What is the International Student Entrepreneur Pilot?
The Manitoba International Education Stream is dedicated to helping international graduates remain in the province as permanent residents. Manitoba intent to provide a faster route to Canadian permanent resident status for international graduates who have studied at a university or college in Manitoba.
The Pilot will provide up to 20 (per the calendar year) international students the opportunity to pursue entrepreneurship rather than employment.
The ISEP allows international students to “work for themselves.” These students may not have qualified for the employment requirements of the MPNP. This program helps international students who lack work experience or do not have a job offer in Canada to be self-employed. The ISEP also does not have a minimum investment or net worth requirement for the student entrepreneur.
If you are an international student who graduated in another province of Canada, you may be eligible to apply under the Business Investor Stream Entrepreneur Pathway
Eligibility
To understand more about the program and category requirement, you should attend an information session. This session is required before you submit any forms to the MPNP. Just simply email Manitoba Immigration at MPNP-BusinessStream@gov.mb.ca to book an appointment.
Now, we will move on to eligibility. The major requirements for candidates to qualify under this pathway are:
1. Business Experience:
A business plan is required as part of your application to MPNP.
You must operate the business in Manitoba as a senior manager daily for at least 6 months before nomination on a valid Post-Graduate Work Permit. The business has to also be consistent with the requirements of your Business Performance Agreement (BPA).
Business equity ownership of at least 51%.
2. Official Languages Proficiency:
The candidate must demonstrate proficiency in either English or French consistent with the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of level 7. Language tests must have been taken within the two years before applying to the program. If a test was taken more than two years before applying, the test will likely need to be retaken and the new results submitted.
Approved language tests accepted for proving language proficiency are:
English:
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
- Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP)
French:
- Test d’évaluation de français (TEF)
- Test de Connaissance du français pour le Canada (TCF Canada)
Notably, both the General and the Academic IELTS exam are accepted for this program.
3. Education:
To be eligible for the Manitoba Student Entrepreneur Pathway, a candidate must have completed a full-time post-secondary education program at a designated institution in Manitoba. This program must have been a minimum of two years (distance learning or compressed academic programs are not eligible).
Studies and/or work/business experience outside of Canada will be considered as beneficial but not are an eligibility requirement.
4. Age:
Candidates must be between the ages of 21 and 35 years old to qualified for the requirement.
5. Adaptability:
The candidate must have a valid open work permit or post-graduation work permit (PGWP) at the time of applying for a provincial nomination.
Besides, all candidates for this stream must have resided in Manitoba continuously since graduation and must show the intent to continue to reside in Manitoba even after the nomination.
6. Settlement Fund:
Though a minimum net worth is not an eligibility criterion, the candidate’s net worth will be verified by a third-party supplier approved by the MPNP. The verification report, along with the application, must be submitted to the MPNP for the provincial nomination within 120 days of receiving your Letters of Advice to Apply (LAA).
The source of funds will be considered for evaluating the potential for you to successfully execute your business plan.
You must demonstrate liquid funds equivalent to Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) requirements for independent financial resources for a twelve-months.
12-month LICO Requirement:
1 person: $25,338 CAD
2 persons: $31,544 CAD
3 persons: $38,780 CAD
4 persons: $47,084 CAD
5 persons: $53,402 CAD
6 persons: $60,228 CAD
7 persons: $67,056 CAD
For each additional family member: $6,828 CAD
A deposit is not required.
Furthermore, you must get official letters from any banks or financial institutions where you are keeping the money as proof of funds. You must include a letter from the bank and at least three months of bank statements (a list of your banking transactions).
Letter(s) must:
- Be printed on the financial institution’s letterhead
- Include their contact information (address, telephone number, and email address)
- Include your name
- List outstanding debts (such as credit card debts and loans)
- Include, for each current bank and investment account:
- account numbers
- the date each account was opened
- the current balance of each account
- the average balance for the past six months
7. Business Performance Agreement:
After an application is approved, a BPA must be signed before the MPNP issuing you an approval-in-principle letter to implement your business plan.
Who may be not eligible?
As well as meeting the general requirements, you must have legal immigration status to apply to the MPNP. The following are not eligible to apply to the MPNP:
- Refugee claimants, or individuals involved in a federal appeal or removal process.
- Live-in Caregivers currently living in Canada.
- Temporary foreign workers currently working and residing in a province other than Manitoba.
- Spouses of Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
- Individuals who have been refused by the MPNP within the last six months and are not able to address the reason(s) for refusal.
- Individuals who have an active immigration application with any other provincial immigration program in Canada.
How to apply?
Immigration through the MPNP for International Education Stream in Manitoba is a three-step process. These steps briefly show the process for expressing your interest and applying to ISEP. Step 1 relates to expressing your interest, and steps 2-3 relate to submitting an application and meeting the terms required for nomination.
Step 1: Submit an Expression of Interest
Eligible candidates can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) and enter the candidate pool.
The EOI submission is an electronic process, which involves answering some questions online and uploading supporting documents. An EOI is valid for one year after submission – if you have not received an LAA after one year, your EOI will expire and you will need to submit a new one to remain in the candidate pool.
The EOI can be updated at any time, even after submission. This means that if you become eligible for a higher points score, you do not have to wait until your EOI expires to update your situation.
There is no limit to the number of candidates who can submit an EOI, and there is no deadline. However, the province does reserve the right to limit EOIs from candidates in certain occupations, if there is a significant overload.
To create EOI:
- Create Government of Manitoba account (https://web22.gov.mb.ca/sso/Account/LogOn)
- Sign in to create Expression of Interest
After submitting an EOI, candidates receive a score out of 1,000 based on work experience, education, language ability, adaptability, and other factors.
Make sure your profile is fully up-to-date and accurate. While your EOI is active, you can continue to update your profile with new information. There are things you can do to improve your score and increase your chances of receiving an LAA.
An EOI is not an application, but an indication of your interest in being considered to apply to the MPNP. All candidates must answer all EOI questions accurately and completely. If you provide false or misleading information, it may be considered misrepresentation and you may be prevented from submitting another EOI for two years.
Step 2: Submit your full application to the MPNP
The highest-scoring qualified candidates with a connection to Manitoba are invited to submit an MPNP application in periodic draws from the pool.
Once you receive an LAA, you have 60 days to complete and submit an application to the MPNP. It is strongly recommended that candidates start preparing documents when they enter the pool, as it can take some time to gather the required documents in the right format.
All documents and your net worth verification report (if required) must be submitted, and your application fee of $2,500 must be paid at the time of submitting your application to the MPNP.
Your complete application will be assessed by the MPNP. The assessment process will include an in-person interview with the MPNP. If your application meets all of the requirements, the Program will email you an approval letter.
You must sign an ISEP-Business Performance Agreement (BPA) before the MPNP approving your application in principle so you can pursue your business plan.
Step 3: Receive your MPNP nomination
Following a thorough assessment, the MPNP nominates successful candidates to make a separate application to the Government of Canada for permanent resident visas for you and your family.
Once nominated, you can apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence.
Visa Application steps are detailed can be checked at here:
Supporting documents
The MPNP assesses your eligibility based on the documents you submit with your MPNP Online application. You must substantiate all the claims in your EOI and all the information in your application with supporting documentation.
Therefore, before applying, make sure you know what documents you will need and prepare to scan and upload them with your MPNP Online application.
Forms and Documents include:
1. Personal information
To support the information regarding your identity, residency and other personal details of yourself and your dependents, you must submit official (government-issued) documents:
- ID: birth certificate
- Residence/travel: passport (including photo, detail pages, and visas if the country of residence differs from the country of citizenship)
- Marital status: marriage/divorce/death certificates; separation agreement; documents proving your common-law partnership of at least one year
- Dependants: birth certificates must show names of both parents; adoption papers; custody agreements for children of divorce/separation, as well as travel documents
2. Education
Provide documents substantiating the claims regarding secondary and post-secondary education and/or training, you must include the name of institution and program, dates of attendance and language of instruction, for yourself and your spouse.
Certificate, degree or diploma and transcripts for each program completed by the applicant and spouse must also be submitted. As well as certified translation into English or French for each document issued in another language.
3. Employment
Submit documents showing work history for the past five years and do not include jobs that were six months or less:
- A Signed letter of reference from each employer of the applicant and spouse
- Employer letters on company letterhead and signed by a company representative (include contact information)
- Mention of start and end dates for employment; a detailed description of position and duties, and the salary you were paid
Upload certified translation into English or French of each document issued in another language. In the case of Self-employed: submit copies of business registration, business tax records for each year, and copies of work contracts, if applicable.
4. Immigration history and status
You must submit documents substantiating all information you enter regarding previous immigration applications to Canada and previous (or current) visits to and stays in Canada by yourself, your spouse and any adult dependants. Such as provincial nominee or federal immigration/refugee application result letter, visas for temporary work, study or visit – upload copy of an official document.
5. Language ability
You must submit documents to prove the statements you make in your application regarding your English and/or French language proficiency.
Valid test results from approved language tests are required by all applicants except those currently working in Manitoba in high-skill occupations (NOC 0, A or B).
The test must have been taken no more than two years before the date you submit your MPNP Online application. Only applicants who are not required to submit test results may submit other documents to show their English proficiency.
6. Settlement Funds
All applicants should have CAD $10,000 plus CAD $2,000 for spouse and each accompanying dependant.
Submit copies of three months of bank statements and certificates of deposit, demonstrating a clear financial history of sufficient and transferable settlement funds in your name and/or the name of your spouse or common-law partner, and, if applicable:
- Copies of securities and other investments
- Proof of ownership of real estate including a current market price evaluation, or other assets (not including personal items) owned by the applicant or spouse, with objective fair market value evaluation
If there are currency controls in your country of residence, the MPNP may require proof of transferability.
7. Adaptability – Settlement Plan
The Settlement Plan is part of MPNP Online, where all applicants explain why they chose Manitoba and how they plan to settle in the community, and find a job or, for those currently working in Manitoba.
Settlement Plan Part 2 (SPP2e) is an interactive PDF form that MPNP Online sends to the designated Manitoba Supporter. Supporters use their form to explain how they will help applicants achieve short and long-term settlement goals.
Ensure that you have downloaded the most recent version of each form. These forms are intended to be completed on a desktop or laptop computer. They may not display or function properly on a mobile device (phone or tablet).
Some forms require a digital signature (digital ID). For more information on signing a PDF form with a digital ID, please visit https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/digital.
After the application
The MPNP does not accept inquiries about the status of your application after you have submitted it. However, you can check your application status and provide new information by logging into MPNP Online (the MPNP does not accept updates to your information or documents by e-mail or in person; you must use MPNP Online).
You simply have to log into your account you created for submitting your EOI and will now have access to the full MPNP application.
MPNP Online will instruct you to upload documents as evidence of all statements about your personal and family status, English language ability, and your education and employment experience.
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