What is the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot?

Abhishek Rai
[Published 01 Mar, 2022 | 04:17 PM]
About Author - 5 min read
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The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) was launched in April 2018 to address the Canadian labor market shortages. The EMPP was designed to help skilled refugees immigrate to the country – through its existing economic programs. 

This pilot program targets refugee applicants who have strong economic settlement potential by offering them a provincial nomination under the existing Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). 

The EMPP is a combination of refugee settlement and economic immigration. Applicants under this pilot program are selected based on economic immigration requirements. 

About the EMPP

The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot will help applicants apply through specific economic Canada immigration programs. This approach makes it easier for applicants to:

• Be eligible for an economic immigration program
• Complete and submit an application
• Start a new life in Canada

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), through the EMPP, aims to:

• Make it easier for applicants to apply and meet the eligibility requirements for the economic immigration program they choose
• Waive the biometric and application fees
• Review and process applications in quicker times
• Cover the applicant’s pre-departure medical exam and services through the Interim Federal Health Program. 
• Give applicants open access to loans to meet the financial requirements to support themselves and their families
• Give applicants access to Canada Immigration Loan Programs to help with travel costs, start-up costs post landing in Canada, the right to permanent residency fee, etc

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Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot Eligibility

There are two sets of eligibility requirements applicants must meet in order to apply under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP).

For Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot the applicant must:

• Be a convention or country of asylum refugees. 
  
• Provide the following documents – 

            - a valid, positive Refugee Status Determination (RSD) from the UNHCR or a refugee-hosting state

            - a document that shows that the applicant is a registered or recorded asylum seeker abroad

            - a “person of concern” letter issued by the UNHCR for the EMPP

• Be outside Canada and the country of persecution.
• Have no durable solution in a third country.
• Be admissible to Canada.

For Economic Immigration Programs the applicant must:

• Be eligible under one of the following economic immigration programs – 
  

              -  Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) High-Skilled Program

              - Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) Intermediate-Skilled Program

             - Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)

             - Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP)

How To Apply Under The EMPP?

To apply under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot, applicants must complete two applications. 

1. One application for the economic immigration programs:

• Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) High-Skilled Program
• Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) Intermediate-Skilled Program
• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
• Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP)

2. A second application for the EMPP.

Applicants must submit both applications together using instructions for the EMPP application. Once the IRCC receives an application, they review it in two stages.

STAGE 1: Check that the required forms are included. 

If all the required forms were signed and included, IRCC will email you (or your representative) an acknowledgment of receipt (AOR) that includes the applicant's application number. This confirms that they have added your application to their system.

STAGE 2: Review the applicant’s eligibility and admissibility to Canada.

EMPP Eligibility

Applicants may also need to attend interviews to provide more information. This is also applied to the family members accompanying the applicant to Canada. The IRCC sets a specific date, time, and location – alongside the documents to bring for the interview. The applicant (as well as the family members) must provide fingerprints and photos (biometrics) at this interview. 

If eligible, the IRCC will continue to process the application. 

Permanent Residency Eligibility

If the applicant meets the EMPP eligibility requirements, the IRCC will now review their eligibility for the economic immigration program the applicant has applied under. 

Admissibility To Canada

This is the final step. Once the IRCC confirms your eligibility for a Canada immigration program, they’ll check to make sure that the applicant passes:

• A medical exam
• Security checks
• Criminality (Police verification) checks

Before Arriving In Canada

Upon successful application under the EMPP, the IRCC will give the applicant general orientation information about what it's like living in Canada. This information will help the applicant to prepare for their move to Canada and connect with free services to help settle them in a new country. 

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