Refugees and other displaced individuals are forced to restart their lives when they flee their home country, but they should not have to start from scratch, particularly when it comes to acquiring skills, training, experience and education. Through the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP), Canada is tapping into talent that is too often overlooked by creating more opportunities for skilled refugees and other displaced individuals to immigrate and to use their education, training and experience to continue their careers in Canada.

“Helping employers access a new global talent pool is another way we are using our immigration system to address ongoing labour shortages. Finding these skilled workers among people who happen to be displaced abroad and lack a durable solution is a made-­in­-Canada solution that we are promoting globally. Canada will continue to develop and scale up these types of innovative measures that allow us to welcome more vulnerable people, while helping businesses find the skilled workforce they need to grow.”

– The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

“Talent Beyond Boundaries hosts a talent catalog with over 65,000 skilled refugees who want to move for work, and a growing network of partners around the world who are adding to that number daily. The new federal pathway for EMPP will have a transformative impact on labour shortages across Canada, in key sectors like health care, tourism and hospitality, and construction, as well as on the lives of displaced people. Congratulations to the Government of Canada for continuing its international leadership in refugee labour mobility.”

– Lara Dyer, Canada Director, Talent Beyond Boundaries

"Including people who are refugees as part of the global talent pool is a simple idea but for years it wasn’t possible because of built-in, unintentional barriers in the visa process. The new federal EMPP immigration pathway is a pivotal change. It will open up many more options for people to use their skills to leave refugee situations and enrich the companies and communities where they land. This is a big win for displaced talent globally and the Canadian hiring teams that are eager to get involved. Our candidates represent skilled individuals in over 100 countries, and we encourage teams with open roles to explore this underleveraged talent pool to find their new colleagues."

– Veronica Wilson, Co-Founder and Legal Director, TalentLift

“Jumpstart Refugee Talent is thrilled about the introduction of Canada's new EMPP federal streams, simplifying and speeding up the process for employers to hire and relocate talented individuals from displaced populations. This initiative addresses chronic talent shortages across various sectors, including health care, manufacturing and construction. It's an exciting opportunity for businesses to find the skilled workforce they need, while providing a fresh start for those seeking refuge. Together, we are building a stronger, inclusive nation.” 

– Bassel Ramli, Cofounder and Director, Economic Mobility, Jumpstart Refugee Talent

• Canada continues to be a global leader in refugee resettlement and labour mobility. Last year, Canada resettled more than 46,500 refugees from over 80 countries.

• As a complementary pathway, the EMPP allows Canada to welcome more people in need of protection because those coming through the pilot enter as economic immigrants and not resettled refugees, leaving the resettlement spaces for those with greater vulnerability. 

• Canadian employers can use the EMPP Federal Skills Job Offer Stream (job offer stream) to hire refugees and other displaced people who qualify under any National Occupation Classification 2021 category (TEER 0–5). NGO partners are available to help employers throughout the process—from finding and hiring qualified candidates, to supporting them through the immigration process, and finally welcoming newcomers to their new communities and workplaces. NGO partners may charge a fee for their services.

• Eligibility to apply for the EMPP under the new economic streams is based on a candidate’s work experience, education and language skills. 

• To apply for the EMPP through the job offer stream, candidates must meet minimum requirements for language, past work experience and education. They do not need to show proof of an education credential assessment or proof of settlement funds. 

• To apply for the EMPP through the EMPP Federal Skills Without a Job Offer Stream (no job offer stream), candidates must meet higher requirements for language, past work experience and education because they will need to find work after they arrive in Canada. They also need to show proof of an education credential assessment and have a certain amount of funds available to show that they are able to establish themselves in Canada.

• EMPP facilitation measures include waiving some fees, making it easier to validate work experience, and letting candidates use loans to fund travel costs, settlement needs, start-up costs and fees that can’t be waived. 

Related products

• Backgrounder: Canadian businesses welcome changes to the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP)
• Tackling the labour shortage by helping more skilled refugees and other displaced people build their careers in Canada
• Canada expands pilot to help more skilled refugees build their careers in Canada, giving employers access to a new pool of talent

Associated links

• Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot

Contacts for media only:

Bahoz Dara Aziz
Press Secretary
Minister’s Office
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Bahoz.DaraAziz@cic.gc.ca

Media Relations
Communications Branch
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-952-1650
media@cic.gc.ca