Glacier FarmMedia – Manitoba’s pork producer group is applauding a federal decision that will see a two-year permit extension for some 6,700 temporary foreign workers.
“It was a good move,” said Cam Dahl, general manager for the Manitoba Pork Council.
The decision, announced May 8, affects mainly post-graduation work permit holders who are working in the Manitoba Skilled Worker Provincial Nominee Program Expression of Interest Pool, according to a federal news release. Their work permits would have otherwise expired this year.
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“Supporting Manitoba’s skilled workers will help the province meet their regional economic immigration goals,” said federal immigration minister Marc Miller. “This measure supports our priority of transitioning a greater portion of current temporary residents to permanent residence and meeting local labour market needs.
“We remain open to collaborating with other provinces to transition more temporary residents to permanent residence.”
Dahl said he didn’t know how many of those extended permits pertain to pork industry workers, but added it’s a fair bet that it includes some of them. Hog farmers and processors often bring in temporary foreign workers to cover domestic worker gaps.
The announcement came on the heels of a request from the provincial government, Manitoba Labour and Immigration Minister Malaya Marcelino noted.
“This is really good news for the province,” she told reporters at a media event May 8.
The province will be working to ensure that workers with extended permits are included in the candidate pool for permanent residency, Marcelino added.
