Manitoba Introduces New Changes to its Provincial Nominee Program

Over the passage of time, Manitoba has announced numerous changes to its Provincial Nominee Program. The restructuring of provincial nominee program includes the introduction of an In-Demand Occupations List and some new categories attached with Canada’s Express Entry system.

These changes are not abrupt, on the contrary, they are connected with the vast restructuring efforts for the renewal of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). The basic reason for this overhauling is to introduce new pathways for those who are planning to seek permanent residence in the Manitoba.

What are the changes?

The basic changes made in the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) relate to the reorganizing of the three already working immigration streams

• MPNP-B business immigration stream
• Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream and Skilled Worker Overseas Stream
• The creation of a new International Education Stream

Another most noticeable change is the creation of a new In-Demand Occupations List. This new list will assist in prioritizing the Expressions of Interest (EOI) while inviting the applications through the recently launched Skilled Worker Overseas stream. This particular stream is divided into two new pathways such as:

• The Manitoba Express Entry Pathway
• The Human Capital Pathway

[Read more: Canadian Immigration – Start-up Visa Program]

MPNP-B Renamed as Business Investor Stream (BIS)

The MPNP-B stream is now officially named as the Business Investor Stream (BIS). This stream offers two new pathways including

• Entrepreneur Pathway
• The Farm Investor Pathway

The applicants who fall under the Entrepreneur Pathway will get a temporary work permit by depositing an amount of $100,000. In addition, these applicants must start a new business in the province or sign a business performance agreement to buy an existing business. With reference to a press release, the new criteria will come into effect during the first quarter of 2018.

Moreover, the government has said that those applicants who start a business within 12 months after arriving in Manitoba will receive priority treatment. Moreover, this stream will further prioritize those applicants who are planning to start their business outside Winnipeg.

Skilled Workers in Manitoba

This new category is further divided into two pathways, which include:

• Employer Direct Recruitment Pathway
• The Manitoba Work Experience Pathway

Employer Direct Recruitment Pathway relates to those international applicants who have received a valid job offer from any one of the approved Manitoba employers. On the other hand, the Manitoba Work Experience Pathway attracts those applicants who are already working in Manitoba under temporary work permits and their jobs are not available on the In-demand Occupations list.

International Education Stream

The International Education Stream is a new addition to the Manitoba provincial nomination program. It will provide faster pathways to the provincial nomination for international students completing their graduation in Manitoba. These students must meet the skill level, demanded by the approved employers of the province. This new stream will receive applications from graduates in technology, science, engineering and mathematics programs in April 2018.

Ian Wishart, the Education and Training Minister of Manitoba has shared his thoughts in the following words.

“The new International Education Stream will make it easier for international students with a Manitoba education to build their careers and settle here in the province”.