PM Stephen Harper duets with Maria Aragon | May 2011 Canadian Election

Following the dissolution of The Parliament after a vote of no confidence against the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a decision was reached to have election on May 2, 2011.

It is now campaign period.

PM Stephen Harper recently went to Winnipeg to sway the big Filipino community there. He ended up singing with a Filipina-Canadian youtube sensattion Maria Aragon.


10-year-old YouTube sensation Maria Aragon joins Prime Minister Stephen Harper in a rendition of "Imagine" during a tour stop on March 29 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Apparently, politicians in Canada are just like local politicians here in the Philippines who will sing, dance and what have you, just to win votes.

Let's see what the leader of Liberal Party, Michael Ignatieff, will do to win votes from Filipino community. Will he dance ocho-ocho or itaktak mo? Let's see. :-)

May 2011 Election is basically between Harper and Ignatieff. If you are to vote, who will you chose?

By the way, the outcome of this election will determine the future of Canadian Immigration Program. Under the current regulations, it is in the power of the Immigration Minister to decide who can immigrate to Canada. The Liberals don't want that. In the past, a law is needed to before a change in the regulations may be implemented.

More Filipino Workers Needed in Manitoba | RP, Manitoba renew agreement on HRD, OFW deployment

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Department of Labour and Immigration (LIM) signed today the renewed Memorandum of Understanding concerning cooperation in human resource deployment and development. More Filipino Workers from the health, agricultural production, hotel, and restaurant and construction sectors will continue to be in demand in Manitoba.

Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz signed the MOU on behalf of the Philippines while Premier Greg Selinger signed on behalf of Manitoba in a simple ceremony in Makati City. The two officials later held a press conference to announce the MOU’s signing.

Mr. Selinger flew in to Manila not just to sign the MOU but also to lead a delegation of Manitobans that would like to explore trade, investment, and cultural cooperation with the Philippines. [Source]

Now, where to find those jobs in Manitoba?

Try this: How to find jobs in Canada.

Too incomplete to be assessed | MPNP Application

It looks like that more and more MPNP applications are being returned because it's too incomplete to be assessed. I've been receiving emails from my blog readers asking about it. I actually encountered similar issue with one of my clients few months ago. The problem with this kind of refusal is that MPNP does not identify which documents are lacking.

Here's how the refusal letter looks like:



In my client's case, there is no way that it will be incomplete, considering that we kept a scanned copy of the application forms and supporting documents sent to Manitoba - every single pages of them. As to why is was classified to be TOO INCOMPLETE TO BE ASSESSED is a total mystery. The recourse here is to refile the application. But this is really not fair.

I hope Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program is not ending soon like rumored earlier? But why are they refusing an application like they are no longer interested in accepting new applications? Do you have similar experience?

Has the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program ended?

There are rumors circuating around that the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) will be ending this year. I often receive this kind of question about MPNP.

Has the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program ended?

If you have questions about Canada's immigration programs, always consult the official website first. That's what I did and here's the answer I found:

No. The MPNP does not end. There is no deadline date to submit applications.

Ok. The site's FAQ may not be updated. Now, consider what I've found from Labour Market Bulletin - Manitoba (May 2010):

The province has announced that it will increase the minimum wage by 50 cents an hour to $9.50 on October 1. The Manitoba Labour Federation was advocating for an increase of 75 cents an hour effective April 1, while business leaders were advocating for either an increase of no more than 30 cents or no increase at all. Manitoba created almost 7,000 jobs in April, increasing from 612,200 employed to 619,000 over the month.

The unemployment rate for Manitoba in April was 4.9%, up from the 4.6% unemployment rate for April 2009, while the labour force participation rate increased from 68.9% to 69.8% in the same time period.

In 2009, over 12,000 immigrants entered Manitoba, the largest annual immigration total since 1913. This increase from the 3,725 immigrants to Manitoba in 1999 means that immigration levels have tripled in the last decade. This increase has been attributed to the provincial nominee program which was introduced in 1998. The province has a target of increasing immigration to 20,000 immigrants per year 2017.

Manitoba targets 20,000 immigrants!

I've been trying to search for official announcements regarding the planned ending of MPNP but without luck. What I do know is that they are still processing applications. In fact, here's a MPNP applicant I have assisted who were issued visa just recently.


Mr and Mrs Vergara, together with their children will be moving to Canada before the school year begins this year. They were sponsored by Mr. Vergara's former colleague and kumpare.

To qualify under MPNP General Stream, you need two distant relatives or friends who are ready and willing to support you. In their case, the wife of Mr. Vergara's kumpare served as the 2nd sponsor.

Mr. and Mrs Vergara are both doing great on their chosen fields. But they still decided to immigrate to Canada because of one thing - they want to prepare a better future for their children. It is a major decision and takes a lot of courage to get out of your comfort zone. But they did it just the same and it's for a noble intention. Hats off to the Vergara couples!

Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program is still open. File your application now!

Refused MPNP application

One of my blog readers asked for remedy to her refused Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) which she filed a couple of years ago. Her application was refused because she wasn't given points for adaptability factor.

Here's the reason provided by Manitoba Immigrations:

Application Guidelines clearly state (page 19 of the Application Kit) that Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) may refuse an application if the Program Officer is not satisfied that the applicant has demonstrated sufficient settlement supports from close relatives, distant relatives or friends with clearly established ties to the province and to the applicant. In your case, you were unable to establish ties to Manitoba are stronger than the ties to have to another Province in Canada where your brother resides. You have therefore been unable to demonstrate your intention to establish in Canada.

The applicant may make an appeal for review within 60 days. However, this would really be a tough case.

Update on Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) Question

I promised you to post an update on Question on Manitoba PNP once I received a reply from Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). Remember that I told you that I'll be sending them an email? Well, here's the reply I received.

Dear Apol E. Apuntar:

During the period when the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) had eligibility restriction based on occupation (so-called Occupations with Additional Requirements List), in the cases where we received applications in which the principal applicant was ineligible but complete information and documentation was provided for the spouse, we considered the spouse as the principal applicant.

Currently, there is no occupation restriction and applicants in all occupations can apply to MPNP. As a result, switching of principal applicants does not happen except in isolated cases where the choice who to be the principal applicant was based on who has the relative in Manitoba and the applicant was not aware that it does not affect the assessment of the relationship if the applicant or the spouse has a close relative.

Sincerely,

Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program

In making a decision who must be the principal applicant under Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP), it does not matter who has the relatives or friends in Canada.

Question on Manitoba PNP

Remember the MPNP Applicant I wrote about here: Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) Processing Period? There is actually an interesting fact about the said application.

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) Nomination Certificate was issued to the spouse and not to the principal applicant indicated on their MPNP Application Form.

I'm still looking for reference on how the MPNP handles the evaluation of an application vis-a-vis decision to change principal applicant. But based on the Manitoba Immigration glossary, here's how principal applicant is defined:

Principal Applicant

The person (you or your spouse) who is most likely to be approved according to the information provided in the Assessment Streams section. The other person will be considered a dependent on the principal applicant's forms.

If MPNP decides who will be the principal applicant based on the information that the applicant provides on their application form, it is important to also present the spouse profile (education, job description, supporting documents, etc) in the same way the principal applicant's profile is being presented.

I have sent an email to MPNP, will update this post once I got additional information.

Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) Processing Period

I have a client who filed under Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) - General Stream - last August 2007. The MPNP processing period was longer than what we have expected, but just the same, they finalilly received their MPNP Letter of Approval few days ago.


It took them almost two years to get the MPNP Letter of Approval. The next step is submission of updated application forms and supporting documents. Hopefully it will only take 3 months to get their approval from Canadian Visa Office in Manila. After that, they can then start to live and work in Canada!

Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP)

Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) is the Provincial Nominee Program with the most options or categories that you may apply for. Most of the program would either require you to have a job offer or a relative. But under MPNP General Stream, your friends may help you get a nomination.

Applicants to the MPNP must be able to clearly demonstrate they are employable in Manitoba and have a strong potential to settle successfully and permanently in this province. If you are a skilled worker and are interested in living and working in Manitoba, you have the best chance of being nominated if:

you have sufficient training and work experience in your occupation

you have sufficient language ability to begin working soon after arrival

you have settlement supports in Manitoba to assist you upon your arrival

The criteria for each stream is outlined below.

Employer Direct

• an offer of a long-term, full-time job in Manitoba pre-approved by the MPNP

If your job offer has not been pre-approved by the MPNP you must:

• have an offer of a long-term, full-time job in Manitoba
• have a work permit issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada
• be currently working for the Manitoba employer that has offered you the job and been working there for at least six months

International Student

• an offer of a long-term, full-time job in Manitoba
• a post-graduate open work permit issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada after you completed a post-secondary educational program of at least eight months in Manitoba
• currently working for the Manitoba employer that offered you the job and been working there for at least six months

Family Support

• a close relative in Manitoba who has signed a Manitoba Affidavit of Support (MAS)
• a close relative is defined as a mother/father, son/daughter, sister/brother, aunt/uncle, niece/nephew, grandparent or first cousin.

Strategic Initiatives
Strategic Initiatives are undertaken at the discretion of the MPNP in accordance with program needs and available resources. You are eligible to apply if you:

• participated in an exploratory visit to Manitoba, confirmed by the MPNP, and had an interview with a MPNP officer, or
• were interviewed by a MPNP officer and received a letter of invitation to apply as part of a MPNP targeted overseas promotional initiative, or
• have the support of an ethnocultural community organization in Manitoba that will help you arrange an exploratory visit that has been pre-approved by the MPNP

General stream
You must have at least one of the following:

• a close relative in Manitoba who has signed an Affidavit of Support (MAS)
• two friends or distant relatives in Manitoba who have each signed an affidavit of support
• completed education in Manitoba
• previous work experience in Manitoba (six months minimum)

For details about each category under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP), visit www.immigratemanitoba.com

Manitoba

The first batch of Filipino immigrants in Canada who arrived in the Province of Manitoba during the 1950's are composed of educators, nurses and medical technologists. They came from from the United States and decided to move to Canada after their limited residence status under the American-Philippines Visitor’s Exchange Program expired. To date, Filipinos are the largest immigrant group in Manitoba.

Manitoba seems to be the Filipino favorite.

Immigration Program

The province of Manitoba offers the easiest access to live and work in Canada thru its Provincial Nominee Program. Most of the provinces that offers similar program require that an employer must be willing to sponsor you. On the other hand, Manitoba offers several options

1.General Stream.
2.Employer direct stream.
3.Family Support Stream.
4.International Students Stream
5.Community Support Stream
6.Provincial Nominee Program for Business

For information about Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program, click here. For employment opportunities, click here.

Cost of Living

The overall cost of living in Manitoba is equal to or below Canada's national average. Although there is a recent increase in its housing cost, it still remains one of the least expensive locations to acquire real estate. It also boast of low electricity rates. For more detailed information about cost of living in manitoba, click here, or here.

Minimum wage in Manitoba is C$8.50/hour. For list of benefits provided by the Province of Manitoba, click here.

The Economy

Manitoba is a developed, diverse and dynamic economy. Its key components are Manufacturing, Financial services, Agriculture, Hydro electricity and Natural resources.

Filipino Community

The largest Filipino community in Manitoba is organized under the the umbrella of the Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba. There are other organizations ready to serve Filipino community in Manitoba. Services offered include settlement and integration supports as well as educational and cultural programs.

Climate
Warm, sunny summers and cold bright winters characterize Manitoba's climate. Afternoon temperatures in July and August Average 25ºC with midwinter daytime readings almost always remain well below freezing. Wide variations from average values are common in all seasons. More than half of the annual precipitation falls in the summer months in the form of brief heavy showers. Most of southern Manitoba receives 110-140 cm of snow annually with the heaviest snow falls occurring in the northeast, in the Duck and Riding Mountains. (160 cm)[Source].

Need driving direction? Here's MapQuest Canada: Driving Direction and Map of Canada.

Occupations Under Pressure

If you are in the process of looking for a job offer from Canada, it is best that you target those occupations under pressure.

In some regions, and depending on the circumstances/time, labour market information may indicate that the demand for labour in certain specific occupations is greater than the available supply. To meet the pressing human resource needs of employers, Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) and Service Canada (SC) have developed Regional Lists of Occupations under Pressure. For occupations found on these lists, employers will not be required to undertake lengthy or comprehensive advertising efforts before being eligible to apply to hire a foreign worker

These are the list of provinces with list of occupations under pressure:

Alberta

British Columbia

Manitoba

Nova Scotia

Ontario

Prince Edward Island

Quebec

But where do you find job vacancies? You might ask.

You may search job vacancies HERE.

Good luck!

Canada opens doors for more Pinoys

Canada opens doors for more Pinoys
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Philstar.com

Canada has officially opened the door wider for Filipino workers after the Canadian Province of Manitoba yesterday forged an agreement with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the hiring of more Filipino workers.

Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said the new agreement is expected to result in jobs for at least 10,000 Filipino health care and other highly skilled Filipino workers to the Canadian Province of Manitoba this year alone.

“We don’t have the exact figure yet but I think we can easily put in place 10,000 Filipino workers in Manitoba alone for this year,” Brion disclosed.

According to Brion, the Canadian Embassy has already put in place additional workers in preparation for the expected surge in the number of Filipinos that would seek employment in Canada.

He noted that Filipinos are expected to capture at least half of Manitoba’s 12,000 annual allocations for permanent immigrants. – Mayen Jaymalin

RP workers get priority hiring in Canada province

Here's another good news from GMANews.TV

To stem the growing labor shortage, the government of British Columbia has signed an agreement with the Philippines to prioritize the employment of Filipino migrant workers in the Canadian province.

Philippine Labor Secretary Arturo Brion signed a two-year memorandum of understanding with Economic Development Minister Colin Hansen in Vancouver on Tuesday, according to a report in Vancouver Sun.

The agreement will establish a labor committee that will formulate specific guidelines for training, certifying and assessing employees in the Philippines as well as employers in Canada.Mark J. Ubalde,GMANews.TV

To find jobs in Canada, you may try this alternative application process.

No Placement Fee for Canada-bound OFWs

Here's a link to the news release from POEA regarding the policy for Canada-bound OFWs.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) warns recruitment agencies against charging or collecting any recruitment and placement fee from workers to be deployed to Canada and countries, which have laws that prohibit the same.

The prohibition is specifically applicable to agencies that are deploying workers to the Canada provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia.

This is good news. However, we still hear from clients about placement agencies charging as much as P250,000.00 for a job in Canada. They also promise a faster processing. Some even boast of contacts inside Canadian Embassy.

To be sure, go only to legitimate placement agencies like I-Jobs.

And if you want to apply for permanent residence in Canada, you may send your resume to aapuntar@go2canada.com for initial assessment.

Provincial Nominee Program

Provincial Nominee Program is an alternative program if you are not eligible under the Federal Skilled Worker Program if you want to live and work in Canada. Most provinces in Canada have an agreement with the Government of Canada that allows them to nominate immigrants who wish to settle in that province. If you choose to immigrate to Canada as a provincial nominee, you must first apply to the province where you wish to settle and complete its provincial nomination process. The province will consider your application based on its immigration needs and your genuine intention to settle there.

Different Provincial Nominee Programs:

Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP)
(AINP) Family Stream
Manitoba Provincail Nominee Program
Newfoundland and Labrador
Ontario
Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program
British Columbia
New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program
Nova Scotia
Northwest Territories Nominee Program 
Prince Edward Island
Yukon

I will update this post every time there's a new Provincial Nominee Program signed between a province or territories and Citizenship and Immigration Canada.