Canada Global Talent Stream | Fast-Track Work Permit Route

Last Updated On 8 April 2024, 9:16 AM EDT (Toronto Time)

Canada’s Global Talent Stream (GTS) is a fast-track program created to attract highly talented workers in order to satisfy the demands of the Canadian labour market.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) oversees the Global Talent Stream under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is responsible for approving the work permit applications.

The goal of the GTS, which was introduced in June 2017 as a two-year pilot program, is to make it easier for qualified foreign workers to enter certain occupations where there is a clear talent gap in Canada.

This program offers faster processing for the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and eventually the work permit.

In this article, we explore the requirements for eligibility, the application procedure, and the processing timeframes related to the Global Talent Stream.

Global Talent Stream Eligibility

In order to qualify for the Global Talent Stream, overseas workers and businesses need to fulfill several requirements:

Employer Qualifications:

Employer Compliance: Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), employers must not have had any significant infractions or convictions and must have a history of adhering to Canadian labour rules.
Labour Market Benefits Plan: Employers are required to create a Labour Market Benefits Plan that details their commitment to initiatives that help improve the labour market in Canada. The employer’s commitment to providing skills and training to Canadians and permanent residents should be outlined in this plan.

Eligibility for a Job Offer:

Job offer classification: The job position must fit into one of the following two categories:

Category A: To be eligible for the GTS’s Category A, one of the GTS’s approved partners must recommend your Canadian employer.
- Click here to view the list of approved partners for Category A.
Category B: Employers who wish to be eligible for GTS Category B must actively seek out highly skilled foreign workers to fill positions that are in high demand on the Global Talent Occupations List.
- Click here to view the full list of occupations eligible under Category B of GTS.

Remuneration Threshold: The foreign worker’s offered remuneration must equal or surpass the going rate for the job in the area in which it will be done.

Eligibility for Foreign Workers:

Requirements and Experience: Foreign employees must meet the requirements in terms of education, training, and work experience for the position being offered.
Language Proficiency: English or French proficiency may be necessary, depending on the nature of the job position.

Application Process

Getting a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and applying for a work permit are two of the processes in the Global Talent Stream application process.

Here’s a brief rundown:

First Step: Employer Readiness

Employers should confirm they meet all qualifying requirements and have a clear idea of the post they want to fill before submitting an application for the GTS.

Step 2: Application for LMIA

Employers are required to apply for an LMIA with ESDC. They have to give thorough details about the job, including its responsibilities, qualifications, and recruitment activities targeting Canadians, as part of this procedure.

Step 3: Plan for Labour Market Benefits

Employers are required to submit a Labour Market Benefits Plan detailing their initiatives to support the Canadian labour market with their LMIA application.

Step 4: Evaluation of LMIA

To ascertain if the firm satisfies the standards of the Global Talent Stream, ESDC will evaluate the LMIA application and the supporting Labour Market Benefits Plan.

Step 5: Applying for a Work Permit

The foreign employee may apply for a work permit after the employer gets a positive LMIA.

The worker may additionally need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), depending on their country of residency.

Step 6: Issuing a Work Permit

The foreign worker will obtain their work permit upon the approval of their work permit application from IRCC, enabling them to enter Canada and start working.

Global Talent Stream Canada Processing Time

The volume of applications submitted and the intricacy of the case are two factors that can affect how long it takes to process an application under the Global Talent Stream.

To accommodate the demands of both companies and international employees, the Canadian government has nevertheless taken steps to speed up the processing of GTS applications.

As of this writing, the Global Talent Stream’s LMIA application processing timeframes are often quicker than those of the TFWP’s other streams.

LMIA under the GTS has an average processing time of 7 business days as of March 2024.

In comparison to other LMIA-based work permit streams, GTS candidates typically have faster work permit processing timeframes after the LMIA is granted and the application is filed.

A work permit will often be issued to qualified foreign workers in a few weeks, enabling them to begin employment in Canada right away.

Full List of Occupations Eligible Under Global Talent Stream Category B

NOC code 2021	Occupation
20012	Computer and information systems managers
21300	Civil engineers
21310	Electrical and electronics engineers
21330	Mining engineers
21390	Aerospace engineers
21311	Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
Sub-set of 21210*	Mathematicians and statisticians *Positions for actuaries or related occupations are excluded from this subset.
21211 – Data scientists 21220 – Cybersecurity specialists 21221 – Business system specialists 21222 – Information systems specialists 21233 – Web designers	Information systems analysts and consultants
21211 – Data scientists 21223 – Database analysts and data administrators	Database analysts and data administrators
21231 – Software engineers and designers 21211 – Data scientists	Software engineers and designers
21230 – Computer systems developers and programmers 21232 – Software developers and programmers 21234 – Web developers and programmers	Computer programmers and interactive media developers
21233 – Web designers 21234 – Web developers and programmers	Web designers and developers
22310	Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians
22220	Computer network technicians (NOC 2021 occupation: Computer network and web technicians)
22222	Information systems testing technicians
Sub-set of 51120**	Producer, technical, creative and artistic director and project manager – Visual effects and video game **The position must require a minimum of 3 years of experience in the visual effects, video game or animation industries in 1 or a combination of the following roles: producer, technical director, creative director, artistic director or project manager, senior coordinator, department manager, with 3 years of job experience in at least 1 or more of the following skills relevant to the visual effects, video game or animation industries: surfacing and look development; character or simulation rigging; matte painting; managing budgets or teams; or technical pipeline development and application for visual effects, video games, or animation production.
Sub-set of 52120***	Digital media designers ***The position must require a minimum of 3 years of job experience in at least 1 of the following digital media design skills: 3D modeling, compositing, paint and roto, layout and match move, digital environment and Matte painting, texture, lighting shading, character effects, effects and simulations, design and scenario, rigging, user interface or user experience, responsive design (for gaming), virtual reality, augmented reality, digital media animation, levels editing for digital media design, software editing for digital media design, pipeline software development or applications relevant for digital media design