Information on new Canadian pathways complementary to the Safe Mobility Initiative

New Humanitarian Program from the Government of Canada

The Government of Canada launched a new humanitarian pathway to provide permanent resident status to 11,000 Haitian, Venezuelan and Colombian foreign nationals who have family connections in Canada.

To be eligible, the principal applicant must: 

• Be a national of Colombia, Haiti, or Venezuela
• Reside in Central or South America, the Caribbean or Mexico, and be outside of the United States and Canada
• Be a spouse, common-law partner, child (of any age), grandchild, parent, grandparent, or sibling of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident that signs a statutory declaration of supp ort for one year
• Intend to reside outside of Quebec

 Additional information on the eligibility criteria can be found on the IRCC website.

Overview of other Canadian permanent and temporary residence programs

• Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP)
• Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program (PSR)
• Temporary Foreign Worker Programs
• Family Sponsorship
• Express-entry

Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPP): 

The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) combines refugee resettlement and economic immigration. It’s a pathway that: 

• helps skilled refugees immigrate to Canada through existing economic programs;
• gives employers access to a new pool of qualified candidates to fill job openings

To be eligible for the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot, candidate must:

• Hold one of the following documents:
  • Refugee Status Determination issued by the UNHCR or refugee-hosting state
  • Proof of being registered or recorded as a person of concern with the UNHCR
  • Refugee certificate issued by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestin e Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
  • Proof of being registered or record as a person of concern with the UNRWA
  • Temporary Protection Status Document issued by the state where the candidate is currently residing AND where they have no prospect of a durable solution

OR

• Candidate must have a strong likelihood of meeting the definition of either a convention refugee or member of the country of asylum class
• Have accumulated at least one year of work experience over any period of time;
• Have at least basic/intermediate language proficiency in English or French

For more information about the EMPP and who is eligible, please visit the IRCC website at Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot – Canada.ca.

Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program (PSR)

The PSR program is designed to sponsor refugees and persons in refugee-like situations.

 To be eligible for sponsorship, a refugee must:

• be outside Canada
• meet the definition of one of the refugee classes of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
• demonstrate that there is no durable solution available
• pass medical, security and criminality checks

In addition, refugees will be assessed on their ability to establish successfully in Canada. In making this assessment, the migration officer will consider whether the refugee has: 

• relatives or a sponsor in Canada
• the ability to speak, or learn to speak English or French
• the potential for employment and

Who can sponsor (conditions apply):

• Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs)
• Constituent Groups (CGs)
• Groups of Five (G5)
• Community Sponsors (CSs)

Find out more about the program on IRCC’s website: Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program – information for refugees – Canada.ca

Temporary Foreign Worker Programs

You may be eligible to obtain a work permit to work temporarily in Canada. Several types of work permits exist, please visit the IRCC website to learn about the available opportunities : Work in Canada temporarily – Canada.ca

Family Sponsorship:

If you have an immediate family member in Canada, you may be eligible for a family class sponsorship.

Who can sponsor (conditions apply):

• A Canadian Citizen or Permanent resident of Canada
• 18 years of age or older

Who can be sponsored:

• Spouse
• common-law partner
• conjugal partner
• son or daughter
• parent
• grandparent
• orphaned brother or sister
• orphaned nephew or niece
• orphaned grandchild

Visit the IRCC website for more details: Sponsor your relatives: About the process – Canada.ca

Express Entry:

Express Entry is an online system that is available to manage immigration applications from skilled workers.

There are 3 immigration programs under Express Entry:

• Canadian Experience Class (CEC) for skilled workers who have Canadian work Eligibility to apply for the Canadian Experience Class (Express Entry) – ca

• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW) for skilled workers with foreign work experience Eligibility to apply as a Federal Skilled Worker (Express Entry) – ca

• Federal Skilled Trades (FST) for workers who are qualified in a skilled trade

Eligibility to apply for the Federal Skilled Trades Program (Express Entry) – Canada.ca

Thank you for your interest!