The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) allows refugees to immigrate to Canada through existing economic programs and gives Canadian employers access to a new pool of qualified candidates. To qualify, applicants must have a Refugee Status Determination or a document showing they are registered or documented as refugees. IRCC recently announced an expansion of this program, which will include a new federal pathway. This article will cover the details of this new pathway. Designed to address labour market shortages in Canada, the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) helps skilled refugees immigrate through existing economic programs. It also provides companies in Canada access to a new pool of qualified candidates.
Applicants can apply for EMPP through two streams. The first is through a job offer stream, where an employer must offer them a full-time job that meets the National Occupation Classification requirements. The other is the no-job-offer stream, where a qualified refugee can apply without an employment offer from a Canadian employer. As a part of the program, eligible candidates can get access to complimentary settlement services like language instruction. Before their arrival, they can also attend a short orientation to daily life in Canada. In addition, the program will connect them with employers who can help them start their careers in Canada. IRCC is now accepting applications for the EMPP from refugees with either a Convention or country of asylum refugee status. It also has partnered with organizations such as Talent Beyond Boundaries, which helps skilled refugees located overseas connect with employers looking to fill labor shortages.
How to Qualify for Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot?
To qualify for Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot, you must be a refugee protected under the convention or a person of concern to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and have no durable solution in your nation of origin. You must also have a positive refugee status determination from the country hosting you or a letter from UNHCR saying that you are a person of concern. You must also have a job offer from a Canadian employer for full-time work.
Applicants who meet these requirements will complete two applications. They should submit them together using the instructions for the EMPP application. Once IRCC receives your applications, they will review them in stages. If your applications are complete, they will email you or your representative with an acknowledgment of receipt that includes your application number.
As part of the EMPP, applicants can get assistance from a non-government partner such as Talent Beyond Boundaries to help them prepare for life in Canada. In addition, IRCC waives the fees for pre-departure medical assessments and biometrics for program participants. They will also cover the cost of any necessary loans. This will allow you to save money before immigrating to Canada.
Immigrate through EMPP
If you are a skilled refugee or displaced person, you may be eligible to immigrate to Canada through the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP). The Government of Canada has partnered with seven non-governmental organizations to identify refugees who might qualify while abroad and work with them to connect them with Canadian employers seeking to fill in-demand labour shortages.
One of those non-governmental organizations is Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB), which works with displaced people in East and Horn of Africa to help them find jobs in Canada. TBB recently assisted three women in Kenya to move to Pictou County, Nova Scotia, as nurses through the EMPP program.
The Government of Canada also announced this week that it would expand the EMPP to include a new federal immigration pathway that is expected to open in the summer of 2023. This new pathway will allow employers in Canada to hire displaced people who meet the requirements of any National Occupation Classification category, including nurse aides, personal support workers, long-term care aides, software engineers, web designers, mechanical and electrical engineers, and technicians, teachers, tourism and hospitality workers, and truck and delivery service drivers.
If you choose this pathway, you will need to apply through one of Canada’s economic immigration programs, including Atlantic Immigration Program, Provincial Nominee Program, or Rural and Northern Immigration Program. You will also need to have a positive Refugee Status Determination from the UNHCR or an equivalent from your refugee-hosting country, and you must be assessed under the Canadian economic immigration requirements.
IRCC-Partnered Organizations for EMPP application
IRCC has partnered with organizations such as Talent Beyond Boundaries, RefugePoint, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to help identify refugees who may be eligible for EMPP. To apply for the program, applicants must meet two criteria: they must have strong economic settlement potential and a job offer from a Canadian employer in a skilled occupation. They must also be a Convention Refugee or have been registered as a person of concern by the UNHCR, and they must have no durable solution in their current country of asylum.
Applicants who are selected to join the EMPP will have fees for their applications, pre-departure medical assessments, and biometrics waived. They will also be provided with access to loans that they can use to meet the financial requirements to settle in Canada. The program also helps connect refugees with Canadian employers and supports them with employment opportunities and career development. EMPP is available for applicants from the following provinces and territories: British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories.