Dear Mr Brown,

I heard about a new pilot programme that will be available to address labour shortages. Can you describe what the programme is about and whether it can apply to me?

CJT

Dear CJT:

The Canadian Government recently announced the launch of a new pilot programme regarding the use of refugee resettlement to address both humanitarian commitments and labour shortages.

A new economic pathway under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) will open this summer to assist employers hire skilled refugees and other displaced individuals. It will provide a skilled talent pool that would otherwise not be made available to employers.

Non-governmental organisation (NGO) partners are working with provinces, territories and communities to engage employers across the country, for example by organising job fairs to connect them to qualified candidates overseas. The EMPP pairs skilled refugees and other qualified displaced individuals with Canadian employers who need to overcome labour shortages in key occupations.

Over the next few years Canada will continue to expand it and welcome 2,000 qualified refugees, and other displaced individuals, to fill specific labour shortages in high-demand sectors such as health care, skilled trades and information technology.

The new federal pathway will give employers more opportunities to fill a wide range of in-demand jobs, including:

• nurse aides

• personal support workers

• long-term care aides

• software engineers

• web designers

• mechanical and electrical engineers and technicians

• teachers

• tourism and hospitality workers

• truck and delivery service drivers.

The EMPP will now include a more flexible approach to eligibility by allowing other displaced people who lack a durable solution and need international protection to apply. It will allow employers to gain access to a skilled talent pool abroad that we likely would not have been able to access otherwise.

Once candidates receive a job offer they can apply to immigrate to Canada through existing regional economic programmes. After the relevant province, territory or community approves the application, candidates can then apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence, using EMPP measures that remove barriers refugees may experience due to their displacement.

EMPP facilitation measures include waiving some fees; making it easier to validate work experience; and letting candidates use loans to fund travel costs, settlement needs, start-up costs and fees that cannot be waived. An NGO partner provides low-interest microloans to eligible EMPP candidates who do not have the minimum funds to meet settlement requirements.

Applications are expected to be processed within six months so EMPP newcomers will be able to move to and start working in Canada quickly.

Additional information on the new federal pathway, including eligibility criteria, will be available on the EMPP web page in the coming weeks.

Please visit JAMAICA2CANADA.COM for additional information on Canadian permanent residence programmes, including Express Entry, the Study & Work Programme, visas or appeals, etc.

Antonn Brown, BA, (Hons), LLB, MSc, RCIC, is an immigration counsel and an accredited Canadian education agent of JAMAICA2CANADA.COM — a Canadian immigration and education firm in Kingston, and AfriCanadaServices.com in Abuja, Nigeria. Send questions/comments to documents.jamaica2canada@gmail.com