As many as 9,500 skilled immigrants can now be nominated to come to Manitoba through provincial program

The provincial government will allow a record number of skilled immigrants to come to Manitoba in 2023 to address critical labour needs, including in health care.

Manitoba Labour Immigration Minister Jon Reyes announced in a Thursday news release the province is creating 3,175 new nominations through the provincial nominee program.

Last year, out of a pool of 13,030 candidates, a total of 6,367 immigrants were nominated, the highest since the program's inception in 1998, Reyes said previously.

The bump in nominations means the province could see 9,500 new immigrants, the news release said.

The increase in nominations comes after the province's Immigration Advisory Council issued a report that had 70 ways the government could make the application and resettlement process smoother for newcomers.

One of those recommendations was boosting the number of nominees. Another suggested doing sector-specific draws biweekly, in addition to the regular draw, to address labour market needs in Manitoba.

One of the sectors needing skilled labour is health care.

Last month, Reyes was part of a delegation to the Philippines to recruit nurses and health care aides, and ended up giving letters of intent to 350 people.

The recruitment trip has come under fire because the Philippines has its own nursing shortage, and internationally educated nurses who are already living in Manitoba have said the province should focus on getting people who are already here registered to work.

More than 185,000 skilled immigrants and their families have immigrated to Manitoba from all over the world since the program started, the province said.

Provincial nominees accounted for 64 per cent of all immigrants who landed in Manitoba last year.

Reyes said newcomers contribute to long-term economic recovery and growth, as well as to Manitoba's cultural diversity.