FRANCAIS

May 03, 2004

Manitoba’s highly successful Provincial Nominee Program has undergone changes to increase access and continue building on provincial efforts to attract skilled immigrants, Labour and Immigration Minister Nancy Allan announced today.

"Improving immigration to Manitoba is not just about meeting targets, it’s about attracting people who are ready and able to contribute to the future of our communities," said Allan. "We are building community partnerships, responding to real economic needs and making it easier for immigrants with the skills, experience and education Manitoba needs to be a part of that future."

Manitoba’s new Provincial Nominee Program for Skilled Workers has been redesigned so that applications can be assessed under any of six different streams. This will allow applicants with the strongest potential for success in Manitoba to be processed more quickly. These streams include an Employer Direct stream allowing the province to work closely with Manitoba employers to meet realistic and genuine demands for immigrant workers.

In addition, there are special streams for international students and applicants with strong family or community support, as well as a general application stream and strategic initiatives to help the province meet its overall immigration objectives.

Under the revisions to Manitoba’s Provincial Nominee Program, applicants will have the optimum chances of qualifying if:

• their training and experience is in demand in Manitoba’s labour market;

• they have a pre-approved offer of employment;

• their language skills will facilitate access to employment; and

• settlement supports are available on arrival.

The changes give applicants with strong connections to Manitoba, such as resident family members or prior attendance at a school, college or university, extra consideration in their nomination assessment. The revisions will expand the number of qualifying occupations while a few occupational categories will be specifically restricted to those with guaranteed job offers in Manitoba.

Manitoba’s immigration strategy also includes working with partners to address issues such as recognizing qualifications and ensuring policy consistency on the use of paid immigration consultants. The 2004 budget also provides a significant increase in resources to boost settlement services such as language training and employment related services.

"This is another milestone in the journey towards our goal of 10,000 immigrants annually by 2006," said Allan. "Innovations in our program focus on Manitoba priorities that meet current and future challenges."

More details on program eligibility are available online at:

http://www.immigratemanitoba.com.

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