Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)

Last week, the Premier of Manitoba, Brian Pallister, announced that improvements to the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) will help reduce processing times and fast-track nominations to provide skilled applicants with the opportunity to strengthen Manitoba’s economy.

The Premier acknowledges that immigration is a key driver of economic growth, as well as a means of getting new innovation into the economy. He stated, “The renewal of Manitoba’s Provincial Nominee Program will ensure our province continues to attract skilled workers and entrepreneurs with the potential to make the strongest contributions to our economy soon after their arrival in Canada.” Since the program’s launch in 1998, Manitoba’s PNP has made substantial contributions to the province’s economy.

The changes announced by the Premier are part of a new immigration strategy that focuses on:

• New partnerships with industry and post-secondary institutions that help pave the way to employment opportunities for skilled workers and international students by matching them with the most in-demand jobs in Manitoba;
• The selection of skilled workers with the best potential to succeed in the labour market by selecting those with higher education, work experience and language requirements;
• The selection of entrepreneurs with the greatest potential to set up high-investment businesses in all regions of the province that will create a high number of jobs; and
• Plan to eliminate the current MPNP backlog by April 2017 in order to offer faster service to new applicants, with the optimistic processing time of under six months.

The Premier announced that the province of Manitoba will be working closely with the federal government of Canada to help improve processing speeds of visa applications.

The Premier also stated that current fees for business program applicants will be re-invested into refining the existing program service standards, as well as services to assist immigrants and refugees with economic integration in the province with no added cost to Manitobans.

Labour market forecasts for Manitoba estimate that there will be over 170,000 job openings in the province from now until the year 2021. Demand will be spread across multiple industries such as business, finance, services, agri-business, and transportation. The Premier believes that at least one quarter of all anticipated job openings will be filled by immigrants.

Starting April 2017, a quarterly update of the MPNP nomination plan that prioritizes skills and job creation will be published in order to inform potential applicants of Manitoba’s labour market priorities, the Premier announced. He ensured continuous monitoring and evaluation of the program, with improvements implemented as required to allow for the program to meet Manitoba’s economic and labour market needs.

Many foreign national business investors and skilled workers have been welcomed to Manitoba through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) in the past few years, and each individual has contributed in some way to the local economy and society. The new changes to the program is set to further improve the process for immigrants, as well as increase the end benefits for Manitoba.

The Premier stated, “Manitoba is once again open for business, offering a diverse economic base with areas of undiscovered potential ready for the expansion of existing businesses, development of our entrepreneurial talent, and attraction of new investment and the opportunities it will bring.”
 
For more information on the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program for Business (MBPNP), please click here.

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