Manitoba PNP for Business

Manitoba PNP for Business

The MPNP for Business allows Manitoba to recruit and nominate qualified business people from around the world who have the intent and ability to move to Manitoba and establish, purchase a business or become partners in an existing business.

With a population of 1.259 million and with diverse skills and multicultural backgrounds, Manitoba is the ideal size and place to start or purchase a business or farm, and to raise a family.

Manitoba invites you to explore the business-friendly atmosphere and abundant opportunities that await you in the province. Manitoba has a history of welcoming newcomers and fully recognize the importance of business and farm immigrants to province’s economic and demographic development. Manitoba encourages you to take advantage of an extensive network of services available to newcomers.

The Province of Manitoba and Government of Canada share responsibilities regarding business people immigrating to Canada through the Provincial Nominee Program for Business.

The Provincial Nominee Program for Business allows Manitoba to recruit and nominate qualified business people from around the world who have the intent and ability to move to Manitoba and establish, purchase a business or become partners in an existing business.

There are two streams:

• Business Investors
• Farm Strategic Recruitment Initiative

MPNP Business Investor

Overview

This MPNP-B operates on an Expression of Interest (EOI) system whereby prospective applicants submit their intention to apply to the program. The MPNP-B EOI system involves three steps.

First, eligible candidates interested make their EOI by creating an online profile. The profiles of eligible candidates are placed in the MPNP-B EOI pool with other eligible candidates, and are assigned a score based on answers provided. Candidates are ranked according to their point total under the unique MPNP-B Adaptability Assessment Matrix. Points are awarded for age, business knowledge, business experience, net worth, proficiency in Canada’s official languages, and enhanced settlement factors (such as a spouse or common-law partner’s language proficiency, previous visit(s) to Manitoba, and other factors).

The highest-scoring candidates are invited to apply to the MPNP-B. This invitation comes in the form of a Letter of Advice to Apply (LAA). After receiving a LAA, candidates will have only 60 days to submit a complete application to the government of Manitoba.

In step three, after obtaining a nomination certificate from Manitoba, a candidate then submits his or her complete paperwork to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and applies for Canadian permanent residence.

Minimum Requirements

In order to be eligible for MPNP-B, applicants must:

• Have a minimum verifiable personal net worth of $350,000 CAD;
• Have a minimum three years of successful business ownership and management experience or executive-level experience as senior manager of a business within the past five years;
  • Business ownership experience: the applicant has been actively engaged in providing goods or services to customers and bears the risk of return for the capital investment in the business enterprise.
  • Senior management experience: the applicant has held a position in the highest level of management of a major business in which he or she has been responsible for strategic policy development.
    • The applicant’s position must have significant decision-making responsibilities involving at least two of the following aspects of business:
      • Distribution
      • Production/Operations/Project management
      • Purchasing
      • Sales
      • Marketing
      • Finance
      • Accounting
      • Human Resources/Personnel
      • Research and Development
      • Information Technology management
      • Quality Control
    • The applicant must demonstrate that his or her level of income is comparable to the prevailing income level of senior managers of other major businesses in the same country.
  • Make an Eligible Business Investment in Manitoba;
  • Attend an interview with an MPNP-B officer;
  • Demonstrate sufficient language proficiency by providing results from a language competency test taken in the past two years at an approved testing agency;
    • English:
      • International English Language Test System (IELTS)
      • Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) – available in Canada only
    • French:
      • Test d’Évaluation de Français (TEF)
    • Have the intention and ability to reside in Manitoba with all dependent family members; and
    • Score a minimum of 60 points in the Adaptability Assessment Matrix.

Candidates may also be required to conduct an Exploratory Visit to Manitoba.

Applicants will need to provide proof of research conducted during the visit in the form of a visit report and other documents.

MPNP-B Adaptability Matrix
Adaptability Matrix is also available in PDF format

The Adaptability Assessment Matrix is used to evaluate your potential to successfully settle in Manitoba and become economically established by starting a business. In order to be nominated, you must score a minimum 60 (out of a maximum 100) points on this matrix.

Farm Strategic Recruitment Initiative (FSRI)

The Farm Strategic Recruitment Initiative (FSRI) is a special rural economic initiative under the auspices of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program for Business (MPNP-B). The FSRI is for individuals with proven farm business experience, sufficient available capital to invest, and who intend to establish and operate a farm operation in rural Manitoba. It is expected that successful applicants of the FSRI will establish a farm business in rural Manitoba producing primary products that is consistent with the province’s current farm industry. The type of operation and investment must correlate with Provincial statistics and be relevant to Manitoba’s farm industry. Agri-business operations not producing primary products may qualify under the Business Program criteria.

Applicants (nominees) must:

• live on the farm in rural Manitoba on a day-to-day basis;
• not lease the farm land to others;
• must manage the farm operation actively on a day-to-day basis, and must not use a third party or farm manager to run the farm; and
• must not buy a farm for only land value appreciation purposes.

The farm must be in active primary agricultural production, must be economically viable, and must not be out of production.

Investment

• The Investment from the nominee’s personal assets should be with no less than CAD $150,000 in tangible assets in Manitoba.
  • Tangible assets are items such as farmland, farm buildings, farm related vehicles, office equipment, computers, farm machinery, livestock, tools and fencing supplies, etc.
  • Farm businesses that depict the characteristics of a hobby farm will not be eligible for refund.
  • Farm businesses that are not established or based in rural Manitoba will not be eligible for refund.
• If an investment is into an existing farm business, the Nominee must control at least 33.33% of the equity, or make a minimum $1 million equity investment in the farm business. In addition, a redemption option should not be included in terms of investment.
• Investment into personal items, such as the principal residence that is located off the farm and motor vehicles for personal use, will not be counted as part of the business investment.
• Investments into a farm business operated primarily for the purposes of deriving passive investment income are not eligible.

Business Activities

• A farm business entity should have ongoing and recurring business activities in Manitoba.
• The Nominee is required to actively participate in the management of the farm business on an ongoing basis from within Manitoba.
• The farm business must be legal and viable in Manitoba’s economic environment, and the applicant should have the necessary resources and skills to operate such a farm business.
• The MPNP-B requires the Nominee to conduct value-added farm business activities in Manitoba. Purely speculative activities do not quality under the MPNP-B.