IRCC ended the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot on Dec. 31, 2025; no new intakes will be accepted. Complete applications accepted into processing by that cutoff will continue through normal processing (IRCC program delivery update, Jan 8, 2026).
Soheil Hosseini
January 8, 2026
Jurisdiction
Federal
Week
Week 2
Impact
Low
Programs Affected
IRCC ends Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot; applications accepted by Dec. 31, 2025 will continue processing
Summary: Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has concluded the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) as of December 31, 2025. According to an IRCC program delivery update, complete applications accepted into processing on or before that date will continue to be processed. Update date: 2026-01-08. Source: IRCC. IRCC has confirmed that the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot ended on December 31, 2025, with complete applications accepted into processing on or before that date to continue through normal processing. The program delivery update, posted as staff guidance and shared publicly as a courtesy to stakeholders, pertains to the Refugees program area. Source: IRCC. Date of update: 2026-01-08. Key details:
- No new EMPP intakes after December 31, 2025.
- Pipeline protection: files already accepted into processing by the cutoff date will continue. Independent analysis:
- Potential positives: The continuation of processing for accepted files reduces disruption and uncertainty for applicants and partners already in the pipeline.
- Potential negatives: The program’s closure removes a specialized pathway for refugee candidates to access economic immigration, potentially narrowing options for employers and settlement partners until any successor framework is announced.
- Outlook: Stakeholders may need to monitor IRCC communications for any replacement initiatives or adjustments to other immigration streams that could serve refugee applicants with in-demand skills. Source: IRCC (Program Delivery Update; noted as policy/procedural guidance for staff and published for stakeholder awareness).
Date of update: 2026-01-08. Thank you for reading. We will continue to track any successor measures or related policy changes affecting refugee economic pathways.
Tags:
- Canada immigration
- IRCC
- Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot
- EMPP
- Refugees
- Program delivery update
- Policy change
- Application processing
- Canadian immigration programs
- 2026 immigration updates
Categories
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