Opinions
MPNP nominations reach record high in 2022
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Co-chairs Lloyd Axworthy, Canada’s former minister of foreign affairs, and Manitoba Labour Immigration Minister Jon Reyes released the province’s Immigration Advisory Council report with 70 recommendations to boost immigration. With them in photo is Andrew Micklefield, MLA for Rossmere (right). |
Results from the 2022 Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) have exceeded expectations in attracting record numbers of skilled immigrants.
Nominations issued by the MPNP reached 6,367 in 2022, the highest number since the program was established in 1998 according to Labour and Immigration Minister Jon Reyes. He noted that more than 184,000 nominees and their families have immigrated to Manitoba from all over the world since the program began.
“Our government is taking action to help Manitoba better attract and retain newcomers to enhance economic prosperity and enrich communities,” said Reyes at a news conference, February 14. “Thousands of skilled workers immigrate to Manitoba each year, strengthening the workforce, and contributing to the further growth and expansion of the economy.”
The Manitoba government has received the report of the Immigration Advisory Council (IAC) to help build on this momentum and to further enhance the program, added Reyes.
The IAC was formed in February 2022, co-chaired by Reyes and Lloyd Axworthy, to recommend improvements to Manitoba immigration policies and programs. The council’s report is now complete and includes input from every corner of the province.
“The Manitoba government would like to thank Dr. Axworthy and the IAC for its hard work and dedication reviewing the entire continuum of immigration and for providing recommendations to improve our immigration programs and policies,” said Reyes.
Both the MPNP and the IAC will help inform ongoing efforts to enhance provincial immigration programs and policies to meet labour market shortages and strengthen Manitoba’s present and future economic development prospects, the minister noted.
MPNP highlights for 2022 include:
- Manitoba’s top regional immigration destinations for provincial nominees were Neepawa, Brandon, Steinbach, Morden, Winkler, and Thompson.
- The top occupations for nominees included transport truck drivers, food-service supervisors, food-counter attendants, cooks, and industrial butchers and meat cutters.
In 2022, immigrant landings were the highest since the MPNP’s establishment in 1998. Up to November 2022, over 21,000 immigrants had declared Manitoba as their intended destination in Canada, with nearly 14,000 arriving through the MPNP.
The Manitoba government has also formally requested the federal department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to approve a significantly larger MPNP nomination allocation for 2023 to better address labour market needs and skill shortages. A response is expected to be received by the end of March, the minister noted.
The minister highlighted the upcoming recruitment mission to the Philippines as a way to pave the way for hundreds of qualified internationally educated nurses to move and work here, saying it aligns with one of the report’s recommendations to be proactive and competitive in recruiting skilled workers with the strong professional credentials needed to support Manitoba’s economy.
To read the IAC report, visit: https://immigratemanitoba.com/iac/.
For more information on the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program, visit: https://immigratemanitoba.com/.
Source: Manitoba Government
