Canada: New Immigration Streams for Refugees and Displaced Persons

June 12, 2025

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Country / Territory

At a Glance

  • The government of Canada has opened a new Federal Pathway for permanent residence with two immigration streams for skilled refugees and other displaced individuals under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot.
  • UPDATE – June 12, 2025: The Government of Canada has extended the federal stream of the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) until December 31, 2025. For the 2025 calendar year, the annual intake cap for the job offer stream is set at 950 applications. 
  • One stream is tailored to candidates who have a job offer from a Canadian employer and the second stream is available to highly skilled refugees without job offers.
  • Under the new Federal Pathway, Canadian employers can hire candidates who qualify to fill a wide range of in-demand jobs, including nurse aides, personal support workers, long-term care aides, software engineers, web designers, mechanical and electrical engineers and technicians, logistics and warehouse workers, tourism and hospitality workers, and truck and delivery service drivers.
  • The new pathway provides a streamlined application process resulting in shorter processing times.

The situation

UPDATE – June 12, 2025: The Government of Canada has extended the federal stream of the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) until December 31, 2025. For the 2025 calendar year, the annual intake cap for the job offer stream is set at 950 applications. 

The government of Canada has opened a new Federal Pathway for permanent residence with two immigration streams under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) for skilled refugees and other displaced individuals, fulfilling the commitment it announced earlier this year.

Stream Details  Eligibility criteria

EMPP Federal Skills Job Offer Stream

 Canadian employers can hire candidates who qualify under any National Occupation Classification category (TEER 0-5) to fill a wide range of in-demand jobs, including nurse aides, personal support workers, long-term care aides, software engineers, web designers, mechanical and electrical engineers and technicians, logistics and warehouse workers, tourism and hospitality workers, and truck and delivery service drivers.
  • Candidates must have a full-time, non-seasonal job offer from a Canadian employer.
  • Candidates must meet minimum language (English or French), work experience and education requirements.
  • Candidates do not need to provide an education credential assessment or proof of settlement funds, unlike skilled workers applying for residence in Canada through other traditional immigration pathways.
EMPP Federal Skills Without a Job Offer Stream
  • Available to highly skilled refugees without a job offer who intend to reside outside the province of Quebec.
  • As they will land in Canada as permanent residents, they will be authorized to work, study and live without restriction in Canada.
  • There is a cap of 150 applications to be accepted through this stream, on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Candidates must meet requirements for language, work experience and education. These are stricter than those for the Job Offer Stream, as they can find work after they arrive in Canada.
  • Candidates must provide an education credential assessment and proof of sufficient funds available to settle in Canada.

Refugees and other displaced individuals can also continue to apply for permanent residence in Canada through existing regional EMPP economic pathways: Provincial Nominee Program, Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot and Atlantic Immigration Program.

  • Streamlined process. Through the EMPP, the government is committed to reviewing and processing applications in six months or less in most cases, whereas it takes the government up to 36 months to process permanent residence applications through other traditional pathways.
  • Other program benefits. Through the EMPP, the government waives application and biometric fees for applicants and their dependents; covers the costs of medical exams; allows applicants to access loans for travel costs and other fees; and provides access to candidates to the EMPP-specific Canadian Orientation Abroad Programme to help applicants settle in Canada.
  • Wider applicant pool. Employers in Canada benefit from a wider range of job candidates through this program, which is especially critical in a time of workforce and skills shortages.

The EMPP is a complementary permanent residence pathway, in addition to traditional refugee resettlement, through which organizations such as Talent Beyond Boundaries help skilled refugees located overseas connect with Canadian employers to fill critical labor shortages in sectors such as information technology, health care and others that require specific skills.

Canada continues to be an international leader in refugee resettlement. In 2022, Canada resettled more than 46,500 refugees from over 80 countries. Over the next few years, Canada is aiming to welcome 2,000 skilled refugees to fill specific labor shortages in high-demand areas, such as health care, skilled trades and information technology.

Fragomen works in partnership with Talent Beyond Boundaries. If your business is in need of an additional pool of qualified candidates in Canada, we encourage you to reach out to your Fragomen contact, who will be able to assist in connecting you with Talent Beyond Boundaries in your talent search.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].

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