Economic Mobility Program

The world is going through a displacement crisis. Millions of people are displaced annually, adding to the refugee numbers. Canada has cultivated a reputation for being the most welcoming country to people from all over the world. In 2020, Canada resettled nearly half of all the refugees in the world.

Recently, Canada has committed to expanding the number of immigration pathways offered to increase refugee resettlement in alignment with the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and the Comprehensive Refugees Response Framework.

In 2018, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) Refugee Affairs Branch (RAB) revealed the possibility of providing existing economic immigration programs as an alternative to skilled refugees coming to Canada.

For this purpose, the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot was introduced in April 2018 to nominate 10-15 skilled refugees from the Middle East and East Africa who meet the eligibility criteria of one of Canada’s economic immigration programs to obtain permanent residence.

Under this program, applicants with economic settlement potential will be referred to different jurisdictions for possible nomination under the participating Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) or many federal economic programs such as the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

The IRCC operated the EMPP in partnership with Talent Beyond Boundaries, RefugePoint, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Currently, eligible refugees for this program are referred to 5 participating PNPs:

Manitoba PNP
Ontario PNP
Nova Scotia PNP
Newfoundland and Labrador PNP
And the Yukon PNP for provincial nomination
The PNPs help to nominate applicants based on their ability to meet the participating provinces’ and territories’ local labour market needs.

To apply for an economic immigration program through the EMPP, you must complete and submit two application forms:

• One application for one of the existing economic immigration programs:
  • Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)
  • Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
  • Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP)
• And a second application for the EMPP

You must submit both of these application forms together.

You can complete these applications yourself or use a legal representative to meet them on your behalf if you wish.

Before starting your EMPP application, you must ensure that you’ve completed your application for one of the three eligible economic immigration streams.
The first is the main application form for the EMPP and will ask you to provide information such as your details and that of your family, your refugee status and your travel history.
The second form is a checklist of the supporting documents you must include with your EMPP application.
Once you’ve completed both forms, you will submit them with your economic immigration program application.

You will need to include the following supporting documents with your EMPP application:

• One of the following:
  • A Refugee Status Determination (RSD) from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or a refugee-hosting state, or
  • A document that shows you’re a registered or recorded asylum seeker abroad, or
  • A “person of concern” letter issued by the UNHCR for the EMPP
• A copy of your identity documents
• A copy of your travel documents or passports
  • If you do not have or cannot obtain a valid travel document or passport, you will need to indicate that you don’t have one in your possession
• Any other documents you wish to submit in support of your application, such as:
  • Additional information to support your refugee claim
  • Movement passes
  • Entry or exit permits

Note that you will have to provide a certified translation of any documents not in English or French into English or French to be accepted with your application.

You won’t have to pay the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot application fees.

In addition, you won’t have to pay any application fees for the Canadian economic immigration programs you’ve chosen or fees for biometrics.

However, you must pay the Right of Permanent Residence fee, which is $CAN 515. You may apply for a loan to cover this fee if you need to. If you don’t need a loan, it’s recommended that you pay this fee and include a copy of your receipt with your application to avoid delays.

All applications for the EMPP are usually processed in 6 months or less.