(CANADA) Canada’s flagship refugee labour program is facing “extremely long, ballooning wait times”, with some skilled refugees waiting years instead of months to reach jobs already lined up in the country, as the federal government hits the 2025 intake cap for its Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot, or EMPP.
The federal program, run by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), was created to let qualified refugees abroad come through existing economic immigration streams rather than only through traditional resettlement. It links employers struggling with shortages to engineers, nurses, tradespeople and other workers who also need a safe new home. But a sharp rise in interest, combined with strict annual limits, has produced a backlog that Ottawa itself expects to last for at least the next three years.
What EMPP is and why it matters
- EMPP: A pilot that uses established economic immigration pathways to bring refugees to Canada with permanent status and full work rights from day one.
- Purpose: Match employers facing labour shortages with qualified refugee workers abroad.
- Management: Operated by IRCC, promoted as a complementary route alongside classic humanitarian resettlement.
“EMPP was designed to be a faster employment route for refugees by using economic streams — but rising demand plus intake caps are turning it into another long queue.”
Current problem: demand vs. capped intake
According to the government’s 2025–2027 immigration levels plan, demand for EMPP spots has outpaced IRCC’s ability to accept and process files, and the program has already hit its 2025 cap. When the cap is reached:
- New applications continue to arrive but cannot move forward.
- Applicants are left in limbo while job offers and security concerns age.
- IRCC still states it aims to finish 80% of applications within its stated processing times, but officials privately acknowledge that this target is becoming hard to meet as queues grow.
Processing times and real-world impacts
- Standard IRCC processing for most federal economic permanent residence streams: about six months once a complete file is in the system.
- EMPP reality: Applicants are often told to expect wait times measured in years.
- Causes of delay:
- Complex security screening.
- Coordination between multiple partners.
- Pressure from the annual intake cap.
Human consequences are acute for refugees already hired by Canadian companies:
- Many remain in fragile countries or temporary host states while employers try to keep positions open.
- Recruiters report that some businesses give up after months of silence; others keep roles vacant hoping the worker will arrive.
- For refugees, each extra month in the backlog can mean:
- Children out of school.
- Savings drained.
- Rising anxiety over whether job offers will still exist when visas are finally approved.
International comparison: United States
- The United States has shortened the time to initial work permits for some refugees: refugees admitted after 10 December 2023 now receive Employment Authorization Documents in roughly 30 days, down from several months.
- Change due to a more automated digital process at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
- VisaVerge.com notes this as a visible shift in U.S. refugee policy, though the U.S. still faces backlogs in asylum and immigration courts.
- Contrast with Canada:
- U.S.: Faster initial work permits allow newcomers to start jobs quickly, but asylum applicants still face long waits.
- Canada: Main bottleneck for EMPP candidates is pre-arrival — waiting abroad for permanent visas that grant full work rights immediately.
Government messaging and advocates’ concerns
IRCC presents EMPP as a pillar in expanding “complementary pathways” for refugees. Official pages — for example, the federal description of the pilot on Canada.ca — highlight success stories of families who arrived through the scheme.
However:
- Advocates warn that long processing times risk turning a creative program into one more queue for desperate people.
- Some refugee-support groups argue the current wait times undermine EMPP’s central promise: speed.
- Employers invest extra time (interviews in camps or host countries, often with non-profit help) because they expect a relatively quick pathway. When years pass, partners must explain why a route advertised as efficient has fallen behind.
Future outlook and policy implications
- Because EMPP is oversubscribed for 2025, many new files being prepared this year are effectively competing for spots in 2026 and 2027.
- This means people starting the process today may already face a queue that extends well into the next planning cycle, regardless of job strength or qualifications.
Policy analysts warn:
- The mismatch between employer demand and capped intake could push companies back to traditional recruitment channels, which often exclude refugees.
- Canada continues to target high overall levels of permanent immigration, but the share allocated to specialized pilots like EMPP is relatively small compared with big economic streams (e.g., Express Entry, provincial nominee programs).
- As long as that gap remains, pressure on the EMPP backlog is likely to continue.
Choices facing refugees and employers
Refugees affected by delays face stark decisions:
- Remain in current host countries and seek other options rather than wait several more years.
- Try to switch into different Canadian immigration programs — though these often don’t account for refugee status and may carry long wait times.
- Families with school-age children or relatives needing medical care face especially difficult calculations about how long they can safely stay where they are.
For employers:
- Some may withdraw job offers after long waits.
- Others may keep positions vacant, exacerbating shortages in hospitals, construction sites and factories.
Key takeaways
The coming years will show whether Canada can expand the EMPP enough to reduce the backlog and bring down these painful wait times dramatically. Until then, refugees, employers and partner organizations must navigate growing uncertainty while essential labour shortages persist.
This Article in a Nutshell
The EMPP, which channels qualified refugees into Canadian economic immigration streams, has reached its 2025 intake cap, creating a backlog expected to persist for years. Rising demand, strict annual limits, complex security screening and multi-partner coordination slow processing. Although IRCC cites six-month targets for economic streams, many EMPP applicants face years-long waits, harming families and frustrating employers. Comparisons with U.S. faster work-permit processes underline operational gaps. Policymakers must expand capacity or adjust policies to reduce backlog and address labour shortages.
