The program director for Eastman Immigrant Services in Steinbach says the Manitoba Government last week announced some key changes to the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). The program attracts job-ready skilled workers to Manitoba. Richard Harder says the province has introduced a $500 fee per application which should ultimately help to speed up the system.

Richard Harder"It looks like they're going to put that money into cost recovery because, basically, they were way behind with applications, some as many as three years behind. They are going to now be up to date, providing a faster service, not such a backlog. I think that's a very positive change. Unfortunately, newcomers are now going to have to pay $500 for the application with the PNP but it's going to be a higher standard, faster service by the looks of it."

The province is promising to process applications within six months.

Harder notes the nominee program has a fast-track immigration path for people who have worked here for six months. The changes announced last week will provide that same path for foreign students upon graduation.

"We've seen a significant increase in students coming to our colleges and universities in Manitoba, including to the Eastman region, doubling or more than doubling in the last couple of years. The PNP has also announced that they want to streamline those graduates for faster immigration. So that will help our students who are very often choosing to come and study here for the purpose of finding a door into Canada."

The third significant change removes a rule where the province would generally refuse applicants if they had a sibling in another Canadian province. Harder says that is also positive.

He says there continues to be a steady stream of people coming to southeastern Manitoba under the program. He adds the greatest demands for workers are in agriculture, the trucking industry and construction.