Feds give Manitoba 2nd chance to welcome maximum number of skilled immigrants

Manitoba failed in its efforts to welcome thousands of potential newcomers last year, but the federal government is givingthe province another chance to approvethe same number of skilled immigrantsthrough the provincial nominee program.

The province will be able to issue 9,500 nominations in a year, which would be a record number if achieved.

Manitoba's previous Progressive Conservative government successfully lobbied Ottawa to increase the province's allotment from 6,325 nominees in 2022 to 9,500 nominees in 2023 to address labour shortages, but the province failed to process about 2,000 applications in time.

Malaya Marcelino, the current NDPimmigration minister, has blamed the Tories for not hiring enough staff to deal with the paperwork last year. The NDP was elected in October.

Marcelino said in an interviewthe province would strive to process the maximum number of nominationsin 2024.

"[It] means a lot to many newcomer families. It means a lot economically to our province," she said.

"Our immigration team is going to be working really, really hardto make sure we fulfilthat federal allotment."

Aiming for federal allotment

Each nomination slot represents one family unit, because chosen applicants can bringtheir spouse and any dependants.

Since 1998, the Manitoba provincial nominee program(MPNP) has brought skilled workers to the province to filllabour gaps. The programhas contributed greatly to Manitoba's population, bringing in more than 185,000 people.

The province has routinely accepted as many nominations as Ottawa permitted, but that practiceended last year.

The PCs, when asked earlier this year to explain the province's processing struggles, didn't provide ananswer, buturged the NDPin a statement to have the "political will" to keep the long-running program "trending in the right direction."

Marcelino previously saidthe government would expand staffing to speed up processing times, but said this week she couldn't provide an update until the budget is released on April2.

"It's a priority to make sure that the provincial nominee program is running at full capacity and part of it is to be able to fulfil our goals."

Marcelino is also aiming toreduce thetimebetween a skilled immigrantreceiving their letter of invitation to apply andthen receiving theirnomination certificate, which nowexceeds the recommended six months. She's planning for the province toreturn to the target timeline by the fall.

While Ottawa is again granting Manitoba as many nominees as it offered in 2023, it isn't the increase the departmentwas expecting.

The Tories struck an immigration advisory council in 2022that looked at ways to improve the applicationand resettlement processfor newcomers. In a July 2023 update, the council said Manitoba was in line for an increase to 9,880 nominations in 2024.

The province said Ottawa scaled back theallotment as part of its plan to rein in temporary resident numbers across the country.The federal government wouldn't confirm this information to CBC.

Immigration consultant Rosanna Pancottois worried about fiercer competition for Manitoba's slots. More foreign workers are pursuingthe option, she said, since the federal government has stoppedextendingwork permits for 18 months as it did during pandemic restrictions.

It doesn't help that MPNP processing times have increased, she said.

"I've seen many, many applicants that are here, their post-graduation [permits]are about to expire, and they need that nomination to move forward," saidPancotto, who started the Prairie Sky Immigration firm.

"They don't have the nomination to provide submission for permanent residency andnow they're scrambling."

In 2023, Manitoba issued 7,348 of the 9,500 availablenominations through the provincial nominee program. About 1,000 nominations were processed in December alone.