Global Talent Stream
The Global Talent Stream (GTS) is a two-year pilot program launched in June 2017 through a partnership between Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). The GTS assists certain Canadian employers to hire highly-skilled talent from around the world enabling them to compete on an international scale. Employers who are successfully through the program will be able to expedite the process for hiring foreign nationals through the Global Skills Strategy.
The pilot is one of the streams contained within Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). The GTS accepts applications through two categories. While there are some shared eligibility requirements, each category has unique requirements as outlined below.
Program Requirements
The Global Talent Stream (GTS) is designed to assist Canadian employers with hiring highly skilled foreign talent who will enable Canadians to compete on an international scale. The GTS operates two categories, Category A and Category B. While these two categories have unique requirements, they do share a few common requirements to the GTS:
- Processing Fee: Employers applying to the GTS must submit a $1000 CAD application fee.
- Business Legitimacy: Employers applying to GTS, as with all applicants to the TFWP, must submit documentation proving the legitimacy of their business.
- Labour Market Benefits Plan: As the GTS is designed to enable Canadian companies to compete on an international scale, all employers applying to the GTS must work with ESDC to develop a Labour Market Benefits Plan demonstrating that their business activities will have a lasting impact on the Canadian labour market.
As the GTS is part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, all successful employers applying to the stream will be issued a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) prior to the official hiring of a foreign national. If an employer meets the general stream requirements, they must verify that they meet the additional requirements for the category to which they wish to apply.
Category A
In order to apply to Category A of the Global Talent Stream, an employer must have been referred to the stream by one of the GTS’s designated partners and be using the stream to hire unique and specialized talent. The following are designated partners of the GTS, authorized to refer employers to Category A:
| Accelerate Okanagan |
| 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 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 |
| 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 York |
| Vancouver Economic Commission |
| Venn Innovation |
| Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation |
| WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation |
For a person to qualify as unique and specialized talent for Category A of the Global Talent Stream, the talent is indicated by advanced knowledge of the industry, coupled with advanced education and at least 5 years of specialized experience in the field. As well, unique and specialized talent are usually paid a minimum annual salary of at least $80,000 CAD.
Category B
In order to apply for Category B of the Global Talent Stream, employers must be seeking to hire highly-skilled foreign talent to fill positions in occupations found on the Global Talent Occupations List.
| NOC Code | Occupation |
|---|---|
| 0213 | Computer and information systems managers |
| 2147 | Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) |
| Subset of 2161* | Mathematicians and statisticians *Positions for actuaries or related occupations are excluded from this subset |
| 2171 | Information systems analysts and consultants |
| 2172 | Database analysts and data administrators |
| 2173 | Software engineers and designers |
| 2174 | Computer programmers and interactive media developers |
| 2175 | Web designers and developers |
| 2281 | Computer network technicians |
| 2283 | Information systems testing technicians |
Employers should note that in order to be eligible, talent must meet both the occupation required as well as the minimum wage requirement.
Labour Market Benefits Plan
All applicants to the Global Talent Stream must work with ESDC to develop a Labour Market Benefits Plan demonstrating a commitment to activities which will positively impact the Canadian labour market. Applicants through Category A must commit to the creation of jobs for Canadian citizens and permanent residents. This job creation can be either direct or indirect. Applicants through Category B must commit to increasing skills and training investments for Canadian citizens and permanent residents.