Nina Lam: Immigration Program Officer - Local 47
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I wanted to work in a space where I was contributing to a process that I knew that my family and so many other families have gone through that was able to make my family’s life a better life.
Nina Lam is in the unique position of getting a glimpse into someone’s life story and helping them write their next chapter in Manitoba.
As an Immigration Program Officer with the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP), Lam reviews applications from people worldwide who are interested in moving to the province and becoming part of Manitoba’s work force.
Lam is passionate about her work in immigration; drawing connections between the work, her Master in Development Studies from the Geneva Graduate Institute, and her personal experience as a second-generation Canadian.
“I took the position because it was [with] a department that is really part of my identity and my upbringing,” she says. “I wanted to work in a space where I was contributing to a process that I knew that my family and so many other families have gone through that was able to make my family’s life a better life.”
Through the MPNP, individuals who have skill sets that match Manitoba’s labour needs are recommended to the federal government to become permanent residents. If accepted, they move to cities and communities throughout the province, supporting Manitoba’s economy by filling key positions.
A typical day for Lam includes reviewing applications to confirm eligibility for the MPNP, checking that the documents are consistent and completed, and verifying the information. If the application meets the criteria and the person can establish themselves economically in Manitoba, Lam makes a recommendation to approve or decline it.
Reviewing applications also gives Lam opportunities to do one of her favourite things on the job – calling the applicant’s supporters, who share how they will help the new person settle into life in Manitoba. Support can include finding them a place to stay, picking them up from the airport, or helping them open a bank account, among other tasks to get them set up for success.
“I love calling supporters because they are always so happy to get my call,” says Lam. “They get to share their memories and how they know the applicant and how excited they are for the applicant to come. It’s just such a positive experience to talk to them.”
Immigration Program Officers are the first to review applications, so they have insights into trends such as occupation types or countries of origin. Drawing on their firsthand experiences with applicants, Lam and her colleagues can make recommendations about process or policy changes that would help strengthen the MPNP.
All recommendations that are made by Immigration Program Officers, whether about process or policy or related to an application, are reviewed further by management. The final decisions about who comes to Canada, and what the policies and procedures look like, are made by the federal government.
The impact that Lam can have on people’s lives is not lost on her.
“Having looked through somebody’s application – like that is somebody’s life story – I definitely feel like I am making a difference in somebody’s life and somebody’s future in Canada,” she says.