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Manitoba Skilled Workers Overseas Stream

Posted on 30/11/2020

Are you a skilled or semi-skilled worker thinking of living and working in Manitoba?

Manitoba is looking for skilled workers and may just be interested in offering you a nomination which you can use to apply for permanent residence in the province. One of the streams available is the:

Skilled Workers Overseas stream

• This is for internationally trained and experienced skilled workers living overseas who have a connection to the province of Manitoba and whose specific skills match local labour needs in the province.
• The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) selects applicants who have the necessary skills and have an established connection to the province and gives them a provincial nomination which the candidates then use to apply for permanent residence status through the federal Express Entry program.
• Keep in mind, however, that it’s a multi-stage process to get the PR visa, so let’s go over how to apply, one step at a time.

How do I know if I’m eligible for the Skilled Workers Overseas stream?

There are three main criteria for eligibility, two of which show what is called an established connection to the province and either or both of which can help make you eligible for this stream:

You have the support of family members or friends who are living in Manitoba and will review and vouch for your plan to settle in Manitoba. To qualify, they must:

• Be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident
• Be able to provide proof they’ve been living continuously for at least 1 year in Manitoba (for example: provide a copy of a Manitoba Health Card)
• Be able to provide evidence of close ties (as a close family member or friend) to you
• Be able to prove that any other applications they previously supported were successful
• Be able to provide support for your settlement plan (help with finding a job, a place to live, etc.)
• PLEASE NOTE THEY CANNOT BE:
  • A paid immigration representative
  • An elected official nor a member of that official’s staff
  • Someone who is neither a close relative nor a friend
• The following family members are considered close relatives under the guidelines of this stream:
  • Sister or brother
  • Niece of nephew (daughter or son of your sister or brother)
  • Aunt or Uncle (sister or brother of your either parent)
  • First cousin (child of your aunt or uncle)
  • Mother or father
  • Grandmother or Grandfather

You have previous education in Manitoba or work experience in Manitoba.

• Previous education should consist of attending and completing a program of studies at a public or registered private institution that is:
  • Vocational
  • Post-secondary with programs of at least 1 year in length
• To prove you have previous education in Manitoba you will need to provide:
  • Full academic transcripts (showing your courses and grades/points achieved)
  • Your study permit under which you attended that institution
  • Your diploma, certificate, or degree you received upon successfully completing the program of studies
• Previous work experience means you have worked in a full-time job for a Manitoba employer for at least 6 months.
• To prove that you have previous work experience in Manitoba.
  • You need to submit a signed employer letter of reference on company letterhead.
  • You also need to submit a copy of the work permit under which you worked in Manitoba.

The third criteria for eligibility is through an Invitation to Apply to this stream from the MPNP as a result of what is called a Strategic Recruitment Initiative and/or an Exploratory Visit to Manitoba. Here’s how it works:

• You should check MPNP’s website for information about Strategic Recruitment Initiatives – where and when they are going to be held. They are held both in Manitoba and abroad. If you attend one you have the possibility of being interviewed by an official of MPNP.
• You should also check the MPNP’s website for dates for Exploratory Visits where you visit Manitoba and talk to potential employers as well as obtain information on settling in Manitoba. You also have the possibility of being interviewed by an MPNP official during your exploratory visit.
• If your interview is successful, you will receive a Letter of Invitation. You should then upload your Letter of Invitation in order to begin the application process. (for more information on where to go to start the application process, see below)

Finally, to be eligible you have to score at least 60 points out of possible 100 points over 5 selection factors (similar to the Federal Express Entry program) shown below:

• Language proficiency:

Language proficiency	CELPIP equivalent	IELTS equivalent	Points awarded
CLB 8 or higher	8	6.5 except Listening 7.5	20
CLB 7 or higher	7	6.0	18
CLB 6 or higher	6	5.5 except Reading 5.0	16
CLB 5 or higher	5	5.0 except Reading 4.0	14
CLB 4 or higher	4	4.0 Writing, Speaking; 3.5 Reading, 4.5 Listening	12
Second Language Skills
CLB 5 or higher	5	5.0 except Reading 4.0	5
Maximum points allowed for language skills			25

 

• Age:

Age	Points awarded
18	4
19	6
20	8
21 – 45	10
46	8
47	6
48	4
49	2
50 or older	0
Maximum points awarded for age	10

 

• Work Experience:

Years work experience	Points awarded
Less than 1 year	0
1 year	8
2 years	10
3 years	12
4 years or more	15
Maximum points awarded for work experience	15

 

• Education: points are awarded as follows:

Highest level of education	Points awarded
Master’s or Doctorate	25
2 Post-secondary programs of at least 2 years each	23
1 Post-secondary program of at least 2 years	20
1 1-year post-secondary program	14
Trade certificate	14
No post-secondary training/program	0
Maximum points for education	25

 

• Adaptability: points are awarded as follows:

Connection to Manitoba	Points awarded
Close relative in Manitoba	20
Invitation to Apply from MPNP – recruitment or exploratory visit	20
Previous work experience in Manitoba	12
Post-secondary 2 years or more in Manitoba	12
Post-secondary 1 year in Manitoba	10
Friend or distant relative in Manitoba	10
Regional immigration (settling outside Winnipeg area)	5
Maximum points awarded for adaptability	25

 

Note that Language, Education, and Adaptability are each worth a maximum of 25 points, while work experience only totals 15 points and has to be combined with Age to reach 25 points.

Please note as well that the following people are NOT eligible to apply to this stream:

• Refugee claimants
• Live-in caregivers
• Temporary foreign workers in another province (outside Manitoba in other words)
• Spouses of Canadian citizens or of permanent residents (they should instead use the spousal sponsorship stream at IRCC)
• Individuals refused by MPNP during last 6 months who have NOT addressed the reasons for their refusal. (who have not taken action to fix those issues)
• Individuals who have an ongoing application with any other provincial or federal immigration program. However, you can have an Express Entry profile as long as you haven’t as well applied under a specific stream or PNP.

How do I start my application for the Manitoba Skilled Workers Overseas stream?

Step 1: Submit an Expression of Interest

An Expression of Interest is in fact an online profile you will submit at MNPN’s website. Go here and  scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the grey Create an EOI button to start the process.

• First, follow the instructions on the page to create an account with the Government of Manitoba. This is similar to your account at IRCC.
• Next, sign into your newly created account in order to create your Expression of Interest. By answering all questions and submitting all the required information, you will then have a complete profile which will be assessed according to the following EOI Ranking Points system. Please note although the factors used are similar to the selection factors that you used in order to ensure that you are eligible (60 or more points out of a possible 100), the EOI Ranking Points system is a different system with accumulated points similar to Express Entry’s Comprehensive Ranking System. The EOI points are allocated as follows:

Language Proficiency	Ranking Points
CLB 8 or higher	25 points per band
CLB 7 or higher	22 points per band
CLB 6	20 points per band
CLB 5	17 points per band
CLB 4	12 points per band
2nd Official Language
CLB 5 or higher	25 points
Maximum points Language EOI factor	125 points

Please note: for your first official language you are given the indicated points per band which means you multiply them by 4 (equivalent to each of the 4 language skills). However, with your second official language you only get 25 total points (assuming your level is CLB 5 or higher).

 

Age	Ranking Points
18 years	20 points
19 years	30 points
20 years	40 points
21 to 45 years	75 points
46 years	40 points
47 years	30 points
48 years	20 points
49 years	10 points
50 years or older	0 points
Maximum points for Age EOI factor	75 points

 

Years of work experience	Ranking Points
Less than 1 year	0 points
1 year	40 points
2 years	50 points
3 years	60 points
4 or more years	75 points
Fully recognized by provincial licensing body	100 points
Maximum points for Work Experience EOI factor	175 points

 

Highest level of completed education	Ranking points
Master’s or Doctorate	125 points
2 post-secondary programs of at least 2 years each	115 points
1 post-secondary program of 3 years or more	110 points
1 post-secondary program of 2 years	100 points
A 1-year post-secondary program	70 points
Trade certificate	70 points
No formal post-secondary education	0 points
Maximum points for Education EOI factor	125 points

 

Adaptability factor	Ranking points
Connection to Manitoba
Close relative in Manitoba	200 points
Previous authorized work experience in Manitoba (6m or more)	100 points
Completed post-secondary program in Manitoba (2 years or more)	100 points
Completed post-secondary program in Manitoba (1 year)	50 points
Close friend or distant relative in Manitoba	50 points
Manitoba Demand
Ongoing employment (6m or more) with long-term job offer from same employer	500 points
Invitation to Apply under a Strategic Initiative	500 points
Regional Development
Immigration destination in Manitoba outside of Winnipeg	50 points
Maximum points for Adaptability EOI factor	500 points

Please note that if you have points under both Connection to Manitoba and Manitoba Demand, you will be awarded the points from your best-scoring connection. Also, please note that the 50 points for Regional Development (a destination outside of Winnipeg) will be awarded only for adaptability under Connection to Manitoba and not under Manitoba Demand, seeing that the points awarded under Manitoba Demand already are equal to the maximum points allowed.

Step 2: Letter of Advice to Apply

Those candidates with the highest scoring EOI ranking points will receive what is called a Letter of Advice to Apply (LAA) from MPNP. Remember, you must have a connection to Manitoba – either through Friends and Family, Work, or Education in the province.

• You will have 60 days from the date of your LAA to complete and submit your application to MPNP.
• The non-refundable application fee is CAD$ 500
• Once you receive your LAA, you can simply log into your account with MPNP and you will now have the application form available to you online. HOWEVER …
• Before you begin the application process you must ensure you have gathered the necessary documents.

Step 3: Gather your documents

The documents you will need to scan and then to submit fall under several categories:

• Personal Information: these include
  • ID documents like Birth Certificate
  • Passport (including the photo and personal detail pages and any visas from countries of residence that are not your country of citizenship)
  • Marital Status: marriage certificates, divorce certificates, death certificates, separation agreements, documents showing a common-law relationship
  • Dependents: birth certificates of children listing both parents, adoption papers, custody agreements for children of divorced/separated parents
• Education: these include
  • Certificates, Degrees, or Diplomas as well as transcripts from each post-secondary program you have completed
  • Certified translations into English or French
  • ECA (Educational Credentials Assessment)
• Employment: any documents of your work history from past 5 years including:
  • Signed letters of reference from each employer on company letterhead and signed by a company representative. Each letter must:
    • Mention start and end dates of employment
    • A detailed description of position and duties
    • Salary/wage paid you for that job
    • Include a certified translation into English or French
  • Self-employed applicants should include:
    • Business registration information
    • Official tax records for each year in business
    • Copies of work contracts, if applicable

• Immigration history and status: submit documentation of any and all previous immigration applications of any sort to Canada; any visits to Canada by you, your spouse, or any adult dependents. For example:
  • Provincial nominee application result letter
  • Temporary work visa
  • Temporary study visa
  • Visitor’s visa
• Language ability: this includes:
  • Valid test language test results (IELTS, CELPIP, TFC etc.)
  • Tests must be dated no more than 2 years previous to your date of application
  • If you are currently working in Manitoba in a high-skill occupation (NOC 0, A, or B) you do not have to provide test results, but do need to provide documentation to prove your official language skills.
• Settlement Funds: this means having proof of sufficient money to establish yourself and any accompanying family in Manitoba, which MPNP deems as CAD$ 10,000 plus CAD$2,000 for your spouse and CAD$2,000 for each dependent. Documents include:
  • 3 months of bank statements
  • 3 months of certificates of deposit statements (if available)
  • Proof of ownership of real estate or other assets (do NOT include personal items like jewelry, vehicles, or furniture)
  • If your country has currency controls MPNP may require proof of transferability of funds to Canada
  • If you also have an Express Entry profile you will have to show you meet Express Entry’s LICO (low-income cut-off) requirements of funds. Go here for more information.
• Settlement Plans: this involves an online form (Settlement Plan Part 2 (SPP2e)) that MPNP will send to the designated supporter in Manitoba (your family, friend, or employer for example) that will show how your supporter will help you get established in the province. Go here to see the form.
• Please remember when scanning your documents, they must be in PDF format and no larger than 2 MB each document. Scan one page at a time for larger sized documents.
  • Do NOT use a phone to scan them
  • Scan them in colour
  • Do not enhance them
  • Do not edit them digitally

Step 4: Complete online application

• You do not have to complete your online application in one sitting. Just save your information after each session (log into your account at MPNP and fill in the information and include your scanned documents) and the information will be saved securely at the end of each session.
• After you have submitted your application, make sure you update your personal information at your MPNP online account, should there be any changes in that regard. Log into your account and update the information, if any change occurs.

Step 5: Apply for permanent residence to IRCC

• If you are successful, you will receive an Approval Letter from MPNP. This is an official document and you should make copies for you files.
• Submit your Approval Letter along with other required documents with your application for a PR visa to IRCC.
• Your nomination will be valid for 6 months from the date of your Approval Letter. You must apply to IRCC for a PR visa within that time.
• Inform both IRCC and MPNP of any changes in your family situation during that time.
• Follow the instructions in your Approval Letter and remember if you are currently working in Manitoba, do NOT let your temporary work permit expire. It must be valid throughout your application for PR status.
• Once you receive your PR visa (remember this will depend on IRCC’s assessment of your situation and skills etc. – a nomination from MPNP does not guarantee that you will get your PR visa) inform the MPNP immediately.
• You should keep (and print for security) a copy of your MPNP application, seeing much of that information will be used in your application to IRCC.

Once you have your PR visa, you should plan and book your flight to Canada. Make sure you inform MPNP as soon as you arrive in Manitoba.

 

 

Posted in News Tips and tagged Manitoba PNP, Manitoba Skilled Workers