Prepare for success

Preparing before you leave your home country will help make your transition to life in Canada easier.

After you are accepted to come to Manitoba as a provincial nominee or under a federal program you are about half-way through your immigration process. It takes another six months to a year to apply for a Canadian permanent resident visa, while the federal government does security and medical checks. Canadian embassies in some countries may have longer visa processing times.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada tracks processing times at all international visa posts. You can check your application status online at Permanent resident visa processing times.

10 STEPS to prepare your move to Manitoba

Take advantage of your waiting period by doing things that will make it easier for you to get established once you arrive in Manitoba.

1. Familiarize yourself with values, laws, your responsibilities and the rights you have as a Manitoban.
2. Take English classes in your country of residence.
3. Find out where you can stay upon arrival.
4. If you're arriving in winter make sure you have warm clothing.
5. Choose the Manitoba community where you will settle; research online the housing market.
6. Plan your job search.
7. If your intended occupation is a regulated trade or profession contact the regulatory body to find out what you will have to do to get licensed or certified.
8. Go online to research or make connections with professional, social, recreational, cultural groups.
9. Gather documents – letters of reference from employers, professional certificates, school records; translate into English or French.
10. Get to know the programs and services available in Manitoba for newcomers; make a "settlement strategy."

The following important topics each have a page in the Prepare to Move section.

Improve your English

Past immigrants to Manitoba inevitably say that improving English skills is the one thing they should have done before moving. If you cannot take a language class in your country of residence then use our self-study tools - two interactive websites and booklets to guide you in your learning.

At home your English may be very good compared to other people. But you can expect that Canadian employers will want to hire people with the best communication skills. You may need to improve your technical or business English. As well, casual listening and speaking will be harder when you are living here.

Once you live in Manitoba you can take advantage of free English classes. But if English is not your first language it is strongly recommended that you attend English classes before you come to Manitoba.

Learn about Manitoba

Familiarizing yourself with Manitoba before you arrive will help you get established – at work, school, home, in your community – and and ready to enjoy the quality of life Manitoba offers.

Research jobs and careers

Remember that having a Certificate of Nomination is not a guarantee of employment. Like the rest of Canada, in Manitoba it is each person's responsibility to find a job. Past immigrants say it was absolutely necessary to research jobs and careers.