at 20 per year, timing and a strong file matter.

6. Source of funds and business plan

Because ownership, the genuine operation of the business, and your investment are assessed, the strongest applications pair documented funds with a real, operating Manitoba business. Our work combines a licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant with a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, Ontario, C83028834), so the financial evidence and the business documentation are prepared to the standard Manitoba evaluates.

7. Common officer concerns

Applications commonly run into trouble when the business is not genuinely operating, when ownership or on-site management is unclear, when residence or language conditions are not met, or when the information session step is missed. Each of these requires full review.

8. How MAK helps

MAK works with licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants and a CPA. We confirm whether you meet the ISEP conditions, help you plan around the annual cap and the mandatory information session, prepare the documentation, and manage the filing.

Frequently Asked Questions