Immigration Announcement
IRCC to Include 2000 Skilled Refugees in Economic Mobility Pilot Program (EMPP)
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has recently announced that several partner organizations will receive funding under its Economic Mobility Pilot Program (EMPP).
Organizations getting funds will soon be able to directly refer and help candidates through the interview, employment, and immigration procedures. The government has also included $6.2 million in the funds for EMPP partner groups. The funds will go to six different projects. With the funding, the groups will be better able to find competent individuals abroad in the interviews.
In the next few years, the EMPP program will admit 2,000 skilled refugees to help combat shortages in specific, high-demand sectors in Canada. The EMPP facilitates the hiring of skilled refugees by connecting them with employers who need to hire urgently.
Canada’s High Labour Shortage
The country is experiencing a high shortage of skilled labour and vacant job vacancies. The shortage is due to an aging population and a low birth rate. Thus, to combat the shortage, Canada released its highest permanent resident targets in the Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025. Under this plan, the country aims to welcome over 500,000 new immigrants a year by the end of 2025. Out of these, 15,000 economic immigrants will come through an economic pilot program.
Who is Eligible for the EMPP?
Under the EMPP, refugees must prove that they are both refugees and eligible under an existing economic immigration pilot program, such as the following:
- Atlantic Immigration Program
- Provincial Nominee Program
- Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot
Those who are applying under the Atlantic Immigration Program, or the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot does not need to meet some of the normal eligibility requirements.
What is the EMPP?
The EMPP had two phases when it first launched. The first stage demonstrated that qualified refugees can meet the requirements for economic immigration programs with the right assistance. This stage provided insight into a sizable, untapped pool of qualified applicants who may address the skills gaps in Canada’s workforce. However, the current phase involves IRCC aiming to settle 500 refugees and their families. The results of these settlements will aid IRCC in better understanding how to utilize skilled refugees’ potential and broaden the EMPP.
