Media Launch Presentation
March 14, 2023, 10 am, City of Winkler City Hall
Introduction
Together with Immigration Pathways of the Province of Manitoba, the office of the Winkler Stanley Economic Development Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of a community-focused immigration pilot program.
Program Overview
This community-focused immigration program has a capacity to receive up to 100 applicants in 2023, up to 150 applicants in 2024, and another 150 applicants in 2025.
This pilot program is an economic-based initiative targeting jobs in demand in the Winkler Stanley region as identified in an annual regional labour forecast. Candidates that meet the qualifications outlined in the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP), who are deemed an economic fit by the office of the WSEDC for jobs in demand in the region, and who are reviewed and confirmed by a community review committee, can receive a community-based endorsement letter.
This letter is sent to MPNP and if their office determines a candidate to be a good applicant, at their discretion, they can send a candidate an Invitation to Apply to begin the formal application and review process with the Province of Manitoba.
How Can People Apply?
Applying to the program can be done online through an application form found on the immigration section of the Winkler Stanley Economic Development Corporation Website. The website can be found at wsedc.ca
Applicants can apply directly or through the services of an immigration consultant.
Due to the limited number of spaces available in this program, the online application will close when a certain number of applications have been received to allow for proper review. Once applications have been reviewed, the application form on the website will open again, and this process will continue until the number of applicants allowed each year has been met.
We’re pleased to see the launch of this ‘targeted to local need’ immigration pilot program. This project has been a long time coming and many people have put in an almost untold number of hours to make it happen. Thank You to the teams at Immigration Pathways of the Province of Manitoba and the Winkler Stanley Economic Development Corporation for working so tirelessly to get us to this day. We’re looking forward to this program helping our employers fill some of their desperate need for people.
Henry Siemens, Mayor, City of Winkler
“We are pleased to work in partnership together with the City of Winkler and Province of MB on this project to get it moving forward.
We know that we can’t continue to grow without more people moving to our area.”
Ike Friesen, Reeve, RM of Stanley
“With thanks to the vision of our funding partners The City of Winkler and RM of Stanley we are very excited to be able to launch this initiative. Through this funding we had the ability to hire a Business Development/Immigration Officer (Mark Sawatzky), who helped to forward this initiative to aide in the economic growth of our region.”
Leah Klassen, President, Winkler Stanley Economic Development Corporation
Questions
For questions about the program please contact us.
