Manitoba’s Minister of Education and Training, Ian Wishart, announced on November 15th that an agreement has been reached with the federal government to restructure the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program. The changes are meant to make the economic provincial program more user friendly and create new pathways to permanent residence.
MPNP will be expanded to four application streams aimed to deliver better matching options for the skilled workers applications with the Manitoba employers, as well as facilitate quicker processing of the applications for permanent residence. The potential MPNP applications will be able to find current updates on these priorities through the In-Demand Occupation list. Priority will be given to francophone applicants who meet the criteria in one of the four streams discussed below.
International Education Stream (IES)
The improved International Education stream will offer faster and simpler nomination pathways for graduates of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) with internships that foster industry innovation, and for post-secondary international student graduates with long-term employment in an in-demand occupation, consistent with their training. Furthermore, the graduates will no longer be required to work for six months prior to applying to the MPNP. These changes will come in effect on April 2018.
There will be one pathway under the IES stream: Career Employment Pathway
Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream (SWM)
The substantial improvements to the skilled worker program will focus on the candidates with strong labour attachments to Manitoba employers, as well as the recruitment partnerships aimed to match Manitoba employers with the suitable workers. This stream will be locally driven and will take into consideration the needs of the Manitoba employers.
There will be two pathways under the SWM stream: Manitoba Work Experience Pathway and Employer Direct Recruitment Pathway
Skilled Worker Overseas Stream (SWO)
Priority will be given to candidates with family connections in Manitoba and spouses who possess the required training, experience and language proficiency to find employment. Under this new stream, the qualified international skilled workers can be nominated by the province for federal express entry.
There will be two pathways under the SWO stream: Manitoba Express Entry Pathway and Human Capital Pathway
Business Investor Stream (BIS)
The new business investor pathway will enable Manitoba to recruit and nominate qualified business investors and entrepreneurs from around the world. The focus will be on foreign investors with plans to start a business or to buy an existing one, predominantly outside Winnipeg, within the first 24 months of their arrival in Manitoba. The foreign investors will have to sign an agreement to start a new business or to buy an existing one, as opposed to having to submit a $100,000 deposit to MPNP. The deposit will no longer be a requirement. In exchange, MPNP will provide a letter of support for a temporary work permit.
There will be two pathways under the BIS stream: Entrepreneur Pathway and Farm Investor Pathway
For more information on the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program, please visit:
