Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP): Closed, With a Permanent Program Promised

IRCC's Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot pages now say the pilot is "Closed to new applications." Both the Regional EMPP and the Federal EMPP stopped taking new applications in early 2026.

The federal government has said it will replace the pilot with a permanent pathway for skilled refugees and displaced people, and that the new program's rules are expected to be similar to the EMPP's. As of September 2026, IRCC had not published eligibility rules or a launch date. Watch the IRCC EMPP page and our Canada status page for updates.

If you applied before the pilot closed, your application continues through processing.

Most refugees come to Canada through humanitarian programs such as refugee resettlement. The EMPP tested a different idea: that refugees with job skills could come through economic programs, filling jobs Canadian employers could not fill.

It worked by removing barriers that often block refugees, such as:

• Difficulty getting passports, police certificates, or other documents from their home country.
• Not having enough settlement funds.
• Lack of access to language tests or credential assessments.

The pilot ran in stages from 2018. According to government data, 970 people were admitted through it between 2019 and March 2025.

There were two main parts:

• Regional EMPP: candidates applied through existing economic programs, such as provincial nominee streams or the Atlantic Immigration Program, with EMPP facilitation measures.
• Federal EMPP: a dedicated federal route with a job offer stream (for candidates with a Canadian job offer) and a no job offer stream (for candidates with in-demand skills, such as some healthcare workers).

Candidates had to be refugees or displaced people without a lasting solution in their current country, and usually needed a referral from an approved partner organization. They applied from outside Canada.

The permanent replacement may suit you if you:

• Are a refugee or displaced person living outside your home country.
• Have work experience, training, or education in a field Canada needs, such as healthcare, trades, or technology.
• Cannot use regular economic programs because you cannot get documents from your home country or do not have enough funds.

Until IRCC publishes the rules, no one can apply to it. Anyone asking for money to "register" you for the new program is likely running a scam. See scam protection.

These programs do not have the EMPP's flexibility on documents and funds, so check the requirements carefully.

Employers who hired through the EMPP can still recruit skilled refugees through regular programs such as the AIP, the PNP, or LMIA work permits. See hiring from abroad for employer guides.