The Canada Global Talent Stream is an immigration stream for specialized talent who would like to move to Canada. Under this stream, those with knowledge, education, and experience in engineering and tech-related fields can apply for a temporary work permit in Canada and start working for a Canadian employer. The program is very popular, and tens of thousands of people have used it so far to immigrate to Canada.
The program allows families of principal applicants to get to Canada as well, as long as everybody fulfills the eligibility criteria. The program promises to keep the families together and to help those with advanced knowledge to help fill in specialized positions that abound in Canada. Foreign talents even prefer Canada to the US when it comes to this type of immigration, as it takes longer time to become permanent residents in the US than in Canada, the procedure is more complex and the Trump administration has made the entry requirements stricter than ever before.
When it comes to Canadian immigration policy, it is open to all immigrants who would like to come to Canada and live and work there. Innovative companies seek foreign national labour, as Canadian workers often cannot fulfill the positions that remain vacant for months or even years. A good annual salary, high job stability, life in one of the safest countries in the world, and a fixed number of business days and hours await all who would like to move here.
What Is the Global Talent Stream in Canada?
So, the program deals with skilled worker immigration and their assimilation into the Canadian labour market. When it comes to the program itself, it is meant to provide a constant influx of educated, young, and prospective people into Canada and to enable them to remain there for as long as there is a need for their knowledge and expertise. The program is carried out jointly by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
These two agencies have been carrying the program out ever since its conceptualization back in 2017. Since then, the program has been one of Canada’s strongholds for brain gain – as the economy is switching from a service-based economy to a knowledge-based economy. The program has helped tens of thousands reach Canada and use their talents for the benefit of their talents and the Canadian economy.
The Global Talent Stream Program is carried out under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and is meant to help knowledge transfer between Canada and other countries. Under this program, you get a temporary work permit and the time worked in specialized occupations can be used for later work permit applications and permanent residence applications. For as long as your work has a positive impact on Canadian companies and the economy, you are welcome to come and gain some Canadian work experience.
Importance of Global Talent Stream in Canada
In recent years, the number of job vacancies in Canada has been on the rise. For some reason, it is becoming more and more difficult to find workers with specialized experience. A part of the reason why is that the current job market demands skills and knowledge that the new generation is just now being educated for, and every Canadian graduate finds a job quickly for this particular reason.
To help Canadian employers and the economy keep their momentum and not have to slow down for the reason of a lack of workforce, the GTS program was invented for all eligible to apply and start working for Canadian businesses. As the US is making its foreign skilled worker policies stricter, Canadian immigration is picking up momentum, enabling more people than ever to cross their border once and for all.
Not only does the GTS help the Canadian economy, but it also enables the country to remain competitive in the global market. Maintaining a knowledge-based economy demands a high influx of smart, educated people, but at the same time, the program pays attention to their private lives. The spouses of principal applicants can move in with them (they have to pay a separate processing fee) and can be granted an open work permit to join the Canadian job market.
How Does Canada’s Global Talent StreamWork for Employers?
Not only this, but the program also allows a short processing time, as many steps during the LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment) have been removed from the application process itself. When it comes to the program, it does heavily rely on LMIA – therefore the involvement of the ESDC in the program processing and management.
The LMIA is an assessment that the employer applies for. When it comes to this, it is important to note that the assessment is there to establish whether the vacant job position can be filled by an existing Canadian citizen or permanent resident. If yes, the Canadian work permit will not be issued, as that would keep a Canadian out of work. However, if there are no Canadians who can work the job you need, then you will get a positive LMIA. The LMIA processing time is reduced under this program, as it is often necessary to bring people into the country quickly for the highest labour market benefits.
Designated Partner Referral
To be able to enjoy all the benefits that the program has to offer, the employer will have to fit into one of the two categories:
- the Designated Partner Referral
- the In-Demand Occupation
Under the first category, and to be able to fit this category, the Canadian employer has to be referred by a GTS-designated partner organization. They also need to be hiring unique and specialized talent. Training investments can be high and the talent pool very small, so many Canadian employers choose this option, as the GTS designated partner network can help them find the right talent quickly and ensure that the job vacancy is filled in quickly.
This does not mean that just about anyone can be used to fill in the vacant job positions. The talent has to be specialized and the employer will have to provide an annual salary of at least CAD80,000. When it comes to the salary, it can only be higher than this. The principal applicant will also need to prove that they are international talent by having a good education and a previous employment duration in the field lasting for at least 5 years.
Here are some of the GTS-designated partner institutions:
- BC Tech Association
- Burlington Economic Development Corporation
- Cape Breton Partnership
- City of Brampton
- Communitech Corporation
- Edmonton Economic Development
- 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 Citizenship and Immigration – 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
- Invest in Canada
- Invest Ottawa
- London Economic Development Corporation
- Town of Oakville
- Vancouver Economic Commission
In-Demand Occupation
)The second category of this popular program is for all occupations and work positions that are already on the Global Talent Occupations List. Here, there is an hourly wage floor and an annual wage floor that the employer must fulfill to be eligible for the program. When it comes to company practices, they have to be aligned with the laws and follow the minimum prescribed wages to ensure that foreign talent can enjoy all the benefits that the Canadian workforce does.
Here is a list of occupations on the Global Talent Occupations list:
| NOC 2021 Code | Position Name | Minimum Salary Requirement\ |
| 20012 | Computer and information systems managers | Median Wage or More |
| 21211 | Data scientists | Median Wage or More |
| 21221 | Business system specialists | Median Wage or More |
| 21222 | Information systems specialists | Median Wage or More |
| 21223 | Database analysts and data administrators | Median Wage or More |
| 21230 | Computer programmers and interactive media developers | Median Wage or More |
| 21231 | Software engineers and designers | Median Wage or More |
| 21233 | Web designers | Median Wage or More |
| 21233 | Web designers | Median Wage or More |
| 21234 | Web developers and programmers | Median Wage or More |
| 21300 | Civil engineers | Median Wage or More |
| 21310 | Electrical and electronics engineers | Median Wage or More |
| 21330 | Mining engineers | Median Wage or More |
| 21390 | Aerospace engineers | Median Wage or More |
| 22220 | Computer network technicians | $82,000 or higher |
| 22220 | Computer network and web technicians | $85,000 or higher |
| 22222 | Information systems testing technicians | $85,000 or higher |
| 22310 | Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians | $86,000 or higher |
Canada Global Talent Stream jobs are many and the list changes periodically, so please check out the official list when there is a need for you to bring in a foreign worker. Continuous work experience in the field, a high educational background, and being able to prove a good portfolio of past work can only benefit the principal applicants, so make sure you look for the best that the market has to offer.
So, an employer is looking, for example, for engineering jobs, they will first have to prove their eligibility for one of the two streams and only then will they be able to join the program. They need to carry out an online application, by filling in the application form. The form can be submitted multiple ways, either online, by mail, or by fax. When it comes to the details that will have to be shared, they include the details about the position, with detailed duties and the compensation, either by hour or annually, or both.
The employers who apply for the GTS will also need to submit their Labour Market Benefits Plan, which will have to prove one of the two following things. For the first category, the Labour Market Benefits Plan will have to demonstrate that the foreigner being brought into Canada will enable the creation of new jobs. For the second category, it will have to prove that the foreign national will increase skills and training investment. In any case, the foreign national should also provide two more benefits for the job market from the following list (the GTS supplementary benefits list or the GTS complimentary benefits list):
- increase in workplace diversity (ethnical, knowledge-based, race-based, etc.)
- knowledge transfer (an important aspect of Canada’s future plans)
- enhanced company performance in their corresponding industry
- best company practices or policies
The application fee for the program on the part of the employer is CAD1,000. This is about it. Any connected costs are covered by the employer as well. The processing time in the GST program is around 10 days and if the employer receives a positive LMIA, they will need to send it to the foreign national. Then, they apply for the program on their side, under the TFWP (Temporary Foreign Worker Program), and continue application as normal. They need the LMIA so that the program would know which potential prospective employee is applying for which employer. This helps ensure faster processing times and the employee could be on the way to Canada within weeks from the initial arrangements being made or the employment contract being sketched out.
Global Talent Stream Canada Eligibility
The eligibility criteria on the side of the employer are that they must be eligible for one of the two categories under the program. When it comes to the program categories, they are category A and category B. When trying to hire an international worker and the job description can be found on the Global Talent Occupations List, then it is immediately considered to be a Category B application. If it cannot be found on the list, the application is considered to belong to Category A.
The employer will need to ensure that the work environment is supportive and that the wages are fair. The salary will need to be at least the median wage for the position within the province, or higher. The wage cannot be lower. As an employer applying for GTS, you will need to comply with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act when employing through this program. When it comes to non-compliance, you risk losing the right to use the program to bring in new employees in the future.
As an employer, you will also have to pay a CAD1,000 application processing fee. You can use a Visa, MasterCard, American Express, cheques, money orders, and even a bank draft to make the payment. The processing fee will not be refunded in any case, including a negative answer or you withdrawing the application. The processing fee can only be paid by the employer, and the money cannot be recovered from their wages. This cost is entirely on the employer to handle on their own. The same is true for any other costs that you may incur, including paying ads and recruitment agencies.
Requirements for Global Talent Stream in Canada
Global Talent Stream Canada eligibility criteria or requirements may seem complex, but any legal business working within the confines of the law and trying its best to provide a protective and safe working environment for its employees will be able to fulfill them. When it comes to the requirements for the GTS Canada program, these are the areas that you will be controlled in to be able to join the program:
- business credibility
- recruitment process
- the wages offered for the position
- the job responsibilities and the work environment
- occupational safety in the workplace
- language limitations (Canada is a bilingual country – important to remember here)
- Have any positions with a union
- employer conformity
- a special set of requirements for Quebec employers looking to join the program
Business Credibility
When it comes to business credibility, an innovative business or old, you will need to prove that your primary business activity (in some cases, the secondary activity is also considered acceptable) should be in the sphere or industry in which you would like to employ. You will need to submit one document as a proof. You will need to do that either the first time when using the TFWP (or in this case the GTS program) or when more than 6 years have elapsed since your last application for the GTS program. Your business license, legal incorporation forms, attested documents, and even tax documents are all acceptable.
Recruitment
International recruitment capabilities will always be higher than their Canadian counterparts, due to the simple reason that more people are living abroad than in Canada. However, the primary aim of the program is not to substitute the Canadian workforce for foreigners. Rather, you should be trying actively to employ a Canadian permanent resident or citizen first.
Then, if this search is unfruitful, you can join the GTS. One of the basic steps in joining the program is applying for an LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment) and, you will need to prove that you have tried to employ domestic workers first. Recruitment records, copies of ads, interviews, etc. that you have conducted in search of the best candidate should be presented as proof.
Wages
Before starting the process, we advise that you check the wage per occupation depending on the job title and responsibilities that you are looking to employ. When it comes to the wages that you can offer a foreigner, competitive wages are allowed only. To avoid any ambiguity, the wages should be at or exceeding the prevailing amount (at least in the sense of a wage bracket) that you would have to pay to a Canadian for the same work, in the same position, with the same work experience.
Job Responsibilities and Environment
Job role salaries are just a fraction of what you are expected to secure for a foreign worker. Namely, the different markets in Canada demand jobs that are diverse and seemingly unregulated. However, as an employer, you will need to provide a job offer letter explaining the exact prerequisites and the exact wages paid per hour to each of the workers, including foreign workers.
The laws protecting foreigners working in Canada are the same laws that protect Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Therefore, you will need to ensure that the hours of work, the compensation received, the working conditions, and the conditions under which someone’s employment can be terminated are all in compliance with the law.
Occupational Safety
Eligible companies in the program seeking to employ the highest-skilled talent through the program must keep all their employment records, including any information on accidents, etc. In fact, as an employer, you will need to provide a safe work environment in which you will need to ensure that the workers are safe in the sense of their physical, emotional, and psychological well-being.
When it comes to workplace safety, all your workers, including foreign and Canadian employees, will need to be covered using private insurance which complies with the local, provincial territorial, and federal laws and regulations. When it comes to the insurance terms, they can only be equal to or exceed the expectations outlined in the regulations.
Language Limitations
The only acceptable language requirement is that the languages spoken by the candidate for the position are English, French, or both. If other languages are essential for the position, you will need to justify that during the initial application stage, before you receive the LMIA assessment. Some examples of such positions where languages other than English or French may be necessary include (the list is by no means complete):
- computer engineers working in languages other than English or French, for example for hardware or software solutions aimed at markets abroad
- database analysts and data administrators for foreign languages
- UI and UX designers and program developers specializing in foreign markets
- Web designers and developers offering web solutions and websites to foreign clientele
- artistic directors and project managers working in foreign languages, with foreign teams or audiences
- digital media and design specialists specialized in foreign markets
- foreign tech talent
- foreign specialists working with visual effects and other animation industries and digital media effects for foreign markets
- those employed in software development and digital marketing fields working with foreign markets
- artificial intelligence engineers, if they are supposed to offer specialized services to foreign markets or train models providing services to foreign markets
- specialists offering specialized training (direct training in Canada) to people working with foreign clientele or partners
Positions With a Union
If the foreign worker is going to be employed in a position covered by a Union, they will need to be treated the same as Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Their rights are in no way different from those of foreign employees. When it comes to equality, it has to be seen in terms of wages, terms and conditions of the workplace. The types of positions covered depend on the local union.
Employer Conformity
When it comes to employer conformity, they will need to conform or comply with all the local, federal, and program regulations. These include providing a territorial health plan (at least a basic plan), vacation eligibility that is offered to all other employees, treating all the employees as equals, and ensuring that you get to provide them with a safe and supportive work environment. The rights of immigrants working in Canada are protected under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
Businesses in Quebec
If you wish to employ skilled workers in Quebec, you will need to consider that the conditions of the program are slightly different in this province. Needless to say, the language requirements may be leaning towards French a little more, since this is the only French-speaking monolingual province in Canada. At the same time, the application for the program, on the part of the employer, will need to be submitted to the ESDC and the Quebec Ministry of Immigration, Diversity, and Inclusion. Except for the wages paid per position, the rest of the application process is the same.
How To Apply for Canada Global Talent Stream
Global Talent Stream Canada: how to apply? When applying for the program, you will first need to have a look at measurable goals and realistic goals that your workplace is trying to achieve. Try to figure out what work needs to be done and how it can be done so that your company can prosper the most. In some cases, workforce development may be the best solution, as training the workers that you already have at hand will be the easiest and the least costly measure for most businesses in Canada.
However, if there is no means to train the existing staff, you can consider applying for the GTS program. First-time and continued eligibility should be taken into account, and all the requirements for employers need to be considered first. If you are sure that you meet all the requirements, you can proceed to apply for an LMIA. You can do that online or using a PDF form.
Check Out How The Global Talent Stream in Canada Works:
Use the LMIA Online Application
In the first case, to apply online, you will need to visit the LMIA online portal. This is the fastest way to apply for an LMIA. This is a reliable platform that is also very safe. To apply online, you will need a Job Bank account. To get fine, you will need around 10 minutes to fill in all your information and around 5 business days for your profile to be reviewed and made.
You will now need to use the credentials from the Job Bank platform to open up an LMIA online portal. Here, you can create and fill out your LMIA application and upload all the required documents that support what you have stated about your business. These can be information about your primary and supplementary activities, original offer letters for the job position, and progress reviews for the applicants who have applied for the workplace before but have failed to make it to the end.
The information on the base salary you offer for the position will also need to be considered, and you should take average salaries in your area and for this type of work into account. Then, you will need to submit the documents and the application and simply enjoy for a few days until the request is processed.
Use the Application Form to Apply
Global Talent Stream application form is another way to apply for an LMIA. When doing so, you will need to download the PDF LMIA application and you will need to complete it. If you are applying for multiple positions at the same time, you will need to pay CAD1,000 PER applicant and you will also need to submit the GTS – Annex 1 Additional Occupation FOrm (EMP5625).
The Canada Global Talent Stream processing time is around 10 days and during this time, you can still make changes to the application itself. You will be able to contact the Service Canada processing centre or an Employer Contact Centre to make changes to an application that has already been submitted to the system.
If, for example, you realize that your labour requirement and experience requirements have changed and you do not need to use the GTS anymore, you may need to change to the immigration program that you are applying through. In this case, if the employment conditions have changed that much, you may want to apply for a different program. Immigration practitioners can help you choose the new immigration program. On top of this, you will need to completely withdraw your application from the GTS. Your processing fee will not be returned to you.
FAQs
Can You Have 2 Work Permits in Canada?
Yes, you can have 2 work permits for Canada. If this is the case, that you have a work permit and are applying for another one, it is probably best to hire an overseas immigration consultant and go through the visa requirements for each of the programs that have granted you a work permit to make sure you fulfill the criteria for both of them. When it comes to the work itself, there are still regulations that are in place, and you will not be able to use the two work permits to work two full-time jobs for example.
What Are Jobs Under Canada’s Global Talent Stream?
The jobs under Canada Global Talent Stream are the jobs that are difficult to find workers for in the province of employment outlined in the job offer letter that a prospective employer has sent to you. These jobs are usually well-paid and demand a high level of education, training, and work experience. The streamlined application process and clearly outlined expectations of the primary benefit and terms of benefits in the second-grade outline that Canada needs these programs to keep their companies competitive in the global work market.
What to Expect for the Processing Time of Canada’s Global Talent Stream?
Visa applications for Canada typically take a shorter time to process than visa counterparts in other countries. Your application can be processed in as little as 10 days on the employer’s side, and some 10-20 days for your TFW application. When it comes to your application, the most time is lost in gathering the documents, so we would suggest you get your medical exam and police clearance documents as soon as possible. Post-study work visas and other forms of visas may take way longer to process, so this is our recommendation.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to the Global Talent Stream, this is a very popular immigration option for those who would like to move to Canada. If you have met a potential Canadian employer, and have specialized work experience, education, and credentials that are difficult to find in Canada, you may want to consider speaking with the potential employer to bring you into Canada to secure you the job at the earliest possible convenience. When it comes to the program itself, the requirements are basic and easy to fulfill, but you will still need to be able to provide highly specialized services that will benefit the Canadian economy and labour market. Our detailed guide to the program aims to provide relevant information, but we still ask you to check on your own, as these are subject to change without prior notice.