One of the long-rumored golden channels for Canadian immigration, the Manitoba Investment Immigration Program, will undergo policy changes in 2018, and official news has finally been released.
On November 15, 2017, local Canadian time, the Manitoba Immigration Office's official website announced changes to several immigration categories, renaming the original PNP-B Provincial Nominee category to BIS (Business Investor Stream). The new BIS category includes two pathways: the Entrepreneur Pathway and the Farm Investment Pathway.
Among these, the changes to the Manitoba Entrepreneur Immigration category are significant, as the requirement for a CAD 100,000 investment deposit has been removed, and the process has shifted from obtaining a permanent resident card directly to a model similar to that of Saskatchewan's Entrepreneur Immigration, where applicants first obtain a work permit and then transition to permanent residency after completing their business.
1. Management Experience: At least three years of management experience within the past five years, either as an executive or business owner, with business owners receiving higher points (business owners are defined as those holding more than one-third of the shares).
2. Language Proficiency: CLB 5 or above
3. Education Requirements: High school diploma or above
4. Age: No upper age limit, but points can only be earned if aged between 25 and 49
5. Investment Amount: If investing in the Manitoba Capital Region (MCR), the investment must be at least CAD 250,000; if investing outside the MCR, the minimum investment is CAD 150,000; there is a requirement to employ at least one local resident (business owners and their relatives do not count). (Note: The MCR includes the following areas: Winnipeg, Selkirk, Stonewall; and rural municipalities: Cartier, East St. Paul, Headingley, Macdonald, Ritchot, Rockwood, Rosser, St. Andrews, St. Clements, St. François Xavier, Springfield, Tache, and West St. Paul.)
6. Business Visit: The business visit must be conducted within one year prior to submitting the EOI
7. A business plan must be signed before obtaining the work permit support letter after the application is approved
8. Asset Requirements: CAD 500,000 or more (audited by a third-party auditing firm recognized by Manitoba, with the report submitted within 120 days of receiving the LAA)
9. Adaptability Points:
1) Spouse's language proficiency reaches CLB 5 or above
2) The applicant or spouse's second official language is above CLB/NCL 5
3) The applicant or spouse has relatives currently residing in Manitoba for over a year
4) Before submitting the EOI, the child has studied full-time in Manitoba for more than six months
5) The applicant or spouse has completed more than one year of full-time study in Manitoba after the age of 17 with a valid visa or has worked full-time in Manitoba for at least six months, with a recommendation letter from the employer.
Comparison of the New and Old Policies for Manitoba Entrepreneur Immigration
Interpretation by WorldWay Immigration
Through the comparison of the new and old policies for Manitoba Investment Immigration, it can be seen that, first, the threshold for the new Manitoba Investment Immigration policy has been raised, including requirements for investors' assets, education, and language.
In this regard, immigration experts have stated that the low language requirements have always been one of the advantages of Manitoba Investment Immigration, but with the overall improvement in applicants' English proficiency and the changing demographics of the immigrant population, the main applicants for investment immigration have gradually shifted from those born in the 1960s and 1970s to those born in the 1980s, making education and language less of a serious issue.
Secondly, the Manitoba Investment Immigration model has aligned with the policies of provinces like Saskatchewan, transitioning to a work permit to permanent resident card model, which means that Manitoba's previous lenient policy of immigrating before investing will become history. However, for younger applicants, obtaining a work permit in advance means that their children can enter Canada earlier and enjoy advanced education, healthcare, and related services in Canada, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Finally, the BIS category will officially operate in the first quarter of 2018. Currently, the EOI application system on the immigration office's official website is temporarily closed, and scoring details have not yet been announced, so we will wait and see.
In recent years, Canadian immigration policies have been constantly changing, and with the succession of a new Prime Minister and a new Minister of Immigration, reforms in immigration policy have become inevitable. From Saskatchewan's innovative adoption of the work permit to permanent resident card model to now Manitoba, the future work permit to permanent resident card model may become an unavoidable new policy trend in Canadian investment immigration. It is recommended that investors who intend to immigrate to Canada and meet the application criteria seize the opportunity and submit their applications as soon as possible for peace of mind.
WorldWay Immigration is now offering low-threshold investment immigration programs that allow for direct acquisition of permanent residency in Quebec, quick landing in Saskatchewan, Manitoba investment immigration, direct acquisition of permanent residency in Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick investment immigration, helping investors realize their dreams of moving to Canada!
For more follow-up reports on Manitoba Investment Immigration, please continue to follow the official website and WeChat account of WorldWay Immigration.
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