News

Update: Registration has reached capacity and is now closed. Thank you for your interest. Information based on the session will be posted here after the session is complete.

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Manitoba Immigration and Economic Opportunities is holding an information session on the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program renewal on December 6, 2017 at The Marlborough Hotel in Winnipeg.

• Date: December 6, 2017
• Time: 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
• Location: The Marlborough Hotel, 331 Smith Street, Winnipeg, MB

The information session will provide attendees with an overview of the MPNP changes and an opportunity to have questions answered.

The session is open to family members of applicants/potential applicants, community stakeholders, service provider organizations, and members of the general public.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has revised the definition of a dependent child.

Effective October 24, 2017, children qualify as dependants if they meet both of these requirements:

• they’re under 22 years old, and
• they don’t have a spouse or common-law partner.

Children 22 years old or older (also known as an overage dependent children) qualify as dependants if they meet both of these requirements:

• they have depended on their parents for financial support since before the age of 22, and
• they are unable to financially support themselves because of a mental or physical condition.

For more details, please see the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website for the current and previous definitions of a dependent child.

Use the IRCC online tool to check if your child qualifies as a dependant.

Note: The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program is no longer accepting expressions of interest to participate in these recruitment missions.

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• London Mission: November 6–10, 2017
• Paris – Destination Canada: November 14–16, 2017
• Brussels – Destination Canada: November 18, 2017
• Manila Mission: November 20–24, 2017

If you are a Manitoba employer interested in participating in an overseas mission, please provide the following information:

• Completed Employer Questionnaire screening sheet
• Job/position description including NOC and starting wages (must pay prevailing wage)
• Proof of advertising for vacant position(s) you are trying to recruit, as well as related activities you have undertaken to recruit local workers before considering recruitment overseas

Participating employers will be responsible for their own airfare, accommodations and meals. Participating employers may also be required to cost share meeting space for interviews.

Registration is now open for the 2017 edition of Destination Canada Job Fair, which will take place November 14–16 in Paris, France and November 18 in Brussels, Belgium. A preparatory meeting for all Canadian participants will take place in Paris on November 13.

Webconferences for employers

On September 13, the Embassy of Canada in France will host a webinar for employers interested in learning more about Destination Canada, Mobilité francophone, Express Entry and other supports available for international recruitment.

Session in French: September 13, 2017, 10:00 (EDT)
Session in English: September 13, 2017, 11:00 (EDT)

To sign up, please send your name, title and company name to parisdestinationcanada@international.gc.ca and mention “Employer Webinar” in the subject.

Information sessions for employers in British Columbia, Alberta, Northwest Territories, Manitoba and Ontario

Several information sessions are planned between September 24 and October 6 in British Columbia, Alberta, Northwest Territories, Manitoba and Ontario. Details about these opportunities to find out more about supports for international recruitment, temporary and permanent immigration programs, including Mobilité francophone and Express Entry, will follow by email and at www.immigrationfrancophone.ca/en/recruiting/activities.

Accommodations for employers

An accommodations package is being offered again this year by Megatour, at a cost of 1,330 euros for 7 nights including breakfast, free Wi-Fi and transportation from the hotel to the forums in Paris and Brussels.

LMIA exemption under Mobilité francophone

As of June 1, 2016, the Mobilité francophone stream of the International Mobility Program exempts employers from the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process when they hire francophone workers in managerial, professional and technical/skilled trades occupations from abroad to work outside of Quebec. You will find details on eligibility and how to apply in the attached bilingual information sheet.

The telephone and Internet are great inventions, but nothing beats meeting and interviewing your next international candidate face-to-face.

Employer Direct helps Manitoba employers take advantage of overseas events and initiatives targeting skilled workers, tradespeople and professionals eager and able to move to Canada. We participate in only the most reputable overseas job fairs as part of Manitoba’s immigration promotion and recruitment strategy, and to facilitate the involvement of Manitoba businesses. Our experienced immigration officers will help you successfully attend overseas job fairs to find the skilled workers your company needs.

Destination Canada

Destination Canada 2017 is presented by the Embassy of Canada in France with support from Citizenship and Immigration Canada and in partnership with public agencies for employment and international mobility:

• France: Pôle emploi
• Belgium: Forem, Actiris International, Vlaamse Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling en Beroepsopleiding (VDAM)
• Tunisia: Agence Nationale pour l’Emploi et le Travail Indépendant (ANETI), Agence Tunisienne de Coopération Technique (ATCT)

Most will be eligible for an LMIA-exempt work permit under International Experience Canada (Young Professionals, International Coop Internship, Working Holiday) or the new Mobilité francophone stream launched June 1, 2016. Some candidates will already have an open work permit through Working Holiday or a permanent resident card, and are therefore authorized to work starting the day they arrive in Canada without any administrative steps required on the part of employers.

Instructions will follow to post job openings. The positions can be permanent, temporary or seasonal.

If you would like to join us in Paris and/or Lyon for the Mobility Days, please let us know. We would be pleased to make a booth available free of charge.

Recruitment events are being staged for employers in:

• Paris, France – November 14, 15 and 16, 2017
• Brussels, Belgium – November 18, 2017

Working Abroad

The Newcomers Career & Settlement Fair is Canada’s leading settlement and recruitment event for organizations and employers wishing to assist with settlement and recruit skilled foreign workers already in Canada (management, professionals, scientific, technical and trade occupations). Designed to improve job mobility amongst foreign workers in Canada, our fairs connect highly skilled immigrants with employers who are eligible to employ foreign workers either temporarily or permanently.

• Vancouver: Saturday September 30, 2017
• Toronto: Saturday October 28, 2017
• Calgary: Saturday October 14, 2017

Job Expo – Working International

Join us for three days of intensive recruitment in Manchester and London.

The Working in UK Hothouse is designed to optimize your time in England. Timeframes are short. Processes are streamlined. Skilled, committed applicants are attending.

• Manchester: Thursday, September 14, 2017
• London: Saturday, September 16, 2017
• London: Saturday, September 17, 2017

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) will begin charging a non-refundable fee of $500 for Skilled Worker applicants effective May 15, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. CST. There will be no cost to submit an Expression of Interest to the MPNP.

Revenue from the processing fees will be reinvested to improve services for immigrants and refugees.

The MPNP Online application system will not be available on May 14, 2017 in order to complete technical changes.

The next Expression of Interest draw for Skilled Worker applications will take place after May 15, 2017.

Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) applicants will now benefit from improved service standards, Education and Training Minister Ian Wishart announced today at an event highlighting renewed directions for the immigration program.

“We are pleased to implement higher service standards for applicants to restore the integrity of this important pathway to permanent residence in Manitoba,” said Wishart. “As of this month, all candidates who submit complete applications to the program will be processed in six months or less.”

Wishart noted the MPNP is an economic immigration program designed to attract job-ready skilled workers and active investors in Manitoba’s economy. This program has been a valued part of the immigration system since 1998, but in April 2016 a backlog of more than 5,100 applications had compiled, some dating as far back as 2013, he added.

Thanks to efforts over the last six months, the backlog has now been cleared, Wishart confirmed and noted that less than 70 files from prior years remain in process as the program awaits documents from applicants in accordance with fairness and integrity provisions.

Read More »

Effective April 1, 2017, employers seeking to hire or retain foreign workers who are Manitoba provincial nominees (PNs) do not have to make an Employer Registration application under the Worker Recruitment and Protection Act.

Please see Employer Services – Recruitment Steps for further information on the enhanced processes to ethically hire and retain foreign workers through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program.

Note: Compliance with the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Employer Portal is still required by employers who are offering employment to PNs before PNs apply for their work permits.

Enhancements to the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) will improve processing times and fast-track nominations to provide job-ready, skilled workers, including international students, with opportunities to build a prosperous future in Manitoba, Premier Brian Pallister announced today.

“Immigration is a driver of economic growth, a way to address targeted labour market needs and a gateway for innovation in our economy,” said the premier. “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.”

The MPNP has made significant contributions to Manitoba’s economy since its introduction in 1998, the premier said.

The premier noted the changes announced today are part of a new Labour Market Strategy for Immigration that focuses on:

• innovative partnerships with industry and post-secondary institutions that build pathways to employment for international students and skilled newcomers, including those in regulated occupations, to better prepare and match them to in-demand jobs in Manitoba;
• the selection of skilled workers with high potential for early and strong attachment to the labour market and who meet education, training and language requirements;
• the selection of entrepreneurs with a strong potential to establish high-investment, job-creating businesses in all regions of the province; and
• the elimination of the current MPNP backlog by April 2017 to ensure all future applicants receive a higher standard of service and are processed in less than six months.

Read More »

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Click here for a document on frequently asked questions regarding Manitoba’s new Labour Market Strategy for Immigration.

On December 13, 2016, a public information session was held by Manitoba Education and Training to provide an overview of proposed improvements to the MPNP and to answer questions from stakeholders. A copy of the presentation supporting that information session is available here.

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program for Skilled Workers has now received a sufficient number of requests for exploratory visits to meet current operational requirements.

Note: All MPNP application streams remain open to all those who meet eligibility requirements as demonstrated through the submission of an Expression of Interest.