Many Canadian employers overlook one of the most motivated talent pools available: refugees and protected persons who already have the right to work in Canada. Understanding how to reach, hire, and onboard this group takes less effort than most HR teams expect, and the programs available can meaningfully reduce your cost-per-hire.
Quick takeaways:
- Refugees with protected person status in Canada hold valid work authorization and are LMIA-exempt
- The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) creates a dedicated immigration stream for skilled refugees with recognized credentials
- Federal and provincial wage subsidy programs can offset hiring and training costs
- Posting on RefugeeEmployment.ca connects your team to pre-screened, work-authorized candidates across Canada
- Settlement agency partnerships can reduce onboarding friction at no cost to your organization
Understanding Who You Are Hiring
Convention Refugees and Protected Persons
In Canada, a protected person is someone whose refugee claim has been accepted by the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB). They receive a Confirmation of Protected Person Status and are eligible to apply for permanent residency. Until that process is complete, they hold an open work permit, meaning they can work for any employer in any role without employer-specific authorization. From a compliance standpoint, this is straightforward: you verify the permit, confirm it is valid and open, and proceed.
Convention refugees who arrive through the Government of Canada's Resettlement Assistance Program or through private sponsorship hold similar status. They typically arrive with permanent residency already in place or in process, which simplifies your documentation check further.
Refugee Claimants: A Different Category
Refugee claimants are people who have filed a claim but not yet received a decision. Many receive open work permits while their claims are processed, so they may be eligible to work for your organization. However, this group carries more documentation uncertainty because their status can change. For most hiring managers, it is simpler to focus initial recruiting efforts on protected persons and resettled refugees, where status is already resolved and the authorization path is clear.
What to Verify at Hire
Under Canadian law, every employer must verify that a new hire has the legal right to work in Canada before their start date. For refugees and protected persons, acceptable documents include a valid open work permit, a Confirmation of Permanent Residence, or a Confirmation of Protected Person Status paired with a current work permit. You are not required to investigate how the person arrived in Canada or the details of their immigration history. The question is the same one you ask for every hire: does this document confirm the right to work, and is it currently valid? Keep a record of what you reviewed in the employee file.
The Programs That Reduce Your Hiring Cost
Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot
The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) is a federal program that allows displaced people and refugees with recognized skills to apply for permanent residency through economic immigration streams, including Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs, rather than only through humanitarian streams. For employers, this matters because EMPP candidates are screened for professional credentials and Canadian language benchmarks before they are eligible to participate.
If you are filling skilled roles in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupations and struggling to find candidates through traditional channels, EMPP-eligible refugees often meet or exceed your requirements. The program operates in partnership with UNHCR, IRCC, and several provincial governments. It is active in select provinces and expanding. For employers in sectors with documented labour shortages, EMPP represents a direct source-to-hire pipeline that most competitors have not yet tapped.
Wage Subsidy Programs
Several programs can offset your cost when hiring newcomers, including refugees:
- Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG): Covers up to two-thirds of eligible training costs for new hires in Ontario, including refugees with valid work authorization.
- Sector-specific programs: Many provincial workforce development agencies offer co-funded placements for newcomers in trades, healthcare support, and technology sectors.
- Employment Insurance Part II funds: Through Service Canada, employment assistance programs funded under EI Part II support wage subsidies for employers hiring people who face barriers to employment. Recent refugees are often included in this category.
Eligibility varies by province and by the candidate's specific immigration status. Your local Canada Employment Centre or an IRCC-funded settlement agency can confirm which programs apply to a specific hire before you make an offer.
Provincial Incentives and Tax Considerations
The federal government does not currently offer a universal refugee-specific employer tax credit, but several provinces have introduced incentives tied to hiring underrepresented groups. Check with your provincial ministry of labour or a qualified accountant for current programs in your jurisdiction. The landscape shifts as funding cycles change, and new programs have been announced at both federal and provincial levels in recent years. Getting current advice before hiring can uncover offsets that make a meaningful difference to your annual labour budget.
How RefugeeEmployment.ca Connects You to Candidates
RefugeeEmployment.ca is a Canada-focused job board built specifically to connect employers with refugees, protected persons, and newcomers actively seeking work. Unlike general job boards where eligibility filtering takes time, the candidate pool here is made up of work-authorized individuals who have self-identified as job-seekers in this space, and many have been supported by settlement agencies in preparing their applications.
For your recruiting team, this translates to less time spent on eligibility screening, access to candidates not yet visible on mainstream platforms, and exposure to people who are actively supported by settlement workers who may refer them directly to your posting.
Posting a Role
Visit the RefugeeEmployment.ca employers page to review pricing options, create an employer account, and publish your first listing. You write the role description the way you would for any job board, but the audience context changes what to emphasize. Be explicit about whether the role is entry-level or requires specific credentials. State clearly that you welcome candidates with international experience. Note any language support, flexible onboarding, or settlement partnerships you have in place. These details are actively looked for by this candidate group and by the settlement workers who advise them.
Writing Postings That Attract Qualified Candidates
Job postings that perform well with refugee and newcomer candidates are specific and transparent. Instead of listing "Canadian experience required," describe the actual competency you need. Instead of "must have Canadian references," state the role's specific expectations. These adjustments do not lower your hiring standard. They remove language that inadvertently screens out qualified candidates who arrived recently and have not yet had time to build a domestic professional network.
If your workplace is multilingual or the role operates across multiple language contexts, include that information. If you offer onboarding flexibility during the first weeks or have a buddy system in place, mention it. These signals attract motivated candidates and reduce early attrition, which directly affects your cost-per-hire calculation.
Compliance Basics Every Hiring Manager Should Know
Protected Persons Are LMIA-Exempt
This is the most common misconception that slows down refugee hiring in Canadian organizations. Protected persons hold work authorization independently of any employer. You do not file a Labour Market Impact Assessment on their behalf. You do not sponsor their status. You do not take on immigration obligations. Once you have reviewed and recorded their work authorization documents at onboarding, the hire proceeds exactly like any domestic hire from a compliance standpoint.
Record-Keeping Requirements
Under IRPA and standard CRA employer obligations, you must retain a record confirming that you verified work authorization documents before the employee's start date. Your standard onboarding documentation process covers this. Some HR teams add a note in the employee file indicating the document type and any expiry date so they can proactively follow up if a permit renewal becomes relevant down the line. This is straightforward to build into your existing I-9 equivalent or onboarding checklist.
When LMIA Streams May Still Come Up
If you encounter a refugee claimant whose work permit is employer-specific rather than open, you will need to review the permit conditions before proceeding. In practice, most refugee claimants receive open work permits while their claims are processed, but you should verify the document. If you encounter a non-standard permit situation, an immigration consultant or employment lawyer can advise quickly. The vast majority of protected persons and resettled refugees you will reach through platforms like RefugeeEmployment.ca will hold open permits with no employer restrictions.
Onboarding Strategies That Improve Retention
Settlement Agency Partnerships
Settlement agencies funded by IRCC are present in most Canadian cities and serve newcomers including refugees. Many offer employer-facing services at no charge: job coaching, cultural bridging, workplace communication support, and follow-up check-ins during the first months of employment. Building a referral relationship with two or three agencies in your area gives you a consistent candidate pipeline and an available support resource for new hires during their first months.
Ask whether your local agency runs "employment bridge" programs, which are structured placements where candidates work with your organization for a defined period with agency support available. These reduce your onboarding risk and often convert to permanent placements.
Language and Credential Considerations
Many refugees arrive with strong English or French language skills, particularly those who come through EMPP or formal resettlement programs. For roles where specific language proficiency is a genuine job requirement, be transparent about it in your posting so candidates self-select appropriately. For most roles, early-stage workplace communication support, written instructions, visual guides, or multilingual colleagues, is a minor and temporary accommodation.
For regulated professions such as engineering, nursing, or accounting, international credentials require recognition through provincial regulatory bodies, which can take time. If you are filling a regulated role and your candidate holds international credentials, connecting them with a bridging program or professional association early in the onboarding process is worth the investment. It protects your hire and accelerates the candidate's path to full productivity.
FAQ
Q: Do I need to sponsor a refugee's immigration status to hire them?
No. Protected persons in Canada hold work authorization independently of any employer. You verify their documents at onboarding, the same way you would with any other hire. You are not sponsoring their immigration status, and no LMIA filing is required.
Q: What documents should I check when hiring a protected person?
Request a valid open work permit, a Confirmation of Permanent Residence, or a Confirmation of Protected Person Status. Confirm the document is current and that work authorization is unrestricted. Keep a record in the employee file as you would for any new hire. If the document is unfamiliar, IRCC's website has a reference guide for employers on acceptable documents.
Q: Are wage subsidies available for hiring refugees?
Yes, several programs may apply depending on your province and the candidate's specific status. The Canada-Ontario Job Grant, provincial workforce development programs, and EI Part II employment assistance funds are among the most commonly applicable. Contact your local Canada Employment Centre or an IRCC-funded settlement agency to confirm eligibility before a specific hire.
Q: What is the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot and how do I access EMPP candidates?
EMPP is a federal program that allows skilled refugees to apply for permanent residency through economic immigration streams rather than only humanitarian ones. Candidates who qualify are screened for professional credentials and language benchmarks, making them well-matched for skilled roles in TEER 0 through 3 occupations. Posting on a platform dedicated to this candidate group, such as RefugeeEmployment.ca, is one of the most direct ways to reach EMPP-eligible candidates.
Q: How is RefugeeEmployment.ca different from general job boards?
RefugeeEmployment.ca is built specifically for refugees, protected persons, and newcomers in Canada. The candidate pool consists of work-authorized individuals actively seeking Canadian employment, which reduces the eligibility filtering your team would otherwise do. The platform also reaches candidates who are supported by settlement agencies and who are not yet active on mainstream job sites.
Q: How do I post a job on RefugeeEmployment.ca?
Visit the RefugeeEmployment.ca employers page to review current pricing, create your employer account, and publish a listing. The process follows the same workflow as other job boards. The platform is designed to get your role in front of qualified, work-authorized candidates with minimal setup time.
Start Hiring from Canada's Most Overlooked Talent Pool
Refugee and protected person candidates in Canada are work-authorized, skilled, and actively looking for employers who take their experience seriously. The compliance path is clear, the programs to offset your costs are real, and the sourcing channel is available now. The employers who move first on this talent pool are building loyalty and retention that general-market hiring rarely produces.
Looking to hire? Visit the RefugeeEmployment.ca employers page at https://refugeeemployment.ca/employers to see pricing, post a role, and reach qualified candidates from our network.