seanyg

Just been looking on the Manitoba government's website re: applying under MPNP (specifically, the Strategic Recruitment Initiative) and where it states the number of points you get for work experience, all it puts is ''Demonstrated employability in Manitoba or as specified under the terms of a specific initiative''.

My question is:- Does your occupation have to be one on the 'High Demand Occupation List' or can you have the max number of year's work experience in any occupation...? It wasn't clear on the website and I've had no luck googling it...

Cheers

Judy in Calgary

Sean, is this the page you're looking at?

I don't see any mention of points. The criteria are either/or. Either you meet them or you don't meet them (although they leave themselves wiggle room by stating, higher up the page, "The MPNP reserves the right to ....... exercise discretion with respect to the Education, Language Ability and Work Experience of eligible adult dependents.")

The description of the Work Experience criterion is "Demonstrated employability in Manitoba or as specified under the terms of a specific initiative."

Without being an immigration expert, I would interpret that to mean that demonstrated employability in Manitoba, on its own, is enough to meet the Work Experience criterion.

But there are some other aspects of that web page that I find difficult to understand. If you're trying to make sense of it, you have my sympathy.
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seanyg

Hi Judy,

Thanks for your reply. Yes that was the page with the bit that confused me but I can't find the page / site that gave me the points info (I thought it was the same page...obviously not! ). It said you needed x points (55 I think) and I put myself down as the max 4 yrs' work experience (ie 4 yrs' experience in my type of work, which is secretarial / admin).

I agree that it does sound like you've got to either be 'employable' (rather vague, I thought) or meeting this 'specific criteria' they talk about.

If anyone knows what this 'specific criteria' is then that would also be very helpful! I imagine it's some kind of benchmark against which they measure your skills, experience, etc. but it would be rather nice to know what it is so I can find out if I meet it or not

Cheers,

Anita/Sean

Judy in Calgary

There is something else that confuses me. Maybe you know what you're doing, and the red flag I'm raising is irrelevant. But, if I've read the instructions correctly, I don't see how you would qualify for this Strategic Recruitment Initiative (SRI) in the first place.

As I read it, the SRI is intended for:

• a person who has received an invitation to apply to the MPNP, or
  
  
• a person who is an adult dependent of someone else who has applied to the MPNP under one of the MPNP's other categories.

Have you been invited to apply to the MPNP? Are you the adult dependent of someone who has applied to the MPNP? If not, I don't see how you can apply via the SRI.

Well, as I said, that is my reading of the explanation on that website. But then again, there may be elements of your situation that I don't know about. Another possible explanation is that I have misunderstood the instructions.
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seanyg

Sorry, I should have perhaps explained that first!

Basically, we spoke to some Manitoba immigration officers at the Emigrate Show in London yesterday and they said that there's one part of the PNP that doesn't require a job offer - the Strategic Recruitment Initiative. He said that you just have to demonstrate your employability (in terms of skills, work experience, language ability etc) and they (the Manitoba PNP people) decide whether or not to give you an Invitation To Apply, in which case you can then go through the PNP.

The guy said that because I (Anita) speak fluent French and because Sean is in I.T., we would be considered as employable and would have no probs finding a job, but obviously would need to go there on a recce first to demonstrate that we've looked at housing, schools and have looked for jobs, etc. Obviously if we got a job offer then that would be brilliant, but if we can't then he said this would be the best way in (particularly if it's the case that some employers are unwilling to go through the whole LMO process but would have no issues hiring us once we've got our PR).

We said that it sounded too good to be true and he said the only 'con' was the timescale... it can take about a year to get your PR through the PNP going this way ... not really a 'con' in our eyes when you consider the current wait is 42-48 mths!!

He also said that if I filled in the application form in French then it would also help, as they really value bilingualism in Manitoba.

So anyway, that's how I came to be enquiring about the MPNP! (I wish I'd asked the guy at the time about whether your work experience has to be in a specific occupation, but as I'm sure you will understand, it was very busy at the show and you're in a bit of a rush to get the info and let someone else have a chat with them!).

Anita / Sean

PS - Forgot to mention, we sent our PR application off beg Feb and received our AOR last Friday

halftheworldaway

From looking at the website you need a 'Letter of invitation to apply' did the person at the show give you details of how you can get an invitation to apply?

seanyg

Yeah, he basically said you have to prove that you're intent on settling there and are committed (ie not just using it as a stepping stone to another province) and that you will be considered 'employable', etc. He said things like going on a recce and proving that you've looked at housing, schooling, been for job interviews, etc. would demonstrate your commitment, and I'd also get brownie points (ie they'd be slightly more inclined towards a favourable outcome re: the ITA) if I complete the form in French.

The only thing that isn't clear on the government site is whether or not your work experience has to be in an occupation on the High Demand list (it doesn't say either way).

Judy in Calgary

I've just phoned the Manitoba PNP at 204-945-2806.

The woman who answered the phone said that invitations to apply for Manitoba's PNP via the Strategic Recruitment Initiative are only issued during overseas recruitment events and migration exhibitions.

She said that you either have to receive a written invitation from a program officer during a recruitment event / migration exhibition or you have to come to Manitoba on a recce trip and, while you're in Manitoba, mention to PNP officials the name of the program officer with whom you spoke at the recruitment event / migration exhibition. You also have to state when and where the event / exhibition took place.

She said that Manitoba's PNP does not have a list of high demand jobs.

She said the only requirement concerning a job was that the applicant have appropriate qualifications and experience for a job for which he/she would apply in Manitoba.

She mentioned some exception or something in connection with the live-in caregiver program. All I heard was "live-in caregiver program," and then my eyes glazed over, because it didn't sound relevant to my agenda in placing the phone call.

Hope that helps.
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seanyg

Thank you so much for ringing them Judy, that's a great help I would have rang myself if I hadn't been able to find the info on this forum, but I thought it's cheaper to try here first!

So basically we couldn't have walked away from the show with an ITA as it was obvious to the guy that we'd only just considered MB so he wouldn't be likely to invite us to apply there and then (probably why he suggested we do a recce) whereas someone who already knew they wanted to go to MB and turns up at the show saying "hi there, we've been to MB already, looked at houses / schools / jobs and are here on your stand today demonstrating our intent to settle, blah blah..." would probably be one of those that walks away from the show with an ITA.

Good news about the lack of High Demand Occupations list too - we're feeling rather optimistic now and are going to go on our recce in the autumn (can't take any more time off work till then because of our impending honeymoon), look round at houses / schools / jobs etc and visit the PNP office with a request for an ITA (stating that Joe Bloggs from stand x at the Emigrate Show on x date recommended we do so).

Does that sound the best course of action, do you think Judy...?

Thanks for all your help phoning around, it's very much appreciated

Anita & Sean

P.S. It's nice to get some positive answers on a thread for a change!

Judy in Calgary

Yikes! You're asking me? I don't know. I'm not an immigration expert. But, from what I read on the Manitoba PNP website yesterday and from what I heard on the phone today, I would say that does sound like the best course of action. Good luck.
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seanyg

He he. Well I've read lots of good advice from yourself on this forum and you always seem very knowledgeable

I've just sent a long email to the guy I met on the MB stand, in French (brownie points and all that!) - we chatted half in English, half in French when we met, he kept swapping! - explaining that we'd met and that we're definitely set on MB but can't go on a recce till Autumn and what does he suggest our next step should be.



P.S. Just got his out-of-office mesage telling me he's "overseas on recruitment missions and won't be back in the office until March 17th"... :curse: