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MPNP notice regarding Expression of Interest draws using NOC 2021

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In accordance with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) will begin using the 2021 version of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) for all applications received on or after November 16, 2022.

The MPNP is currently only accepting Expression of Interest profiles using NOC 2021 (5 digits). Profiles can be submitted at any time.

The MPNP will conduct an Expression of Interest draw for profiles using NOC 2021 on November 17, 2022. To be considered in any draw occurring on November 17, 2022, you must have submitted an Expression of Interest profile by November 16, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. CST.

The MPNP will continue to accept new Expression of Interest profiles after November 16, 2022 and conduct regular draws based on the MPNP's need for applications to meet program objectives.

The MPNP plans to conduct an Expression of Interest draw for Skilled Worker Overseas candidates before December 31, 2022. This draw will consider all Expression of Interest profiles with a connection to Manitoba through a Manitoba Supporter or previous Manitoba experience. For more information, please see the Skilled Worker Overseas eligibility criteria here.

Please note that if your MPNP application was submitted before November 16, 2022, the MPNP nomination and subsequent permanent residence application will be assessed using NOC 2016. Your application and nomination cannot be switched to NOC 2021.

Destination Canada Mobility Forum 2022

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The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program, along with the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (CDEM), Economic Development Winnipeg (EDW), Acceuil Francophone, and the Manitoba Francophone Immigration Network (RIF-MB) will be participating in the upcoming Government of Canada's Destination Canada Mobility Forum, a recruitment fair for bilingual skilled workers in Paris, France and Rabat, Morocco from November 16 to 23, 2022, and in the virtual version from November 28 to 30.

Every year, the Canadian government organizes this event to connect Canadian employers in predominantly anglophone provinces with skilled bilingual candidates from a variety of industries.

To learn more about the Destination Canada Mobility Forum, please click here. To view the Government of Manitoba news release on this announcement, please click here.

Pinawa Community Partnership Initiative resumes

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The Pinawa Community Partnership Initiative between the Local Government District of Pinawa and the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program has resumed.

This initiative is intended to expedite the application process for potential international entrepreneurs who would like to invest in a business in the Pinawa region. For more detailed information, please visit pinawa.com/p/pinawa-international-entrepreneurship-program.

IRCC temporarily lifts limit on off-campus work hours for international students

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On October 7, 2022, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Canada's Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the temporary lifting of the 20-hour-per-week cap on the number of hours that eligible post-secondary students are allowed to work off-campus while class is in session.

From November 15, 2022 until December 31, 2023, international students who are in Canada and who have off-campus work authorization on their study permit will not be restricted by the 20-hour-per-week rule. Foreign nationals who have already submitted a study permit application, as of today, will also be able to benefit from this temporary change, provided their application is approved.

More information about this update and current study permit conditions is available via Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)'s official news release.

Please note that Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) criteria pertaining to qualifying Manitoba employment has not changed. Persons interested in applying to the MPNP's Skilled Worker in Manitoba pathway must possess a work permit from IRCC. Qualifying Manitoba employment includes work completed while in possession of a valid post-graduation work permit or other work permit. The MPNP does not consider periods of employment during which you were engaged in full-time study or did not hold a work permit when calculating the period of qualifying work experience in Manitoba.

For more information about eligibility to apply as a Skilled Worker in Manitoba and what is considered qualifying Manitoba employment, please see the Eligibility - Skilled Worker in Manitoba page.

Eligibility criteria to apply under the International Education Stream (IES) is not impacted by these changes in IRCC's study permit conditions. Information about eligibility to apply to the IES is available on the eligibility pages of each of IES pathway.

MPNP notice regarding NOC 2021

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The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) will be switching to the 2021 version of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) for all applications received on or after November 16, 2022 in accordance with the change being made by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

In order to implement the necessary changes, the MPNP will conduct the final Expression of Interest Draw using NOC 2016 on September 15, 2022.

The MPNP will conduct the first Expression of Interest Draw using NOC 2021 after November 16, 2022. The MPNP will announce when the Expression of Interest profile can be created using NOC 2021 following the Expression of Interest Draw on September 15, 2022.

If your MPNP application was made with NOC 2016, your MPNP nomination and subsequent permanent residence application will be assessed using NOC 2016. Your application and nomination cannot be switched to NOC 2021.

Do not submit an Expression of Interest profile unless all eligibility criteria is met.

MPNP notices regarding COVID-19

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These notices pertain to the various stages in the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) application process: pre-application, application, and post-nomination.

Pre-application

Do not submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) if you do not currently meet all the eligibility criteria of the stream to which you are applying.

If you were laid-off due to COVID-19 and have since resumed working in Manitoba, you can count your months of work before and after your lay off towards your eligibility for the MPNP. For example, if you worked in Manitoba for five months on a temporary work permit, were laid off for two months and have resumed working again, you have to work for one more month to become eligible to submit an EOI to the MPNP.

If you are in Manitoba on a temporary work permit and you have lost your job permanently due to COVID-19, you may look for new employment. You can count the time you have worked for your original company and the new company towards your eligibility for the MPNP. For example, if you worked in Manitoba for five months on a temporary work permit, were terminated from that job permanently due to COVID-19, and you found a new job, you have to work for one month to become eligible to submit an EOI to the MPNP. Be prepared to submit employment documentation from both employers, including proof that your termination was due to COVID-19, when you submit your application to the MPNP.

For further information about submitting an EOI, please visit the Expression of Interest (EOI) page on our website.

Application

The MPNP will accept applications with missing documentation, given the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please upload an explanation letter to support why specific mandatory documents are not included in your application at the time of submission. Please note that the MPNP may not be able to complete the assessment of your application until you submit all documentation.

If you have been laid off or your hours have been reduced, please obtain detailed documentation (letter, pay stubs, Record of Employment, etc.) from your employer to be included in your MPNP application so that future considerations can be made when processing your application.

If you have been laid off and re-hired, please obtain a letter from your employer explaining your employment situation.

All employment letters should be written on company letterhead and include the following information:

  1. Start date
  2. End date or hour reduction commencement date
  3. Position
  4. Salary
  5. Is the position being held for you at this time? If so, re-hire date.
  6. Employer's phone and email

If you have lost your job permanently due to COVID-19, you may look for new employment. Submit documentation from your original employer. Submit your new job offer letter.

Job offer letters should be written on company letterhead and include the following information:

  1. Position title
  2. Job duties
  3. Salary
  4. Expected Start date
  5. Employer's phone and email

Upload these documents to your MPNP application as soon as possible so that considerations may be made during assessment.

Post-nomination

If your employment situation has changed as a result of COVID-19, please contact the MPNP by email as soon as possible at immigratemanitoba@gov.mb.ca. Include your MPNP file number in your email.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

For information on how COVID-19 is affecting federal immigration services, please visit the Government of Canada website.

Manitoba creates new immigration advisory council to guide improvements to provincial policies, programs

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A new advisory council on immigration is being created to serve as an expert panel to recommend improvements to current immigration policies and programs, Premier Heather Stefanson and Advanced Education, Skills and Immigration Minister Jon Reyes announced today.

"As committed to in the speech from the throne, our government has a bold plan to incent investment, foster job creation, improve education and training opportunities, all to facilitate economic growth and get our economy fully on track. We know immigration and a diverse workforce contributes to a strong economy," said Stefanson. "This new advisory council will help us look at new and innovative ways to continue to be a welcoming new home for all newcomers, including refugees and international students, a dynamic destination for immigration and business investors, and an attractive place for people to come to build a life of opportunity and prosperity for themselves and their family."

The Immigration Advisory Council, to be co-chaired by the minister and Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, will review the entire continuum of immigration, from promotion to retention of newcomers. It will provide clear recommendations and concrete actions to the Manitoba government including strengthening the Canada-Manitoba Immigration Agreement by looking at options to include new annexes or memoranda of understanding. Additionally, the advisory council will focus on:

  • building on promotion to attract and recruit more immigrants and business investors to the province;
  • streamlining the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program, especially with regard to setting the right balance between the province's regional labour market, economic development and community needs; and
  • fostering Manitoba's settlement and integration programs and services, as well as foreign credential recognition programs, to encourage labour market attachment, improve foreign credential recognition and bolster immigrant retention.

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