Global Talent Stream

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

Among other initiatives, this new work stream establishes a two-week standard for processing of work permit applications (and temporary resident visas, if applicable) for highly skilled talent. The Global Talent Stream is part of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

There are two categories under the Global Talent Stream.

Category A

High-growth companies that can demonstrate a need to recruit unique specialized talent from abroad fall under Category A. Employers in this category must be referred to the Global Talent Stream by a designated referral partner.

As of August 13, 2018, the list of designated referral partners for employers located outside Quebec includes the following organizations. This list may be updated periodically.

  1. Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
  2. BC Tech Association
  3. Business Development Bank of Canada
  4. Canadian Economic Development for Quebec Regions
  5. City of Hamilton’s Economic Development Office
  6. Communitech Corporation
  7. Council of Canadian Innovators
  8. Economic Development Winnipeg
  9. Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
  10. Global Affairs Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service
  11. Government of Alberta, Alberta Labour
  12. Government of British Columbia, Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology
  13. Government of Manitoba, Manitoba Education and Training
  14. Government of Ontario, Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade – Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program
  15. Government of Ontario, Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade – Ontario Investment Office
  16. Government of Prince Edward Island, Island Investment Development Inc.
  17. Government of Saskatchewan, Ministry of the Economy
  18. Halifax Partnership
  19. ICT Association of Manitoba (ICTAM)
  20. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada – Accelerated Growth Service
  21. Invest Ottawa
  22. London Economic Development Corporation
  23. MaRS Discovery District
  24. National Research Council – Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP)
  25. Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration
  26. Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Growth
  27. Privy Council Office, Special Projects Team
  28. Vancouver Economic Commission
  29. Venn Innovation
  30. Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation

Category B

Category B is for employers looking to hire certain highly skilled foreign workers for occupations found on the Global Talent Occupations List, which have been determined to be in-demand and for which there is insufficient domestic labour 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
0211 Engineering managers n/a n/a
0212 Architecture and Science managers n/a n/a
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