November 15, 2019
Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program Accepting Francophone Exploratory Visit Applications
The Manitoba government is working with the Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba (CDEM) to better attract and integrate francophone newcomers, Economic Development and Training Minister Ralph Eichler announced today.
“As immigration is critical to our economic growth, we are strengthening our partnership with CDEM to support the economic and cultural vitality of our francophone communities and Manitoba as a whole,” said Eichler. “Our renewed partnership aligns with Manitoba’s Growing Through Immigration Strategy as it will help increase the size and diversity of the talent pool available to Manitoba industry.”
The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) is accepting requests from bilingual francophone candidates for exploratory visits to the province, which will be supported by CDEM to help prospective immigrants establish stronger ties to francophone communities and local economic opportunities. These pre-arranged visits allow potential skilled-worker applicants to research employment opportunities and communities to help them make an informed decision whether to relocate to Manitoba.
“CDEM is pleased to continue our partnership with the province to promote and support francophone immigration to Manitoba,” said Louis Allain, directeur général du CDEM. “This collaboration will contribute to the success of the settlement and integration of francophone immigrants, as well as support the overall growth of francophone communities in Manitoba.”
MPNP has updated its candidate screening guidelines to streamline the exploratory visit application process and selection criteria for applicants. The minister noted this will allow program staff to process applications in a faster, clearer and more efficient way.
The Manitoba government and CDEM are also participating in the Government of Canada’s Destination Canada Mobility Forum in Paris, France Nov. 15 to 17 and Brussels, Belgium Nov. 19. The forum is an annual event organized by the Government of Canada to connect Canadian employers and organizations with skilled French-speaking candidates. In 2018, MPNP nominated 235 francophone immigrants at Destination Canada, totalling 4.5 per cent of the year’s nominations.
More information on the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program is available at www.immigratemanitoba.com.
- 30 -