Category Archives: Announcements

News and general announcements

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.

Registration for Destination Canada Mobility Forum 2022 orientation sessions open

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If you are a Manitoba employer who is interested in recruiting overseas, the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) can represent your business and job opportunities at the upcoming Destination Canada Mobility Forum. This year, the MPNP is partnering with Economic Development Winnipeg (EDW), and we encourage you to sign up for an upcoming orientation session to learn how we can help you find solutions to your labour needs, free of charge.

The MPNP, in partnership with EDW and other community partners, 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.

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 and how we can represent you, register for the orientation session now.

Should you have any questions about the sessions, please direct them to talent@yeswinnipeg.com.

Manitoba government launches engagement on addressing labour shortage through immigration

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The Manitoba government invites Manitobans to provide feedback on how immigration could help address labour shortages to understand better their views on this important topic, Advanced Education, Skills and Immigration Minister Jon Reyes announced today.

"Our government recognizes the staffing challenges facing employers, so finding the best ways to tap into the skills and experience that many newcomers have to offer to address the current labour shortage has the potential to lead to a stronger workforce for all Manitobans," said Reyes. "As we continue to develop a full continuum of immigration programs and services, we value the ideas, advice and experiences of others in shaping immigration policies that produce the greatest benefit for all concerned. I encourage all Manitobans to share their ideas via this public engagement survey to help inform this important aspect of public policy."

Read more »

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.

Hong Kong Investor Recruitment Mission

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The MPNP's Business Program will be participating in Yes! Winnipeg's virtual recruitment campaign for entrepreneur investors from Hong Kong on April 28, 2022 at 8:00 p.m. Hong Kong time | 7:00 a.m. CDT by delivering a presentation on the MPNP's business immigration program, to be followed by a Q&A session. Please see here for free tickets to this event, and visit Yes! Winnipeg's website for more information.

Hong Kong Talent Recruitment Mission

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The MPNP will be participating in Yes! Winnipeg's virtual recruitment campaign for hiring international talent from Hong Kong on April 26, 2022 at 8:00 p.m. Hong Kong time | 7:00 a.m. CDT by delivering a presentation on the MPNP's Skilled Worker program to be followed by a Q&A session. Please see here for free tickets to this event, and visit Yes! Winnipeg's website for more information.

Applications open for Newcomer Community Integration Support Program

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The Manitoba government is now accepting applications for the development and delivery of newcomer community support projects to help newcomers succeed while supporting Manitoba's economic recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The province accepted applications until March 7, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. CST. The call for applications is now closed.

To learn more about the program, please click here.

College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants officially open

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As of November 23, 2021, the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) is now the official regulator of immigration and citizenship consultants across Canada. The College replaces the former Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC), which is no longer operational.

Read this backgrounder from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for more information and how this may impact you if you choose to use an immigration consultant to assist with your MPNP application.

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.