Ottawa is offering to extend the work permits of up to 2,700 workers pursuing provincial nomination in Manitoba until Dec. 31, 2027. Thousands of people who have built lives in Manitoba but are currently caught in administrative limbo could be helped.
On Saturday, July 11, Kevin Lamoureux, the Liberal Member of Parliament for Winnipeg North, was at the McDonald’s on Keewatin Street to meet with constituents. There, he agreed to an interview with the author of this piece.
Lamoureux said that the extension is necessary to provide clarity to people already pursuing provincial nomination but said that in the future the province must be transparent about how it uses its provincial nominee allocations.
“We’ve had literally thousands of people that have come to Canada believing that if they study, and then they work, then they’ll become permanent residents,” Lamoureux said.
“It’s not going to resolve all the different issues that are out there, but at least it’s a significant step forward that will have a positive impact on 2,700 people.”
Lamoureux said that the issue isn’t that Manitoba isn’t receiving enough provincial nominee program allocations, but rather a lack of transparency when it comes to how Manitoba is dealing with its existing allocations.
“Manitoba already gets far more, far more on a per capita basis, provincial nominee certificates, than any other province,” Lamoureux said.
Lamoureux added that the problem had been compounded by employers, post-secondary institutions and immigration advisers presenting temporary work or study opportunities as likely pathways to permanent residence.
“You had post-secondary education facilities, you had provinces, you had lawyers, consultants, employment agencies, all giving false hope to people.”
Lamoureux noted that in the past, it usually took a matter of months, not years, for Provincial Nominee Program applications to be processed.
“Within three months they’d get their certificate. Within six months they’d be here as permanent residents,” Lamoureux said.
Presently, it is unclear exactly who will comprise the 2,700 people whose work permits are being extended. No information has yet been released about whether there will be a separate application process to qualify or what the criteria for qualifying will be.
It’s also unclear whether the province has formally accepted Ottawa’s offer.
“I’m hoping to have a more general meeting sometime in the next three to four weeks. At that point in time hopefully I’ll have a better understanding of the criteria,” Lamoureux said.
Monica Fajardo and her husband, both immigrants from Colombia, have been in Winnipeg for years.
After a friend who had already arrived in Winnipeg recommended the city to them, Fajardo and her husband began planning to relocate in 2023. They arrived in Canada in January of 2024.
Her husband came to study Supply Chain Management at the University of Winnipeg, and she eventually found work as a data specialist at a furniture store.
After working in Winnipeg for six months, she submitted an expression of interest for the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program in February 2025. She has been in the expression of interest pool for nearly a year and a half.
“Despite working full-time, paying taxes, and contributing to Manitoba’s economy, I still have no clear pathway to remain in the province we chose to call home,” Fajardo said.
Fajardo said that a lack of predictability surrounding immigration criteria had complicated her situation. Presently, although both she and her husband have built a life here, and have a child on the way, neither has a clear path to permanent residence in Manitoba.
“One response that deeply impacted me was that current immigration measures are being designed primarily to address Manitoba’s labour market needs,” Fajardo said.
“While I understand the importance of meeting workforce demands, I believe these policies should also recognize the human impact.”
Immigration Minister Malaya Marcelino was not available for an interview, but Press Secretary Andrew Chapman sent a statement on her behalf.
“Our government has advocated for several years for more allocations in our Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). This proposed extension is the result of ongoing requests from Minister Marcelino since fall 2025 to the federal government to ensure we can continue to bolster our workforce,” the statement read.
Cindy Lamoureux, the MLA for Tyndall Park, said problems with provincial nominee program applications have been compounded by the $500 application fee which was attached to them under the previous Progressive Conservative government.
“The province decided to add a $500 fee for accepted applicants, saying they needed the extra funds to help facilitate processing. We know the program ran successfully without that fee, and now we have a huge waiting list.”
The current NDP government did not rescind the application fee after coming to power.
“Some people have been waiting for over a year, a year and a half, just to hear they’re going to be allowed to stay,” Cindy Lamoureux added.
In a response sent Wednesday, July 15, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said the proposed measure is called the Manitoba Workforce Transition Bridge and would issue work permits until Dec. 31, 2027 to eligible temporary workers identified by the Province of Manitoba.
IRCC said the measure “does not apply to all study or work permit holders,” but is intended for existing Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program applicants who are already in the Expression of Interest Pool.
IRCC said more information about how to apply will be shared once the measure is finalized with Manitoba.
Graham McDonald, U Multicultural Journalism and Media Arts Centre