Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program issues invitations to francophones for exploratory visits

Canada has always placed a fair amount of importance on immigrants knowing French. The Express Entry system awards extra points to candidates who are familiar with fluency in the French language
Manitoba has decided to take it a step forward and introduced a way by which French-speaking immigrants will be able to explore the province before they take any major decisions.

Manitoba has given prospective immigrants an opportunity to build stronger connections to the francophone communities living in the province. The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) has begun to accept appeals from bilingual francophone candidates who are willing to go on an “exploratory” visit to Manitoba. This pre-arranged visit will be conducted by the government, and allow candidates to become aware of the perks of living in the province. Potential Skilled Worker applicants will have the chance to conduct adequate research on the communities residing in Manitoba and the employment opportunities available.

Having this information will allow prospective candidates to make a logical decision based on their compatibility with the province. Skilled Worker candidates need not have an association with Manitoba so as to be considered for the visit. These exploratory visits also include an MPNP interview giving applicants the chance to bag an invitation to apply for a provincial nomination that could grant them Canadian permanent residence in the long run.

Considering that Manitoba has a large francophone population, it does not come as a surprise that the province is taking this initiative. However, the number has fallen in recent years, and the province is trying to reinstate French as an important language. The visits are being organized by the MPNP in collaboration with the CDEM and meant to encourage economic development in the province.