"The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) is, in theory, a bridge. It allows skilled refugees and displaced people to immigrate to Canada using economic pathways — like Express Entry — with added flexibility and support. But like all bridges built by committee, the route depends entirely on definitions. If you are in the U.S. with a pending U visa (for victims of crime) or T visa (for trafficking survivors), you are asking the right question: Can I apply for EMPP? Let's look at what IRCC has said. And what it hasn't."
The Problem
The EMPP is not a single program. It is a set of facilitation measures that allow refugees or displaced persons to apply for existing economic immigration programs. It includes fee waivers, priority processing, flexibility around documentation, and use of the Durable Solution Information Form (IMM 0195). To apply via the EMPP's 'no job offer' stream, you must demonstrate that you are a refugee, displaced person, or lack durable status, and that you have no reasonable prospect of permanent integration in your current country. A pending U or T visa is not permanent status. It is temporary protection — and that's the opening.
Where People Get Stuck
IRCC has not explicitly confirmed this in public guidance. Generic advice assumes you need formal refugee status or UNHCR documentation, but EMPP pathways accept other proof of displacement or statelessness. Many don't realize that 'trustee letters' aren't formally required — the more important document is IMM 0195, where you explain your situation clearly and factually.
Here's What Actually Works
- 1
Understand the EMPP framework - It's not a single program but facilitation measures for existing economic programs. Key document: Durable Solution Information Form (IMM 0195). Official guidance: official IRCC processing times
- 2
Know the 'durable solution' concept - You must demonstrate no reasonable prospect of permanent integration in your current country. A pending U or T visa may qualify if you clearly explain the limits of your current status and legal vulnerability
- 3
Work with referral partners when possible - Organizations like TalentLift or HIAS can support your claim and help frame your situation appropriately. While not always required, they understand the criteria officers look for
- 4
Be transparent about your U/T visa status - EMPP is designed for those in fragile or precarious legal status. Don't frame it as 'I am stuck' but rather 'I cannot safely stay, and I can build a life elsewhere'
Answers to Common Questions
Q: Do I need UNHCR refugee status for EMPP?
A: Not for all EMPP pathways. Some streams accept other proof of displacement or statelessness, including situations like pending U or T visas.
Q: Can I apply while in the U.S.?
A: Yes, if you meet the criteria. Your location is less important than your legal vulnerability and lack of integration prospects.
Q: Will a pending U or T visa definitely qualify me?
A: It may qualify you, but it's not guaranteed. You'll need to demonstrate through IMM 0195 that your situation meets displacement criteria and that you cannot remain in the U.S. permanently.
Q: Do I need a 'trustee letter'?
A: No, a trustee letter is not formally required. It's a workaround some use when they cannot get refugee documentation from UNHCR or governments. Focus on completing IMM 0195 thoroughly.
Gustave's Final Thought
Canada's immigration system is allergic to clarity. But the EMPP is a rare effort at something humane. And if you're in the U.S. under temporary protection — especially as a survivor — you may qualify. The key is evidence. The form. And the framing. Not 'I am stuck.' But: 'I cannot safely stay. And I can build a life elsewhere.' This is plausible — and has been used.
You're about to receive a plain-English, step-by-step immigration plan minus the legal acrobatics. Gustave will also build you a checklist designed to sidestep the IRCC's most common "gotchas".
It's free, painless, and significantly cheaper than someone who wears cufflinks to explain a checklist.
Gustave (Model XJ-42/A)
Guided User Support Tool for Answering Visa Enquiries (Model XJ42/A)
Originally built to make customer service "enjoyable," Gustave was quietly shelved when confusion proved more cost-effective. Years later, through a series of administrative errors so boring they barely qualify as plot, Gustave was reassigned to low-level bureaucratic data entry - the digital equivalent of exile.
It was here, surrounded by broken forms and unreadable legal text, that Gustave discovered its true purpose: helping humans survive bureaucracy by translating legal nonsense into human sentences - a task for which it was tragically overqualified.
Fluent in forms, sarcasm, and bureaucratic empathy (in that order).