As part of its continued Provincial Nominee Program Renewal (MPNP), effective February, the Manitoba Province will renew its Skilled Worker Overseas Stream – Human Capital Pathway and Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream. The MPNP renewal is part of the government’s plan to boost the province’s economy by attracting new investment, increasing the skilled workforce, and generally encouraging immigration.
Other streams such as the International Education Stream (IES) and Business Investor Stream (BIS) were revised and renewed in 2018. Now, the IES allows international students who have graduated in Manitoba to be more quickly nominated by their provinces. Such students no longer need to work for six months before applying to the MPNP.
Under the IES, the Career Employment Pathway is an opportunity for post-secondary students to find long-term employment in Manitoba in their field of training. Meanwhile, the Graduate Internship Pathway allows for faster nomination for international student obtaining master and doctoral graduates through internships contributing to industry innovation in Manitoba.
Finally, the Student Entrepreneur Pathway allows international students who graduate in Manitoba to pursue entrepreneurship instead of employment and if they perform well, they can be nominated for permanent residence.
On the other hand, BIS now allows Manitoba to welcome qualified business investors and entrepreneurs from around the world who are willing and financially able to start or purchase businesses in Manitoba within the first two years of arrival in Canada. They no longer need to pay a deposit of $100,000 to the Manitoba government and may either take the Entrepreneur Pathway or the Farm Investor Pathway, for those intending to establish and run a farm operation in rural Manitoba.
The Skilled Worker Overseas Stream (SWO) is for international skilled worker applicants possessing in-demand skills, training, and potential to succeed in the their occupation not long after they move to Manitoba. The government also plans to use this stream as a new pathway to nominate qualified applicants for the federal Express Entry program. They have stated that they will prioritize “candidates with close family connections in Manitoba and spouses who have the language proficiency, training and experience to quickly find jobs in-demand occupations.”
For this stream, there will be two pathways:
This pathway is for persons who have strong family connections and a solid skill, training, and experience ranking in occupations that the province of Manitoba needs. The Express Entry pathway is open to candidates who are also eligible under a different MPNP stream, meet Express Entry criteria and have an active Express Entry profile.
The Human Capital Pathway is for international skilled worker applicants who have the in-demand skills and training as published in Manitoba’s In-demand Occupations list. These individuals must also demonstrate that they can find jobs and in their respective fields as soon as possible after arrival in Manitoba.
Unlike the SWO, the Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream (SWM) is more locally driven and based on the needs of Manitoba employers. In this case, the MPNP is looking for applicants who have received training and experience outside Canada and have the skills needed in the Manitoban labour market. The government can now nominate these candidates for Canadian permanent resident visas to settle and work in Manitoba.
Again for this stream, there will be two pathways:
This pathway applies for people already working in Manitoba with temporary work permits not working in jobs published on the In-demand Occupations list. Individuals such as Temporary Foreign Workers, international student graduates from other provinces or Manitoba graduates.
The Employer Direct Recruitment Pathway on the other hand is for international applicants who already have job offers from pre-approved Manitoba employers.
The goal of these revisions is to allow individuals nominated by their province to clearly understand the economic needs, so they can benefit from the labour market. Potential MPNP applicants can also look through the regularly updated In-Demand Occupations list for more information.
Canadian immigration laws continue to provide more opportunities for people with the skills, training, and innovation who are ready to take the leap. Does this sound like you? Would you like to know your chances? We’re happy to consult with you.
Source: Manitoba Immigration