The Global Talent Stream

The Global Talent Stream helps employers in Canada speed up the recruitment of foreign technology talent.

Overview

The Global Talent Stream allows certain highly skilled workers to receive a work permit within 2 weeks of applying. It is one of the pillars of Canada’s Global Skills Strategy, intended to help innovative companies grow by ensuring they can gain rapid access to the highly skilled talent they need.

Among other initiatives, the stream sets a 2-week processing standard for work permit applications (and temporary resident visas, where applicable) for highly skilled talent. The Global Talent Stream forms part of theTemporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

The Global Talent Stream comprises 2 parts: Category A and Category B.

Category A

High-growth companies able to demonstrate a need to recruit unique specialist talent from abroad fall under Category A. 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 outside Quebec comprises the following organisations:

• Pan-Canadian
  • Business Development Bank of Canada
  • Council of Canadian Innovators
  • Global Affairs Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service
  • Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada – Accelerated Growth Service
  • Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada – Industry Skills Directorate
  • Invest in Canada
  • National Research Council – Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP)
  • Privy Council Office, Special Projects Team
  • TECHNATION
• Atlantic Canada
  • Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency(several regional branches)
  • New Brunswick
    • Ignite Fredericton
    • Government of New Brunswick – Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour
    • Venn Innovation
  • Newfoundland and Labrador
    • Genesis
  • Nova Scotia
    • Cape Breton Partnership
    • Government of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Business Inc.
    • Halifax Partnership
  • Prince Edward Island
    • Government of Prince Edward Island, Island Investment Development Inc.
• Central Canada
  • Ontario
    • Burlington Economic Development Corporation
    • City of Mississauga
    • Communitech Corporation
    • Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
    • Government of Ontario, Labour, Training and Skills Development – Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
    • Government of Ontario, Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade – Ontario Investment Office
    • Invest Brampton
    • Invest in Hamilton
    • Invest Ottawa
    • Invest Sudbury
    • Invest Windsor-Essex
    • Kingston Economic Development Corporation
    • London Economic Development Corporation
    • MaRS Discovery District
    • Regional Municipality of Niagara
    • Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership
    • Toronto Business Development Centre
    • Toronto Global
    • Town of Oakville
    • Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation
    • York Region
  • Quebec
    • Canadian Economic Development for Quebec regions
    • Quebec’s MIFI (French only, Quebec designated partner)
• Western Canada
  • Alberta
    • Calgary Economic Development
    • Edmonton Metropolitan Region Economic Development Company (Edmonton Global)
  • British Columbia
    • Accelerate Okanagan
    • BC Tech Association
    • Government of British Columbia, Ministry of Municipal Affairs
    • Kootenay Association for Science & Technology
    • Launch Academy
    • Metro Vancouver Regional District/Invest Vancouver
    • Venture Kamloops
  • Manitoba
    • Economic Development Winnipeg
    • Government of Manitoba, Manitoba Education and Training
    • Tech Manitoba
  • Northwest Territories
    • Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment
  • Saskatchewan
    • Government of Saskatchewan, Ministry of Immigration and Career Training

For the list of designated referral partners in Quebec for the Global Talent Stream.

Category B

Category B is for employers wishing to recruit certain highly skilled foreign workers for occupations on the Global Talent Stream occupations list, identified as being in high demand with insufficient domestic labour supply. This list may be updated periodically to reflect labour market needs.

The Global Talent occupations list for Category B:

NOC code (2011)	NOC code (2021)	Occupation	Minimum hourly wage	Minimum annual wage
0213	20012	Computer and information systems managers	The prevailing wage	The prevailing wage
2131	21300	Civil engineers	The prevailing wage	The prevailing wage
2133	21310	Electrical and electronics engineers	The prevailing wage	The prevailing wage
2143	21330	Mining engineers	The prevailing wage	The prevailing wage
2146	21390	Aerospace engineers	The prevailing wage	The prevailing wage
2147	21311	Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)	The prevailing wage	The prevailing wage
Subset of 2161*	Subset of 21210*	Mathematicians and statisticians *Positions for actuaries or related occupations are excluded from this subset.	The prevailing wage	The prevailing wage
2171	21211 – Data scientists 21220 – Cybersecurity specialists 21221 – Business systems specialists 21222 – Information systems specialists 21233 – Web designers Information systems analysts and consultants	The prevailing wage	The prevailing wage
2172	21211 – Data scientists 21223 – Database analysts and data administrators Database analysts and data administrators	The prevailing wage	The prevailing wage
2173	21231 – Software engineers and designers 21211 – Data scientists Software engineers and designers	The prevailing wage	The prevailing wage
2174	21230 – Computer systems developers and programmers 21232 – Software developers and programmers 21234 – Web developers and programmers Computer programmers and interactive media developers	The prevailing wage	The prevailing wage
2175	21233 – Web designers 21234 – Web developers and programmers Web designers and developers	The prevailing wage	The prevailing wage
2241	22310	Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians	$41.35 or the prevailing wage, whichever is higher	$86,000 or the prevailing wage, whichever is higher
2281	22220	Computer network technicians (NOC 2021 occupation: computer network and web technicians)	$40.87 or the prevailing wage, whichever is higher	$85,000 or the prevailing wage, whichever is higher
2283	22222	Information systems testing technicians	$41.03 or the prevailing wage, whichever is higher	$85,000 or the prevailing wage, whichever is higher
Subset of 5131**	Subset of 51120**	Producers, technical, creative and artistic directors and project managers – visual effects and video games ** The position requires a minimum of three (3) years’ industry experience in the visual effects, video games or animation industries in one or a combination of the following roles: producer, technical director, creative director, art director or project manager, senior co-ordinator, or department manager, with three (3) years’ work experience in at least one or more of the following skills relating to the visual effects, video games or animation industries: surfacing and look development; character rigging or simulation; matte painting; budget or team management; or the development and application of technical pipelines for visual effects, video games or animation production.	$40.87 or the prevailing wage, whichever is higher	$85,000 or the prevailing wage, whichever is higher
Subset of 5241***	Subset of 52120**	Digital design and media ***The position requires a minimum of three (3) years’ industry experience in at least one of the following digital media design skills: 3D modelling, compositing, paint and roto, layout and match move, digital environments and matte painting, texturing, shading and lighting, character effects, effects and simulation, design and scripting, rigging, user interface or user experience, responsive design (for games), virtual reality, augmented reality, digital media animation, level editing for digital media design, software editing for digital media design, or the development of pipeline software or related applications for digital media design	$38.46 or the prevailing wage, whichever is higher	$80,000 or the prevailing wage, whichever is higher

Employers in both categories are required to meet conditions relating to the pay of highly skilled workers. Foreign workers recruited through the Global Talent Stream must be paid at or above the prevailing wage. The prevailing wage is defined as the highest of:

• The median wage for the occupation on theGovernment of Canada Job Bank.
• The wage within the range the employer pays current employees in the same position at the same location, with the same skills and experience.
• The minimum wage specified in the Global Talent occupations list (where applicable).

Wages for the Global Talent Stream

Employers must undertake to pay the highest of:

• A minimum annual wage of $80,000, or the annual wage equivalent to the prevailing wage for the occupation if higher than $80,000, for the first 2 unique and specialised positions requested under Category A. For 2 or more further unique and specialised positions requested under Category A, or the annual wage equivalent to the prevailing wage for the occupation if higher than $150,000. ESDC states that there is no flexibility in applying the wage requirement to additional positions requested under Category A.
• The minimum wage applicable to the occupation for a highly skilled position requested under Category B, as specified in the Global Talent Occupations List.
• A wage within the wage range the employer is paying current employees hired for the same job and work location, and with the same skills and years of experience.
• The median wage on the Government of Canada Job Bank. Median wages are listed by job title orNational Occupational Classification (NOC)code in the middle column, by community or region in Canada’s job bank.

The Labour Market Benefits Plan

Employers wishing to recruit highly skilled workers through the Global Talent Stream are required to work withEmployment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)to develop a Labour Market Benefits Plan. This plan sets out the positive benefits the foreign talent will bring to the Canadian labour market, and the activities the employer will undertake to encourage job creation and investment in skills and training.

Category A employers are required to commit to creating jobs for Canadian citizens and permanent residents. This job creation may be direct or indirect.

Category B employers are required to commit to increasing investment in skills and training for Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

In addition to the mandatory benefits above, employers in both categories are required to commit to 2 further complementary benefits, supported by specified activities. These benefits may include, but are not limited to, job creation, investment in skills and training, knowledge transfer to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, or improved company performance.

Activities supporting these benefits may include, but are not limited to, recruiting further Canadian citizens or permanent residents, training existing staff in new techniques, creating paid internship or work placement programmes for local students, or increasing revenue and investment.

Where employers apply for positions under both Category A and Category B, they must commit to one activity under the job creation benefit and one activity under the investment in skills and training benefit, as well as at least 2 complementary benefits.

For the latest list of activities accepted in support of the mandatory and complementary benefits set out in an employer’s Labour Market Benefits Plan, visit the government website athere.

Employers may be monitored to ensure compliance with the Labour Market Benefits Plan and to assess the success of the Global Talent Stream.

Work permit exemptions

Under the Global Talent Stream, 2 new categories of worker are now exempt from the requirement to hold a work permit.

Highly skilled workers in occupations at NOC skill type 0 or skill level A may enter Canada to work for 15 days in a 6-month period, or for 30 days in a 12-month period, without holding a work permit.

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