Global talent stream: bringing highly skilled foreign tech talent to Canada

Bringing in highly qualified foreign IT professionals for Canada through the Global Talent Stream. Through the Global Talent Stream, employers in the Canadian tech sector can expedite the hiring of highly qualified international employees.

There are presently more than a million open positions in Canada. Since these open positions span almost all industries, Canada has established a number of programs to assist firms in acquiring international talent.

The Global Talent Stream is one such initiative that caters to highly qualified international workers in the technology sector (GTS). Employers can use the GTS, a fast-tracked program, to bring in international talent and let them put their abilities to work advancing innovative Canadian businesses.

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), which is a component of Canada's larger Global Talent Strategy (GTS), expedites the processing of work permit applications and temporary resident visas (if necessary) so that qualified applicants can begin working in about two weeks after the date of submission.

As a result, this program also helps the Canadian IT industry as a whole by ensuring that businesses in this field can easily access the expertise they require to grow.

Exemptions

The Global Talent Stream offers two exemptions that allow some applicants to enter Canada without a work permit. First off, under this scheme, "highly-skilled employees in skill type 0 or skill level A occupations of the NOC" will not need a permit if they are employed in Canada for a total of 15 days over a period of six months or 30 days over a period of a year.

Researchers who arrive in Canada and stay for 120 days or more over the course of a year may do so while working "on research initiatives at a publicly-funded degree-granting institution or linked research institution" without needing a work permit.

Taking the Global Talent Stream apart

There are two distinct categories under the Global Talent Stream.

Category A

High-growth businesses that can demonstrate the need to acquire "unique specialized talent from overseas" are referred to the GTS by one of more than 40 certified referral partners (in Canada, excluding Quebec).

The list of authorized referral partners differs for Quebec employers and, consequently, for job seekers wishing to work in that province. On the website of Quebec's Ministry of Immigration, Francisation, and Integration, that list is available in French.

Category B

Companies in Category B are seeking candidates for positions on the Global Talent Occupations List. This list, which may be updated frequently to reflect shifting labor market demands and priorities, contains a long list of positions that have been determined to be in demand but seem to suffer from a lack of qualified candidates.

The following professions are among those in Category B of the Global Talent Occupations List:

- Managers of computer and information systems

- Web developers and designers

- technicians for computer networks

- Those who work in design and digital media

Paid Positions in the Global Talent Stream

The wages that firms offer to selected candidates are one of the most crucial aspects of this program. When hiring foreign talent through the GTS, firms in either category must adhere to a wage-related criterion. Employers are required to pay employees at the highest rate among the next five, according to this requirement.

On the Job Bank of the Canadian government, the occupation's median salary. The compensation range that the company offers to current staff members who are in the same role, working in the same location, and possess the same qualifications and experience. An hourly compensation that is equal to the prevailing wage for the job in issue and is at least $80,000 (for the first two positions requested under category A)

Note: For any additional roles (more than two), an hourly wage that corresponds to the applicable occupation's prevailing rate and totals at least $150,000 is required.

The hiring of foreign talent through this program will enhance the Canadian labor market, according to this plan, which was created in collaboration with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). These plans also detail the actions the company will take to promote job creation or make investments in Canadians' skill-building and training (the "principal benefits" of the GTS).

Employers in category A are explicitly responsible for encouraging the creation of jobs for Canadian citizens and permanent residents, whether directly or indirectly. The responsibility for boosting expenditures in Canadians' skills and training falls on category B employers. In addition to the aforementioned, employers in both categories will need to engage in commercial operations in order to provide an extra two complementary labor market benefits.

The following two advantages are just two of many, but not all, of these advantages:

- Knowledge transfer to Canadians and permanent residents

- enhancing business performance

On the website of the Canadian government, you can study the entire list of activities that can be employed to meet any labor market benefit. But for reference, here are a few of those things to do:

- employing more Canadians or long-term residents

- teaching existing staff new skills

- establishing paid co-op or internship opportunities for students in the area

- increasing investments and revenue

Last but not least, it is important to make clear that businesses looking to acquire talent from both groups will need to commit to two complementary advantages in addition to one action connected to each major benefit—job creation and skill development/training.

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