Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot
The EMPP was Canada's labour-mobility pathway for skilled refugees and other displaced people living outside Canada, letting them immigrate as economic immigrants rather than through resettlement. The federal EMPP had a job offer stream (cap 950 applications a year) and a no job offer stream (cap 150 a year), and a regional route let candidates apply through the Atlantic Immigration Program, the Provincial Nominee Program or the former Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot with some requirements waived. Criteria below are the pilot's final criteria, for reference.
Closed
The EMPP ended on December 31, 2025. Complete applications accepted into processing on or before that date continue to be processed.
Status
Job offer
How you apply
Key requirements
| Age | No age requirement in the official eligibility criteria |
| Education | Depends on the stream and job-offer TEER: from no specific requirement (TEER 0/5 with ability to do the job) to a degree for TEER 1; the no job offer stream required a Canadian secondary credential or foreign equivalent with an ECA |
| Language | English or French: CLB/NCLC 5 for TEER 0-3 job offers, CLB/NCLC 4 for TEER 4-5 job offers, and CLB/NCLC 7 in all abilities for the no job offer stream (minimum CLB 4) |
| Work experience | At least 1 year (1,560 hours) of paid work experience: over any period in TEER 0-5 for the job offer stream; within the last 3 years in TEER 0-3 for the no job offer stream. Applicants also had to prove refugee or displaced-person status |
| Job offer | Depends on the stream |
| Where you must live | Must intend to reside outside Quebec |
| How you apply | Direct application when you meet the requirements |
| Money — funds, net worth, investment | Must show enough money to support themselves and their family; EMPP supports included access to the Immigration Loans Program and grants/donations could count toward funds in some routes |
| Employer requirements | Job offer stream required a full-time, non-seasonal job offer from a Canadian employer in TEER 0-5; the no job offer stream had no employer requirement |
Summary only — requirements change and details decide real cases. Always confirm the full criteria on the official program page before applying: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/refugees/economic-mobility-pathways-pilot/immigrate/eligibility.html (this record was verified against that source on 23 Oct 2026). This page is general information, not legal or immigration advice.
Guides for this program
Guide: Refugees and humanitarian cases: claims, protection, and H&C
People in Canada seeking protection, people outside Canada referred for resettlement, and people in Canada who cannot meet a regular immigration requirement and ask for humanitarian and compassionate consideration.
Not sure this is your program?
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How long will it take?
Current IRCC processing-time estimates, recorded daily.