Work permits extended to 2027 for international grads

The federal government is offering a reprieve for international graduates who found work and settled in Manitoba, giving the province more time to process a backlog of provincial nominee applications.

Ottawa will extend 2,700 work permits until Dec. 31, 2027, so provincial nominee program applications can be processed before their permits expire.

“These are folks that are working. Employers need them,” Liberal MP Terry Duguid (Winnipeg South) said Monday.

“This is good news, particularly for those folks who would be out of status quite soon. These folks are not a burden at all on our community. This is good news for Manitoba, good news for our economy, good news for employers and, of course, the work permit holders.”

“This is good news, particularly for those folks who would be out of status quite soon.”

The MP said it is up to Manitoba Immigration Minister Malaya Marcelino to accept the federal government’s proposal.

“This is what Minister Marcelino has asked for, so we are delivering on what she asked for,” Duguid said.

In 2024, Marcelino asked the federal government for a three-year extension to allow the province to deal with a “huge backlog” of provincial nominee applications due, in part, to cuts made by the previous Progressive Conservative administration. Ottawa responded at the time with a two-year extension set to expire Dec. 31.

Duguid, along with Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North), announced the latest extension Monday.

“Obviously this is good news, both for those wanting to stay in Manitoba and it will help businesses that were concerned about the potential impact a loss of employees would have on their organizations,” said Chuck Davidson, Manitoba Chambers of Commerce president and CEO.

“Obviously this is good news, both for those wanting to stay in Manitoba and it will help businesses that were concerned about the potential impact a loss of employees would have on their organizations.”

The federal government hit pause on population growth in 2024 to get its immigration system in order and reduce pressure on housing and infrastructure. Its 2025-2027 immigration plan cut the intake of temporary residents — specifically international students and foreign workers, as well as those granted permanent residence. The target of 500,000 permanent residents was cut to 395,000 in 2025, 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027.

Bram Strain, president and CEO of the Manitoba Business Council, said businesses that rely on the workers are “very grateful” for the extension.

“It provides stability until the end of 2027 and allows the province to work on processing provincial nominations, so that those folks can stay permanently.”

Manufacturers and food processors in places like Neepawa, Brandon and Winnipeg rely on those workers who stay because they have a path to permanent residency, Strain said. They’re on temporary work permits while they await their application being processed and approved.

“If they would have expired, folks would have left the country, we would have been short of workers, and then they would have to start the whole process over again,” Strain said.

For the past two years, international students and graduates have protested at the Manitoba legislature about not being invited to apply for the provincial nominee program, even though they were employed, had set down roots in the province and, in some cases, bought homes.

They said they decided to study in Manitoba because it promised a pathway to permanent resident status through the provincial nominee program.

In 2025, Manitoba’s allocation of provincial nominees was cut to 4,750 from 9,500 in 2024. In 2026, the province was allocated 6,239 nominations.

Those who protested over the years expressed concern their work permits would expire before they were invited to apply for the provincial nominee program and they’d be forced to leave Canada.

Strain said he expects Marcelino will welcome the proposal and ask for an increase in provincial nominee allocations.

“We need to keep working with the federal government to increase the provincial nominee program to adequate numbers so that we don’t get ourselves in this type of situation again,” Strain said.

Marcelino was not available for an interview Monday but a statement was issued on her behalf by press secretary Andrew Chapman.

“Our government has advocated for several years for more allocations in our Manitoba provincial nominee program. 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,” it said.

Lamoureux said he and Duguid have been pushing for Manitoba to receive more provincial nominee allocations for the last two years.

The work permit extension will provide relief to many waiting for a chance to stay permanently in Manitoba, Lamoureux said.

“It provides the legitimate opportunity for up to 2,700 people to be able to remain in Canada and become, ultimately, permanent residents,” Lamoureux said. “It definitely will provide relief to 2,700 people today.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca