Immigrating to Canada under the MPNP Part One

In Canada, federal and provincial governments share responsibility for immigration. All immigration matters involve a federal process but provinces are allowed to create programs to “nominate” immigrants according to their own selection criteria; these are called provincial nominee programs. Every province and territory in Canada with the exception of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories have provincial nominee programs (PNP). Provincial nominees are processed on a priority basis and generally obtain permanent residency within 12-24 months, which is faster than most federal immigration programs.

The first and most successful provincial nominee program established in Canada is offered by the province of Manitoba. Although Manitoba has a relatively small population, it has the highest rate of immigration in Canada and by far the largest share of provincial nominees. Manitoba immigrants themselves are also more successful – having the highest rate of employment amongst immigrants in Canada, with the City of Winnipeg having the narrowest gap in employment rates between very recent immigrants and Canadian-born residents. The Philippines has long been the top source country for Manitoba immigration and just recently became the top source country for Canadian immigration.

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) has several streams: family support, general stream, international students, employer direct, strategic initiatives, and business.

Recent changes to the MPNP include the removal of occupational restrictions for regulated professionals, meaning that professionals whose occupations are governed by a licensing/accreditation body may now apply under MPNP prior to credentials recognition. Stricter rules are now in place regarding proof of language proficiency. The pre-approval process of the Employer Direct program, under which Manitoba employers could obtain permission to hire foreign workers, was recently suspended until further notice, although work permit holders in Manitoba can still apply for permanent residency via Employer Direct upon completion of six months work experience and receipt of a permanent full time job offer. The Community Support stream has also been eliminated however the province continues to work with ethnocultural groups, including under the Strategic Initiatives stream.