Average wait time for processing of skilled refugees now more than 4 years
Canadian businesses and skilled refugees are facing mounting frustration as wait times for the federal Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) have soared from months to years, according to new reporting by CBC News.
The EMPP, launched in 2018 to help employers fill critical job vacancies by recruiting skilled refugees from abroad, was once lauded for its rapid six-month processing times. Now, the average wait has ballooned to 54 months — over four years — leaving both employers and candidates in a state of uncertainty.
Dana Wagner, managing director of TalentLift Canada, a non-profit that supports employers hiring refugees, described the situation as dire: “It’s extremely frustrating knowing the value of this program and knowing the potential and knowing how successful it’s been. Canada is no longer treating this applicant group like the skilled workers they are,” Wagner told CBC News.
Economic fallout for employers
A recent TalentLift survey of more than 20 businesses revealed that these delays are causing production cuts, delayed expansion plans, cancelled projects, and lost revenue. “These are really extreme situations playing out while people have a job offer in Canada waiting for them, a workplace waiting and their visa is now, in some cases, a year over the promised processing time,” Wagner said.
Meanwhile, refugees who have secured Canadian job offers are left in precarious situations abroad, facing risks such as arrest, deportation, and difficulty supporting their families while they wait for approval.
Mary Rose Sabater, spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, acknowledged the challenge: “We recognize that average processing times for the EMPP have risen which can be challenging. Currently, 80 per cent of complete EMPP applications are processed in about 17 months,” Sabater said in a statement to CBC News.
The government has also announced plans to reduce immigration targets for both permanent and temporary residents over the next three years, citing pressures on housing, healthcare, and other services. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne stated two weeks ago, shortly before the federal budget was announced, “I think Canadians understand that we had reached our capacity — or sometimes even exceeded our capacity — to welcome [newcomers]”.
Immigration attitudes shifting
Public attitudes toward immigration are shifting. A recent Environics Institute poll found that 56 per cent of Canadians now believe the country is admitting too many immigrants, a significant increase from previous years.
The EMPP was intended to help fill roles in healthcare, engineering, agriculture, and construction — sectors facing acute labour shortages, with more than 1,200 workers approved since the program’s beginning in 2018.
Legal experts are warning that these ballooning wait times could erode Canada’s reputation as a leader in immigration. The delays in the EMPP and other immigration programs “undermine confidence in Canada’s immigration system and risk deterring both employers and skilled newcomers,” immigration lawyer Reis Pagtakhan of MLT Aikins told CBC Information Radio.
