Canada Announces New Immigration Streams for Skilled Refugees 2023
In a world where refugees and displaced individuals often face numerous challenges when forced to flee their home countries, Canada has taken a significant step towards empowering these individuals.
On June 12, 2023, the Honorable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, announced the launch of two new Immigration streams under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP).
These streams aim to provide skilled refugees and other displaced individuals with opportunities to immigrate to Canada and utilize their education, training, and experience to continue their careers, benefiting both the newcomers and the Canadian economy.
It is worth mentioning that on March 27, 2023, the immigration minister gave a hint that there will be two new streams for skilled refugees.
What are the New Immigration Streams announced for Skilled Refugees?
1. EMPP Federal Skills Job Offer Stream
2. EMPP Federal Skills Without a Job Offer Stream
Both streams are under the Economic Mobility Pathway Pilots (EMPP). The first stream (EMPP Federal Skills Job Offer) is for those who have a Canadian job offer from an employer in Canada. And for the other stream (EMPP Federal Skills Without a Job Offer) is for candidates that are skilled but they don’t have any job offer.
What are the eligibility requirements for the new immigration Streams?
The applicant has to be outside Canada, In addition to having one of the following documents:
1. EMPP Federal Skills Job Offer Stream
The EMPP Federal Skills Job Offer stream is easing the way for Canadian employers to find the best candidate for any position they are offering in the in-demand fields, Such as web designers, truck service drivers, software engineers, nurse aides, logistics and warehouse workers, personal support workers, mechanical and electrical engineers and technicians, long-term care aides, and hospitality workers.
Applicants must have language proficiency level 5 at least of the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) for a job of TEER 0,1,2 or 3. And CLB level 4, at least for TEER 4 or 5 jobs.
For the Applicant’s work experience, he/she must have at least one year of experience in a full-time, paid work experience (1,560 hours) or its equivalent in a part-time job. Self-employed are also eligible.
The last thing, the Applicant must have a full-time, non-seasonal job offer of TEER 0,1,2,3,4 or 5 from a Canadian employer.
2. EMPP Federal Skills Without a Job Offer Stream
The EMPP Federal Skills Without a Job Offer Stream is for candidates who are skilled in any in-demand field but don’t have a job offer.
The Applicant needs to reach at least level 7 in the CLB in each of the four abilities: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. And his/her education must be equivalent to a Canadian secondary school with Education Credential Assessment.
Work experience must be at least one year of experience in full-time, paid work experience (1,560 hours) or its equivalent in a part-time job. Self-employed are not eligible.
Applicant must have enough settlement funds to apply for this stream, and here are the required funds:
| Number of family members (including those you support who aren’t immigrating with you) | Funds you need (in Canadian dollars) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $13,310 |
| 2 | $16,570 |
| 3 | $20,371 |
| 4 | $24,733 |
| 5 | $28,052 |
| 6 | $31,638 |
| 7 | $35,224 |
| For each additional family member | $3,586 |
“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
So Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada IRCC, has announced two new streams for skilled refugees, whether they have a job or not, which are: EMPP Federal Skills Job Offer Stream and EMPP Federal Skills Without a Job Offer Stream.
Canada’s launch of the two new streams under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot represents a significant milestone in empowering skilled refugees and displaced individuals. By recognizing the potential and talent that often goes untapped, Canada not only benefits from a talented workforce but also fulfils its humanitarian commitments.
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