Employers in the Canadian tech industry can fast-track hiring highly skilled foreign talent through the Global Talent Stream. Canada currently has north of one million job vacancies across the country. These job vacancies are spread throughout nearly every employment sector, which is why Canada has created several programs to aid employers with hiring foreign talent.

1. Bringing highly skilled foreign
tech talent to Canada.

2.  Employers in the Canadian
tech industry can fast-track
hiring highly skilled foreign
talent through the Global
Talent Stream.
 Canada currently has north
of one million job
vacancies across the
country. These job
vacancies are spread
throughout nearly every
employment sector.

3.  One such program, specific to highly skilled foreign
professionals in the tech industry, is the Global Talent
Stream (GTS).
 The GTS is a fast-tracked program employers can use to
bring foreign talent to this country and allow them to
utilize their skills in the service of helping innovative
Canadian companies grow.
 Part of Canada’s larger Global Talent Strategy and
contained within the Temporary Foreign Worker
Program (TFWP), the GTS expedites the processing of
work permit applications and temporary resident visas (if
applicable) so that qualified applicants can start working
in around two weeks from the date of submission.

4. Exemptions
 Note: Two exemptions under the Global Talent Stream
enable certain applicants to enter Canada without a work
permit.
 First, “highly-skilled workers in skill type 0 or skill level
A occupations of the NOC” will not require a permit
under this program if they are working in Canada for a
period of 15 days over six months or 30 days over 12
months.
 Additionally, researchers coming to Canada will not need
a work permit should they be working in Canada for a
period of 120 days over 12 months “on research projects
at a publicly-funded degree-granting institution or
affiliated research institution.”

5. Breaking down the Global Talent Stream
 Under the Global Talent Stream, there are two
distinct categories.
 Category A
 Category A: High-growth companies who are
referred to the GTS by one of over 40 designated
referral partners (in Canada, excluding Quebec) and
can demonstrate the need to hire “unique specialized
talent from abroad”.
 The list of designated referral partners varies for
employers in Quebec, and therefore, also for
applicants looking to work in that province.

6.  Category B
 Category B: Companies looking to hire for specific
roles designated by the Global Talent Occupations
List. This list, which may be updated periodically to
reflect changing labour market needs and priorities,
includes an expansive list of jobs that have been
deemed in demand and appear to suffer from a
lacking number of available workers domestically.
 Some occupations on the Global Talent Occupations
List for Category B include:

7.  Computer and information systems managers
 Web designers and developers
 Computer network technicians
 Workers in digital media and design
 The full list of occupations for this category can be
found here.

8. Wages in the Global Talent Stream
 One of the most important elements of this program
is the wages that employers pay to successful
applicants.
 There is a wage-related requirement that employers
in either category must meet when bringing on
foreign talent through the GTS. This requirement
states that employers must pay workers at whichever
of the following five rates is highest.
 The occupation’s median wage on the Canadian
government’s Job Bank

9.  The wage within the range that the employer pays to
current employees (in the same position, at the same
location, and with the same skills/experience)
 The minimum wage floor determined by the Global
Talent Occupations list (category B)
 An hourly salary that matches the prevailing wage
for the occupation in question and amounts to no
less than $80,000 (for the first two positions
requested under category A).

10. How the Global Talent Stream benefits
Canada and Canadians
 The GTS benefits both Canadians and the country at
large by requiring employers to develop a Labour
Market Benefits Plan. This plan, established in
conjunction with Employment and Social
Development Canada (ESDC), identifies how the
hiring of foreign talent through this program will
work to benefit the Canadian labour market.
 Additionally, these plans outline activities the
employer will facilitate to encourage job creation or
invest in skill development and training for
Canadians (the “primary benefits” of the GTS).

11.  More specifically, it is the responsibility of employers in
category A to encourage job creation, either directly or
indirectly, for Canadian citizens and permanent
residents. Meanwhile, category B employers are
accountable for increasing investments in skills and
training for Canadians.
 Employers in both categories, in addition to the above,
will need to undertake business activities for the purpose
of fulfilling an additional two complimentary labour
market benefits. These benefits include, but are not
limited to, the following two items:

12.  Transferring knowledge to Canadian citizens and
permanent residents
 Improving company performance
 The full list of activities that can be used to fulfill any
labour market benefit can be reviewed on the
Government of Canada’s website. For reference,
however, some of those activities include:
 Hiring more Canadian citizens or permanent
residents

13.  Training current employees in new techniques
 Creating paid co-op or internship programs for local
students
 Increasing revenue and investments
 Finally, it is worth clarifying that employers applying
to hire talent in both categories will be required to
commit to one activity related to each primary
benefit— job creation and skill development/training
—as well as two complimentary benefits.

14. THANK YOU