Newcomers in Manitoba whose federal work permits were set to expire in 2024 will be able to extend their stay for at least two years, according to the province’s labour and immigration minister.
Malaya Marcelino received a letter from federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller on Tuesday, which confirmed that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has agreed to Manitoba’s request to extend expiring post-graduate work permits (PGWPs) for around 6,700 workers.
“Manitoba has requested support from my department to extend the work status of 6,700 temporary residents who are employed in Manitoba, and whose work permits expire in 2024,” wrote Miller in an X news release.
“This represents a challenge as Manitoba counts on those workers to meet its labour needs.”
“I am introducing a public policy to give open work permits to eligible temporary workers in Manitoba’s Expression of Interest pool under PNP. Within 2 years, we expect eligible candidates to receive an official nomination from Manitoba and become permanent residents.”
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According to Marcelino, the extension will allow the province to accept nearly all applicants under the nominee program.
“This is really great news for our province,” and for “workers, their families and for employers across the province, who have been put into this desperate situation.” Marcelino told reporters at the Manitoba Legislature.
Manitoba can issue up to 9,500 nominations in 2024. It was allotted the same number in 2023 but fell short of it by roughly 2,000 applications.
Ottawa announced in December that it would no longer offer the 18-month extensions on post-graduate work permits (PGWPs) that it offered during COVID-19.
Temporary foreign workers had been protesting this change at the legislature for months, according to CBC News, along with another change in the Manitoba provincial nominee program’s (MPNP’s) selection process that prioritizes newcomers with family connections in the province.
Due to processing backlogs, many newcomers have faced months-long waits that Miller recently addressed by offering open work permits to newcomers whose permits expire this year, if they have employment in Manitoba and are eligible under the Manitoba nominee program.
“Within two years, it is expected that eligible foreign nationals will receive an official nomination from Manitoba and eventually become permanent residents through the [provincial nominee program],” Miller wrote in the letter.
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“Manitoba needs immigration,” Marcelino said.
“We will work very hard to make sure that they can be included as part of the nominations for the Manitoba provincial nominee program, and at the same time, we are still going to be able to use a lot of our spots for other types of newcomers as well.”
The MPNP offers three streams, with their respective pathways, through which people can immigrate to the province and become Canada permanent residents (PRs).
The streams are:
- Skilled Worker: This stream is for internationally trained and experienced workers who have the requisite skills for the local labour market.
- International Education: This stream gives international students who graduate in Manitoba and meet industry needs faster pathways to nomination.
- Business Investor: BIS is for qualified business investors and entrepreneurs who have the intent and ability to start or purchase Manitoba businesses.
Manitoba selects people from expressions of interest, inviting them to apply to the nominee program. This matches foreign workers to specific labour needs in the province.
Some of those applicants are then given approval to come to the province.
The draws are not random, but rather determined on the basis of a ranking scale, and points are awarded for a multitude of factors. Recent draws have drawn criticism for their prioritization of skilled workers with family in Manitoba.
According to letter sent by Miller to Immigration Manitoba, officials will soon share a letter of intent outlining the specifics of the public policy, along with conditions, such as schedule for performance reporting.
Till then, international graduates are waiting anxiously for details on eligibility requirements and conditions.
According to Progressive Conservative immigration critic Jodie Byram, the two-year work permit extension is the result of political pressure applied by international students and skills workers who had the courage to demonstrate at the legislature, reported Legislature reporter Carol Sanders of Winnipeg Free Press.
