Canada Immigration Minister Marc Millerhas approved a request from the Manitoba government to extend temporary resident status for some identified candidates in the province Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
Canada Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) says all nominees have work permits that will expire in 2024 and are mainly Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holders. These people currently have requests in the group for the Manitoba Skilled Worker Programan immigration pathway aimed at filling key vacant positions within the province.
The temporary measure means 6,700 temporary workers will be able to continue working while the province continues processing their PNP application. The province expects “eligible foreigners to receive an official nomination from Manitoba and eventually become permanent residents” within two years.
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The IRCC says it is open to working with other Canadian provinces and territories to help transition more temporary residents to permanent residents to address national labor market needs. More information may be available following a meeting of the Federation of Ministers Responsible for Immigration (FMRI) on May 10.
Manitoba PNP
manitoba It was the first province in Canada to establish a PNP. The province introduced the program in 1998 to attract newcomers who would otherwise be more likely to immigrate to one of Canada’s large urban centers, such as Toronto or Vancouver.
The program was so successful in spreading the economic benefits of immigration that it was implemented by all Canadian provinces and territories, with the exception of Quebec and Nunavut.
The data also shows that 10,000 people in Manitoba moved from worker status to permanent residents in 2023.
Between January and March of this year, the province issued 1,560 expressions of interest for skilled worker candidates, resulting in 1,478 approvals.
IRCC data shows that in 2022, 20% of all permanent resident admissions occurred through the PNP. Furthermore, the Immigration Tier Plan (Canada’s permanent resident admission targets each year) plans to welcome 110,000 new permanent residents by the end of 2024, and 120,000 per year in both 2025 and 2026.
Changes in temporary resident levels
This move is unique in Canada’s immigration space and aligns with a previously announced priority for the year and years to come. On March 21 of this year, Minister Miller announced his intention to conduct more national draws to help transition temporary residents to permanent residents.
Put another way, IRCC plans to work with newcomers already in Canada to help them become permanent residents, rather than increasing the previously unlimited number of temporary residents who arrive in Canada each year. In 2023, Canada had a temporary resident population exceeding 2.5 million people, or 6.2% of the total population.
In 2023, 157,000 people went from temporary residents to permanent residents.
The changes to Canada’s temporary resident levels come at a time when Canada faces a shortage of affordable housing for both newcomers and Canadians, as well as an overburdened healthcare system and high cost of living. Several polls throughout 2023 indicated declining support for high levels of immigration.
reference: www.cicnews.com