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Canada Global Talent Stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Canada Global Talent Stream Program facilitates hiring global talents for unique and specialized positions or highly-skilled professionals for in-demand occupations, primarily in the IT sector, reasonably fast.

Global Talent Stream in Canada

Canada launched the Global Talent Stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (GTS Program) in 2017. Given its success and benefits, it became permanent in 2019.

Canada GTS Program’s primary goal is to facilitate hiring global talents who can help businesses scale-up and grow. Canadian companies can hire foreign workers for unique and specialized positions or highly-skilled professionals to fill in-demand occupations, primarily in the information technology sector, reasonably fast. Fast access to global talents is achieved through expedited 10-business days processing the Global Talent Stream LMIA [Labour Market Impact Assessment] and the same timeframe for work permit applications.

Global Talent Stream Requirements

Two categories of foreign workers are managed through the Global Talent Stream program.

Requirements differ based on the position that a foreign worker will fill.

If an individual has unique and specialized skills to help an innovative Canadian company grow and scale up, Global Talent Stream Requirements for Category A will apply.

If a foreign national will fill the information technology sector’s position on ESDC’s Global Talent Occupations List, Global Talent Stream Requirements for Category B will apply. Read our Employer Guide to Hiring IT Professionals through Global Talent Stream Category B LMIA.

Unique and Specialized Positions – Category A Eligibility

 

There are three requirements to hire a foreign worker under Category A of the Global Talent Stream:

1) A foreign worker must possess unique and specialized skills to fill the position that will help an innovative firm in Canada to grow. A unique and specialized position is considered one for which a foreign worker will be paid at least C$38.46 per hour or equivalent to the prevailing wage for the occupation if it is higher; have advanced knowledge of the industry; have an advanced degree in an area of specialization of interest to the employer, or a minimum of 5 years of experience in the field of specialized experience.

2) An innovative company willing to hire under Category A must be an operating Canadian-based firm focusing on innovation and having the willingness and proved capability to grow/scale-up.

3) Canadian Designated Partner for a referral to Category A of the Global Talent Stream should validate an innovative Canadian company willing to hire under Category A. One of the Designated Partners must complete and submit a referral form to ESDC. After that step, a Canadian company can apply for the Global Talent Stream LMIA. Up to two referrals per year is common practice under Category A. For any additional unique and specialized positions requested by the employer (in other words, more than 2 per calendar year) and approved by the TFW Program per calendar under Category A, an employer should offer at least $72.11 per hour.

List of Canadian Designated Referral Partners for Global Talent Stream Category A are:

  • Accelerate Okanagan
  • Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
  • BC Tech Association
  • Burlington Economic Development Corporation
  • Business Development Bank of Canada
  • Canadian Economic Development for Quebec Regions
  • Cape Breton Partnership
  • City of Hamilton’s Economic Development Office
  • Communitech Corporation
  • Council of Canadian Innovators
  • Economic Development Winnipeg
  • Edmonton Economic Development
  • Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
  • Genesis (Newfoundland)
  • Global Affairs Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service
  • Government of Alberta, Alberta Labour
  • Government of British Columbia, Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology
  • Government of Manitoba, Manitoba Education and Training
  • Government of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Business Inc.
  • Government of Ontario, Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade – Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program
  • Government of Ontario, Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade – Ontario Investment Office
  • Government of Prince Edward Island, Island Investment Development Inc.
  • Government of Saskatchewan, Ministry of the Economy
  • Halifax Partnership
  • ICT Association of Manitoba (ICTAM)
  • Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada – Accelerated Growth Service
  • Invest Ottawa
  • Invest in Canada
  • Kingston Economic Development Corporation
  • Launch Academy
  • London Economic Development Corporation
  • MaRS Discovery District
  • National Research Council – Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP)
  • Privy Council Office, Special Projects Team
  • Regional Municipality of Niagara
  • Regional Municipality of York
  • Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership
  • Toronto Global
  • Vancouver Economic Commission
  • Venn Innovation
  • Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation
  • WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation

In-demand High-skilled Occupations – Category B Eligibility

There are two requirements to hire a foreign worker under Category B of the Global Talent Stream:

1) An occupation/position must be listed on the Global Talent Occupations List under Category B. No referral is required for Category B because domestic labour supply in these occupations is in short supply/demand.

2) Canadian employers must offer the hourly prevailing wage rate at a minimum. The prevailing wage is defined as the highest of either: the regional median hourly wage posted on Job Bank, the wage that is within the wage range that company is paying current employees hired for the same job and work location and with the same skills and years of experience.

Global Talent Occupations List under Category B

  • NOC 0213 – Computer and information systems managers (prevailing wage)
  • NOC 2147 – Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) (prevailing wage)
  • NOC 2161 – Mathematicians and statisticians (except actuaries or related occupations) (prevailing wage)
  • NOC 2171 – Information systems analysts and consultants (prevailing wage)
  • NOC 2172 – Database analysts and data administrators (prevailing wage)
  • NOC 2173 – Software engineers and designers (prevailing wage)
  • NOC 2174 – Computer programmers and interactive media developers (prevailing wage)
  • NOC 2175 – Web designers and developers (prevailing wage)
  • NOC 2281 – Computer network technicians (C$39.42 or higher prevailing wage)
  • NOC 2283 – Information systems testing technicians (C$38.46 or higher prevailing wage)
  • NOC 5131 – Producer, technical, creative and artistic director and project manager – Visual effects and video game (C$37.50 or higher prevailing wage, 3 years of experience)
  • NOC 5241 – Digital media designers (C$38.46 or higher prevailing wage, 3 years of experience)

How to Apply for Global Talent Stream Canada?

Coming to work in Canada through the Global Talent Stream program involves two stages.

Canadian company must identify and offer a job to a foreign national. Canadian employer must first apply for LMIA under Global Talent Stream to ESDC [Department of Employment and Social Development Canada]/Service Canada.

Contingent on confirmation by ESDC/Service Canada, a foreign worker must apply for an LMIA-based work permit to IRCC [Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada].

There is no dedicated portal to search for jobs in Canada under the Global Talent Stream. Neither there is a list of companies. However, innovative Canadian companies typically offer jobs under GTS Program either for unique and specialized positions or in-demand high-skill occupations in the IT sector. If you are a foreign national with the right skills, you can do your search and apply to qualified positions on various job search portals, including Job Bank. Particularly, it is easier to find and apply for IT jobs using Global Talent Stream Canada. Global Talent Stream jobs list (Occupations List under Category B, see above) can serve as a guideline for qualified occupations in the software and information technology industries.

LMIA Under Global Talent Stream

Once a Canadian employer identified qualified foreign national and made a job offer, the first step would be to apply for a labour market impact assessment to ESDC/Service Canada using Global Talent Stream LMIA Application Form.

Compared to a regular LMIA, Global Talent Stream LMIA does not require a Canadian employer to make advertisement/recruitment efforts before offering a foreign national job.

All employers applying under Global Talent Stream for the first time must complete Mandatory Labour Market Benefit and Complementary Labour Market Benefits Plans. These are the benefits that will be achieved by hiring a temporary foreign worker under the GTS Program — for example, committing to increasing job creation or increasing skills and training investments for Canadians/permanent residents.

Expedited Processing of LMIA and Work Permit under Global Talent Stream

One of the significant benefits of hiring qualified foreign nationals through Global Talent Stream is expedited service for LMIA and Work Permit applications. Compared to a regular LMIA’s processing time (from two to six months), Global Talent Stream LMIA’s processing time is 10-business days.

A foreign national applying for a Work Permit under Global Talent Stream will qualify for 2-week processing under Global Skills Strategy. To be eligible for expedited processing, they need to apply from outside Canada and provide a positive LMIA decision letter obtained by Canadian employer through the Global Talent Stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

Overall, hiring through Canada GTS Program may take around one month, which is reasonably fast.

Immigration through Express Entry under Global Talent Stream

One year of work experience in Canada on a Global Talent Stream Work Permit makes a temporary foreign worker eligible for immigration under the Canadian Experience Class program through Express Entry.

In some cases, a temporary foreign worker may gain an additional 50 or 200 CRS points for a valid job offer obtained through the Global Talent Stream program.

If you would like to know more , you may call +1 587-930-7017 or email info@confidentimmigration.ca or message us using the contact form.

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