Question Period Note: Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot

Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot

• Canada is committed to attracting talent from around the world to fill skills shortages and drive economic growth.
• Under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP), Canada is helping skilled refugees and other qualified displaced people overseas, and their families, safely move to Canada through economic immigration programs, while giving employers access to a new pool of talent.
• On June 12, Canada launched two new federal economic pathways under the EMPP to help Canadian employers in a wide range of sectors and industries hire skilled refugees and other displaced individuals. Canadian employers can also continue to use existing regional EMPP economic pathways.
• The streamlined application process (with one application and a six-month processing time for most applications) means EMPP newcomers will be able to move to and start working in Canada quickly.
If pressed:
• Employers in Canada can use EMPP to fill vacancies in a wide range of sectors including in in-demand jobs like nurse aides, personal support workers and long-term care aides, construction labourers, tourism and hospitality workers, and engineers.
• These ongoing improvements show Canada’s commitment to welcome more skilled refugees and other qualified displaced people overseas through new, innovative pathways that complement our resettlement programs.

If pressed on travel delays:

• While IRCC processes most applications within 6 months or less, there can be delays, for example due to missing or incomplete information in the application. Some applicants, particularly individuals in situations of displacement, may face challenges in obtaining the necessary exit permits to travel to Canada.
• Others may need more time to complete necessary steps for immigration, such as getting an immigration medical exam or submitting their biometrics.

• The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has been promoting the pursuit of new pathways to find durable solutions and strengthen self-reliance for refugees.

• Admissions through the EMPP are complementary to Canada’s existing humanitarian resettlement programs, and will not impact Canada’s humanitarian commitments to resettle refugees.

• The effort from labour mobility pathways, like the EMPP, is changing the narrative on refugees and other displaced people from one focused on their vulnerability, to one that recognizes their skills and assets, while helping to meet labour needs in communities.

• Phase 1 of the EMPP proved that, with some assistance, there are skilled refugees who can immigrate to Canada through existing economic pathways. Based on this “proof of concept,” the Department has committed to growing the EMPP to welcome 2,000 skilled refugees and other displaced people to help fill labour shortages in in-demand sectors such as healthcare.

• In the Regional EMPP pathways, which opened for application intake in December 2021, facilitation measures are applied to the Provincial Nominee Program, Atlantic Immigration Program, and the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot. The Department works with ten participating provinces and territories and all RNIP communities to identify local labour market needs and employers interested in hiring skilled refugees. IRCC and the UNHCR-Canada work with non-government organization (NGO) partners who identify skilled refugee candidates abroad and match them to available job opportunities in Canada. IRCC and employers offer processing facilitations and settlement supports to help candidates and their families arrive and settle in Canada as economic class permanent residents.

• The new Federal EMPP pathway, which opened application intake in June 2023, complements the Regional EMPP, and has made the pilot easier for candidates and Canadian employers to use. This new pathway streamlines the eligibility criteria and the application process, broadens job opportunities to all skill levels and sectors across the country, and expands the number of skilled refugee and displaced populations that may be eligible.

• Since the pilot started in 2018, 164 total persons (60 principal applicants and 104 dependants) have been admitted to Canada under the EMPP.

• It’s not unusual for pilots – especially new ones – to slowly gain momentum. IRCC continues to work closely with it partners and stakeholders to promote awareness of the pilot among employers and sector leaders across Canada.

• Canada has provided NGO partners with $6.2 million, over 3 years (2022-2025), for 6 projects that will build their capacity in key areas including identifying and referring candidates abroad, engaging Canadian employers and supporting the administration of microloans to help newcomers settle.

• With the EMPP, Canada has become a global leader in this space, being a catalyst for other states and stakeholders to develop and grow labour mobility initiatives for refugees and displaced people.

• As such, Canada was asked to be the first chair of the Global Task Force for Refugee Labour Mobility, a new multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder initiative whose mission is to increase refugee access to labour complementary pathways. The Global Task Force officially launched on April 6, 2022, allowing interested stakeholders to share lessons learned, best practices and to contribute to building global capacity for this innovative immigration initiative.

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