Life in Canada

For those interested in applying for immigration to Manitoba through its Provincial Nominee Program for Business (MPNP-B), you may consider making an Exploratory Visit to the province to experience the way of life first hand, as well as explore business opportunities. Even though the Exploratory Visit is completely optional for the applicant, it is highly recommended to conduct this visit before submitting an application.

There are several benefits to conducting the Exploratory Visit, most importantly, the ability to make relevant business connections that can help you identify a viable business and set up your business once in Manitoba. A second benefit is that the Manitoba PNP will allocate an additional 15 points on the Adaptability Assessment Matrix for a qualifying visit of at least five days. Although the program requires only a minimum score of 60 on the Matrix in order to be eligible for the program, applicants must make efforts to achieve the highest sore possible as only the highest scoring submissions among a pool of all eligible candidates will be invited to submit a formal application.

The Exploratory Visit must be conducted no more than one year before the submission of an Expression of Interest (EOI). The Visit can also be conducted after submission of your EOI and you can update the information in order to improve your point score once your visit is complete. In order to be awarded additional points for the visit, you must be in Manitoba for a minimum stay of five business days, not including the arrival and departure days. Longer visits than the minimum are encouraged in order to have sufficient time to thoroughly explore the province and its opportunities.

The following is a list of sample research activities that can be conducted during an Exploratory Visit:

• Identify a business opportunity;
• Figure out the start-up costs of the business;
• Look at real estate market for both a business location as well as personal residence;
• Analyze the competition to business;
• Conduct market research to define target market;
• Meet with tax accountant who can help with business setup as well as income and assets abroad (if any);
• Meet with other business owners who can be potential suppliers, etc;
• Research schools for accompanying children;
• Learn the general cost of living and lifestyle.

If using the Exploratory Visit as part of your application to earn more points, you must spend a significant portion of your time in the province conducting research related to your business intent. You are required to provide an Exploratory Visit Report along with your nomination application that describes the details of your research during your stay.

The Business Settlement Office hosts weekly information seminars every Tuesday for foreign business investors who are interested in immigrating to Manitoba through the MPNP-B. Applicants must register for the seminar prior to their visit in order to secure a spot. The seminar will not affect the score of an applicant, however, it is recommended to attend one as the topics covered include (among others) the application process, the province’s business environment, and an introduction to business research.

In order to submit an Exploratory Visit Report with your nomination application, you must provide a detailed description of all activities undertaken during your visit. In other words, you should keep daily records of who you meet, what you discussed, and how this helps your business intent. Keep a folder with all items collected on your visit such as boarding passes, receipts, and business cards.

Even though the Exploratory Visit is not mandatory, it is strongly advised that applicants embark on such visit, and the same applies to applications to any province, not only the MPNP-B. Our firm has a large network of business professionals that we can put you in touch with during your Exploratory Visit to help make the most of your time spent in the province. The benefits of a visit definitely outweigh the costs and should be considered.

For a comparison of all Provincial Nominee Programs for Business, please click here.

Please fill out our Free Assessment, and find out if you qualify under any of the business immigration programs offered.