Canada Plans to Launch a New Permanent Residency (PR) Pathway in 2025

Canada has published the departmental Immigration target plan for 2025-26 and in this plan we can see that Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has planned for a brand new PR plan by the end of 2025.

This PR plan is based on the current Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot( EMPP) specifically designed only for refugees and displaced persons. This programs connects them with Canadian employers.

This is pilot program and IRCC has planned to make it permanent based on its success in connecting refugees with Canadian employers. This program is not for international graduates and other temporary foreign workers in Canada.

EMPP is an old program launched in 2018 by IRCC and now we can see its planned transition to permanent PR program. The current pilot programs is tends to end on December 31, 2025.

EMPP helps displaced people and refugees to gain permanent residency of Canada. There are 2 ways you can apply in EMPP:

1. through one of these 3 selected economic programs:
   • Atlantic Immigration Program;
   • Provincial Nominee Program;
   • RNIP- now closed;
2. directly apply to EMPP:
   • job offer stream-950 applications per year;
   • no job offer stream-closed;
   • you must meet work experience, language and education requirements;

There is no processing fees and biometric fees under this program for primary applicant and their dependents. The processing time is under 6 months or less. Even the fees for the medical exams are also covered under Interim Federal Health Program.

To qualify under this program there are 3 sets of eligibility requirements

You must be a refugee or displaced person and to prove this you can use these documemts:

• a positive Refugee Status Determination (RSD) from the UN Refugee Agency or a refugee-hosting state;
• proof you’re registered or recorded as a person of concern by the UN Refugee Agency;
• a refugee certificate from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine in the Near East (UNRWA);
• proof of being registered or recorded as a person of concern with UNRWA;
• proof you have temporary protected status and a copy of the completed durable solution information form (IMM 0195);
  • If you apply with a temporary protected status document, an officer will need to assess your case and decide if you don’t have a durable solution.

If you don’t have any of these documents you can get your assessment from Canadian trusted partners they can:

• assess your eligibility as a refugee or displaced person and;
• issue you a referral letter, if they find you meet the criteria

You must meet the eligibility on how you will apply

In this stream you can apply through based on your work experience , education, and language skills under the Federal EMPP

• You have to apply under 1 of these streams:
• job offer stream (capped at 950 applications per year);
• no job offer stream (capped at 150 applications per year)

These are the main eligibility criteria:

• You must have a job offer that is;
• a full time( minimum 30 hours per week);
• non seasonal job offer;
• from a Canadian employer;
• for a job listed in these teer categories 0,1,2,3,4 or 5

Under work experience, the work experience must be paid of at least 1 year(1560 hours) or an equal amount of part time work. It can be over any period of time, can be within teer 0,1,2,3,4 or 5. Self employed work experience is counted.

You also need to meet the education requirements as per the job offer. To read more on this you can visit IRCC website here.

You also need to meet the language requirements such as:

• teer 0,1,2 and 3-CLB 5 needed and teer 4 and 5 CLB 4 needed.

In this stream you need these things to qualify:

1 year(1560 hours) of full time work experience needed or an equal amount of part time work experience. The work experience must be gained within last 3 years in teer category 0,1,2 or 3. Self employed work experience is not included.

You need to have at least Canadian secondary school equivalent education. In language you need CLB 7 in all the four modules of language abilities either in English or in French.

You also need to show the settlement funds to support yourself and your family and it can include the gifts and grants and community donations. Spousal and family income is counted.

To apply you must be eligible through one of these programs:

• Atlantic Immigration Program
• Provincial Nominee Program
• RNIP- Closed now

For the qualification you must have language skills, education or job training, work experience and a job offer from a Canadian employer for full time work.

In AIP and RNIP application EMPP you don’t need to show that you completed work experience in certain timeframe listed, you just need to show the same number of hours worked in general.

You can also apply for loan to meet the requirement of settlement funds for yourself and your family, and there is no need to get ECE for your foreign education.

The above mention exemptions do not apply to PNP EMPP. The provincial or territorial governments decide the requirements of the program.