Canada Global Talent Stream (GTS)

The Global Talent Stream (GTS) was 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 approved through the program will be able to expedite the process for hiring foreign nationals through the Global Skills Strategy.

Contact us to discuss your work permit needs

Global Talent Stream Overview

FAQ

What is the Global Talent Stream?

The Global Talent Stream is one of the streams contained within Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). The GTS aims to facilitate the work permit process for certain Canadian employers, enabling them to compete on an international scale.

Employers who are successfully approved through the program can expedite the process of hiring foreign nationals through the Global Skills Strategy.

The Global Talent Stream (GTS) was launched in June 2017 through a partnership between Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

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 must 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:

Global Talent Stream - Designated Partners

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
Invest in Canada
National Research Council - Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP)
Privy Council Office, Special Projects Team
TECHNATION
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (multiple locations across the region)
Ignite Fredericton
Venn Innovation
Government of New Brunswick – Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour
Genesis
Cape Breton Partnership
Government of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Business Inc.
Halifax Partnership
Government of Prince Edward Island, Island Investment Development Inc.
Burlington Economic Development Corporation
Invest Brampton
Invest in Hamilton
City of Mississauga
Communitech Corporation
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
Government of Ontario, Labour, Training and Skills Development – Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program
Government of Ontario, Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade – Ontario Investment Office
Invest Ottawa
Kingston Economic Development Corporation
London Economic Development Corporation
MaRS Discovery District
Regional Municipality of Niagara
York Region
Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership
Toronto Global
Town of Oakville
Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation
Invest Windsor Essex
Canadian Economic Development for Quebec Regions
For other designated referral partners located in Quebec for the Global Talent Stream, employers from Quebec are invited to consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only).
Calgary Economic Development
Edmonton Metropolitan Region Economic Development Company a.k.a Edmonton Global
Government of Alberta, Alberta Labour and Immigration
Accelerate Okanagan
BC Tech Association
Government of British Columbia, Ministry Municipal Affairs
Kootenay Association for Science & Technology
Launch Academy
Vancouver Economic Commission
Venture Kamloops
Economic Development Winnipeg
Government of Manitoba, Manitoba Education and Training
Tech Manitoba
Government of Saskatchewan, Ministry of Immigration and Career Training
Last updated May 10, 2022

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:

Global Talent Occupations List

National Occupations Classification (NOC) codeOccupation title
20012Computer and information systems managers
21300Civil engineers
21310Electrical and electronics engineers
21330Mining engineers
21390Aerospace engineers
21311Computer 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
22310Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians
22220Computer 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

Sub-set of 52120***Digital media designers

Employers should note that in order to be eligible, talent must meet both the occupation required as well as the minimum wage requirement.

How to apply for the Global Talent Stream

Applying for a work permit through the Global Talent Stream is a two-step process.

First, eligible GTS candidates must receive a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). It is the responsibility of the employer to apply for and pay for the LMIA process. This may be done by the employer or a third-party representative.

Once a positive LMIA is received, the employee can apply for a Canadian work permit.

The required documents will depend on your unique profile. To ease the application process, you or your employer may wish to hire a reputable Canadian immigration attorney.

Global Talent Stream processing time

One of the main benefits of the Global Talent Stream is its expedited work permit processing time; Global Talent Stream candidates may have their permits processed in under two weeks.

Prior to applying for a work permit, Global Talent Stream employers must first receive a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). This process is also expedited with an average processing time of just 8 days.

If the candidate is applying to work in Quebec, they must also apply for a Québec Certificate of Acceptance (CAQ). This application is also expedited for GTS candidates.

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.

How much does it cost to come to Canada through the Global Talent Stream?

The total cost of coming to Canada through the Global Talent stream is between $155 – $365 CAD, depending on where you intend to work.

The processing fee for a Global Talent Stream work permit is $155 CAD.

If you will be working in Quebec, you must also pay for the Québec Certificate of Acceptance (CAQ) processing fee of $210 CAD.

The LMIA application fee is $1000 CAD and is the responsibility of the GTS employers.

Global Talent Stream work permit restrictions

Global Talent Stream work permits are closed permits. This means that GTS candidates may only work for the employer indicated on their permit.

Is the Global Talent Stream LMIA-exempt?

The GTS is not LMIA-exempt, but the LMIA process is significantly simplified. GTS employers are not required to provide proof of their efforts to recruit a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. This exemption considerably reduces the burden when submitting an LMIA application.

Can I get permanent residence through the Global Talent Stream?

The Global Talent Stream is a temporary residence program for a Canadian work permit, and not a permanent immigration program.

However, working in Canada can significantly increase one’s chances of becoming eligible for a permanent residence program. To learn more about your options for Canadian permanent residence, complete our free online assessment form today.

Ready to
start? Prêt à
démarrer ?

Contact us

Do you have questions about working in Canada or hiring a foreign worker? Contact us today to see how we can help!

 

Contact us to discuss your work permit needs

Related Links

Free assessment

Discover your Canadian immigration options. Get your free assessment now!