Canada Work Permit Global Talent Stream

Canada work permit global talent stream program was launched on June 12, 2017 and this program allows certain skilled workers to obtain a Canada work permit and Canada Visa applications processed within two weeks of applying. The main purpose of this program is to help innovative companies grow by ensuring they can access the highly skilled talent they need quickly. The Global Talent Stream is a part of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker program.

There are two categories under the Global Talent Stream.

Category A

Under this category companies that have a high growth rate and that can demonstrate a need to recruit unique specialized talent from abroad fall. Employers in this category must be referred to the Global Talent Stream by a designated referral partner.

The list of designated referral partners for employers located outside Quebec includes the following organizations

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 Brampton
City of Hamilton’s Economic Development Office
City of Mississauga
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
Tech Manitoba
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
Town of Oakville
Vancouver Economic Commission
Venn Innovation
Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation
Windsor Essex Economic Development Corporation

Category B

Category B is for employers looking to hire certain highly skilled foreign workers for Category Occupations found on the Global Talent Occupations List, which have been determined to be in-demand and for which there is insufficient domestic labor supply. This list may be updated periodically to respond to labour market needs.

Global Talent Occupations List for Category B

NOC code	Occupation	Minimum hourly rate	Minimum annual Salary
0213	Computer and information systems managers	Prevailing wage	Prevailing wage
2147	Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)	Prevailing wage	Prevailing wage
Sub-set of 2161*	Mathematicians and statisticians* Positions for actuaries or related occupations are excluded from this subset.	Prevailing wage	Prevailing wage
2171	Information systems analysts and consultants	Prevailing wage	Prevailing wage
2172	Database analysts and data administrators	Prevailing wage	Prevailing wage
2173	Software engineers and designers	Prevailing wage	Prevailing wage
2174	Computer programmers and interactive media developers	Prevailing wage	Prevailing wage
2175	Web designers and developers	Prevailing wage	Prevailing wage
2281	Computer Network technicians	$39.42 or higher prevailing wage	$82,000 or higher prevailing wage
2283	Information systems testing technicians Producer, technical, creative and artistic director and project manager – Visual effects and video game	$38.46 or higher prevailing wage	$80,000 or higher prevailing wage
Sub-set of 5131**	Producer, technical, creative and artistic director and project manager – Visual effects and video game** The position requires a minimum of three years’ industry experience in the visual effects, video game or animation industries in one or a combination of the following roles: producer, technical director, creative director, artistic director or project manager, senior coordinator, department manager, with three years of job experience in at least one 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.	$37.50 or higher prevailing wage	$78,000 or higher prevailing wage
Sub-set of 5241***	Digital Media and Design***The position requires a minimum of three years’ industry experience in at least one 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	$38.46 or higher prevailing wage	$80,000 or higher prevailing wage

Certain conditions are required to meet by employers of both the categories regarding the payment of skilled workers. It is compulsory to pay the prevailing wages or even higher to the workers hired through Global Talent stream. The prevailing wage is defined as the highest figure of either:

The median wage for the occupation on the Job bank of Government of Canada.
the wage within the range an employer pays current employees in the same position at the same location, with the same skills and experience;
The minimum wage floor as defined in the Global Talent occupations list (if applicable).

Labour Market Benefits Plan

Employers who are interested to hire skilled worker through Global Talent Stream are required to develop Labour Market Benefit plan in collaboration with the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). This plan will not only cover the positive benefit that foreign talent will bring to Canada Labour Market, but it will also cover the activities that the employer will under to encourage job creation, skills and training investment.

Whereas the employers under the A Category are required to create more jobs for Canadian citizens and permanent residence directly or indirectly, the main responsibility of Category B Employers is to increase the investment in skills and training for Canadian Citizen and permanent residence.

Apart from the above mentioned benefits employers from both categories are further required to commit to transferring knowledge to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, and enhancing companies overall performance. Activities that may support these benefits may include but not limited to hiring Canadian citizens and permanent residents, enhancing technological knowledge of the current employees, creating paid and co-op or internship programs for local students and the investment and revenue of the company.

Work Permit Exemptions

Highly skilled workers and research workers are two new categories to workers exempted from the requirement to obtain work permit.

Highly skilled workers in skill type 0 or skill level A occupations of NOC may enter Canada to work for 15 days in six- month period, or 30 days in 12 –month period without obtaining work permit.

Researchers working on research projects at a publicly funded degree-granting institution or affiliated research institution may come to Canada for 120 days in a 12-month period, without requiring a work permit.