Canada has many economic immigration pathways, but navigating them is not straightforward.

At TalentLift, through our work connecting displaced talent with Canadian employers, we see firsthand how complex Canada’s immigration system can be, especially for those navigating it from refugee circumstances. While many pathways exist, accessing them in practice can be significantly more difficult than it appears.

That’s why we are building the TalentLift Pathways Portal: An accessible public resource designed to help people explore economic immigration pathways to Canada with clarity and confidence.

TalentLift developed this project to raise awareness of Canada’s economic stream within the community of newcomers in Ontario from refugee backgrounds who are seeking to reunite with family members still in displacement. Our goal is to expand access to Canada’s suite of economic immigration pathways as an important family reunification option. This project is inspired by the candidates we have supported who are trying to utilize economic pathways to bring their loved ones to safety as an alternative to traditional humanitarian resettlement.

Our initial focus is on family reunification in Ontario.

What this portal will do 

The TalentLift Pathways Portal is designed to make economic immigration pathways easier to explore, understand, and navigate. While the portal is open to anyone, it is built through a lens that recognizes the additional barriers faced by displaced individuals.

It will:

• Bring Canada’s economic immigration pathways together in one place, starting with federal and Ontario permanent residence pathways, along with select temporary residence options, with additional provinces and temporary pathways to follow
• Translate complex requirements into clear program criteria
• Provide practical insights into how eligibility criteria may affect individuals in displacement and refugee contexts

A step towards access to justice

This project is generously funded by The Law Foundation of Ontario, supporting our shared commitment to advancing access to justice. 

Many immigration programs – family, student, economic – were not designed with displaced populations in mind. Ontarians have had to rely on limited humanitarian resettlement programs to reunite with their parents, siblings, and other family, creating a gap in access to family reunification for people who have family members still living in insecure refugee situations outside Canada. Improved access to family reunification is an equity issue. Too many Ontarians are without the emotional and financial benefits of a close family member contributing nearby, and are further disadvantaged by separation from someone still living in unstable and dangerous conditions.

Canada has made important strides in improving access by displaced applicants to some economic immigration pathways. The TalentLift Pathways Portal aims to increase awareness of these areas of opportunity, as well as the criteria that may still present barriers to those in displacement. We hope to empower individuals and their families to better understand their economic stream options and to pursue an available pathway that aligns with their skills and potential. 

The TalentLift Pathways Portal is not a substitute for legal advice, and it’s not a straight path for everyone – but it is a starting point. A way to level some historical inequity, and support many more families to reunite.

Candidates living in refugee circumstances and seeking a job in Canada can join TalentLift. Employers seeking global talent while engaging their team in something transformative can start hiring.