On December 22nd, 2022, Employment and Social Development Canada (“ESDC”) amended the list of eligible occupations in the Global Talent Stream (“GTS”) to include additional professions which have been determined to be in-demand and for which there is insufficient domestic labour supply.
The Global Talent Stream is part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and provides employers with expedited processing to hire highly skilled, specialized, unique, and in-demand foreign workers. The program enables employers to obtain a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (“LMIA”) in less than 10 business days. This service standard is met 80% of the time.
Prior to applying for a work permit, foreign nationals typically require a positive LMIA if no exemptions are available.
What are the new occupations added to the GTS?
The list of eligible GTS occupations has now been expanded with the addition of new engineering roles.
These roles include:
- Civil engineers (NOC code 21300);
- Electrical and electronics engineers (NOC code 21310);
- Mining engineers (NOC code 21330);
- Aerospace engineers (NOC code 21390); and
- Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians (NOC code 22310).
*Please note that job offers for occupations on the Global Talent Occupations List must meet a minimum wage requirement to be eligible for expedited processing.
These additional GTS occupations are a positive sign that the Government of Canada is assessing lasting labour market gaps for employers to meet their hiring demands.
Employers hiring foreign talent through the GTS will need to ensure they properly prepare applications; including developing a Labour Markets Benefit Plan (LMBP) to demonstrate their commitment to activities that have a lasting, positive impact on the Canadian labour market. The LMIA Center of Excellence at Green and Spiegel LLP can assist with GTS LMIA applications, to ensure completeness and compliance with program standards.
To learn more about this, please contact us for a consultation.
