In 2017, the government of Canada launched Global Talent Stream (GTS) program to address evident skill shortages and provide a special stream for specific occupations that would be processed within 3 weeks. This page will teach you about the GTS work permit for hiring foreign workers, its categories, requirements, processing time, and much more.
What is Global Talent Stream?
Global Talent Stream (GTS) is an expedited stream of Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) program.
It allows you to bring skilled and specialized global talent into any part of Canada considerably faster. Similarly, it can be used to retain current employees who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
Unlike the traditional LMIA application, GTS exempts you from actively advertising for the desired position. It allows you to apply directly to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) for processing.
Global Talent Stream Processing Time in 2024
GTS processing time varies between 2 and 3 weeks. If ESDC is satisfied with the submitted LMIA application and documents, they will issue a positive decision letter stating that the foreign worker will need it for their work permit application.
The work permit application can take anywhere from 2 – 8 weeks, sometimes more, depending on the foreign worker’s country of citizenship and residence.
The worker’s family (spouse and children) will benefit from the same processing time as the GTS applicant.
Global Talent Stream Categories
There are only 2 categories within GTS:
Category A: suitable for innovative companies in Canada that can show willingness and capability of growth and scaling up.
Canadian companies must obtain a referral support letter from a designated referral partner. This category is generally suitable for innovative STEM or research-based companies, start-ups, or companies with niche products or services.
Category B: suitable for any companies in Canada that are looking to maintain employment of foreign workers in these specific occupations. This category suits any company that employs positions per the approved list.
Positions include engineers from different industries, web designers, IT specialists, and many more. Obtaining support from a designated referral partner is not required for Category B, meaning you can directly apply for the GTS once you identify the foreign worker and collect necessary documents.
Global Talent Stream Program Requirements
The program requirements for GTS are mostly similar except for several distinct features.
- Be a Canadian-registered business operating in Canada
- Have a strong focus on innovation
- Have a willingness and capability of growing or scaling up
- Obtain a referral from a designated partner
- Have the financial capacity to support the foreign worker’s salary
- Not be on the list of ineligible employers
- Be unique and specialized
- Have a base annual salary of at least $80,000 or meet the prevailing wage for the occupation depending on the NOC code*, whichever is higher
- This applies to the first 2 positions. For subsequent additional positions, the annual salary must be at least $150,000 or meet the prevailing wage bracket, whichever is higher
- Have advanced knowledge of the industry
- Have an advanced degree in the area of specialization and/or have a minimum 5 years of experience in the field of specialized experience
- Be admissible to Canada, meaning they are not in violation of any inadmissibility factors as specified by the Canadian immigration law
- Be a Canadian-registered business operating in Canada
- Provide a good or service to the general public
- Have the financial capacity to support the foreign worker’s salary
- Not be on the list of ineligible employers
- Be under one of these specific occupations
- Have relevant education and work experience
- Be admissible to Canada, meaning they are not in violation of any inadmissibility factors as specified by the Canadian immigration law
GTS Foreign Worker Wage Requirements
Wage requirements are slightly different when considering the two main categories of GTS:
For Category A, the first 2 positions must be paid the highest annual salary between $80,000 or the prevailing wage, whichever is higher. For subsequent positions, the annual salary must be either $150,000 or the prevailing wage, whichever is higher.
For Category B, the annual salary must be at the prevailing wage bracket for most occupations. Some occupations will specify the highest between $80,000 or the prevailing wage.
To check the prevailing wage per occupation depending on the location, you can check this information on Canada’s official Job Bank website.
You must also note that the foreign worker must be offered competitive wages compared to Canadian citizens and permanent residents currently working in the same occupation at the same location, holding similar skills and years of experience.
For example: if you have 10 developers working in the same location and their annual salaries range from $100,000 to $150,000, then the foreign worker must be offered a wage that fits within those ranges, even if it is above the prevailing wage.
Learn about Canada’s High-Wage LMIA Program
GTS and Company Benefits – Requirements
In terms of benefits, this tends to be subjective based on every company policy – some ask for 3-month probation to be completed before the employee is enrolled in the company’s extended health benefits program, and some provide access on the first day of employment.
Either way, it is important to note that the Canadian employer must obtain and pay for private health insurance that covers emergency medical care for any period during which the foreign worker isn’t covered by the applicable provincial/territorial health insurance system.
The coverage must correspond with the foreign worker’s first day of work in Canada, and the costs cannot be recovered from the foreign worker. ESDC will accept a basic plan as long as it ensures that foreign workers won’t have to pay for medical care if they become sick or have an accident while working in Canada.
From this perspective, it makes sense to enrol the foreign worker in the company’s benefit policy on the first day of their employment.
Not sure if Global Talent Stream is right for you? Learn about Intra-Company Transfer Canada.
What is a Labour Market Benefits Plan?
The Labour Market Benefits Plan (LMBP) is a mandatory component of the GTS application. It requires employers to outline specific activities they will undertake to create positive outcomes for the Canadian labour market as a result of hiring a foreign worker.
The LMBP consists of 1 mandatory activity and at least 2 supplementary activities that demonstrate how hiring foreign workers will lead to skills transfer, job creation, or enhanced workforce development for Canadians.
Under Category A, the mandatory activity is to create jobs for Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
Under Category B, the mandatory activity is to invest in the training and improving skills of Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
Are you recruiting foreign tech talent? Learn all about our Canadian Tech Immigration Solutions and Tech Visas
Labour Market Benefits Plan Progress Review
A progress review is a mandatory process that ESDC conducts to check the progress of LMBP activities. It gets conducted annually, and it allows employers to report on the progress of creating lasting, positive impacts on the Canadian labour market.
As such, it is highly important to maintain all records associated with the LMBP commitments in a separate and organized journal so that the required information can be easily accessible during the progress review.
The journal can redact the names and contact information of Canadian employees for privacy and include the following information:
- Initials of the Canadian employee
- Their status (citizen or permanent resident)
- Name of the activity
- Date of the activity
- Result of the activity
- In the case of hiring, how many individuals were hired?
- Keep a record of their signed offer letter + copy of their Canadian status document or SIN.
- In the case of training, how many people attended, and what was the event?
- Keep a record of receipts associated with the training + sign-up sheet of attendees.
- In the case of hiring, how many individuals were hired?
If some commitments become very difficult to meet, the ESDC officer who approved the initial GTS application must be contacted to re-negotiate the LMBP.
The success of progress reviews will dictate the business’ continued eligibility for any subsequent GTS applications.
If LMBP commitments have not been met, it may result on penalties or affect future participation in the GTS program.
As such, it is very important that the LMBP is maintained and completed for the committed period, even if the foreign national becomes a permanent resident of Canada.
GTS Employer Compliance
As an employer of foreign workers, you must ensure that:
- You comply with all federal, provincial, and/or territorial laws regulating employment and recruiting.
- The foreign worker obtains a signed offer letter on the first day of work (or earlier) that clearly outlines all relevant details associated with their employment. Check here to learn what information must be presented on the offer letters.
- All relevant records concerning the GTS application are kept for 6 years.
- This includes any recruitment records that were conducted for the role (if there were any), communication threads with the applicant, communication records with any third party involved in this process, the submitted application, expenses, communication threads with the ESDC officer, copy of the LMBP and final decision letter.
- You commit to executing the activities that were agreed on in the LMBP.
- You inform ESDC of any changes to the foreign worker’s employment conditions.
- You provide a safe working environment to the foreign worker that is free of abuse and has proper safety measures depending on the industry standards.
- You maintain the same employment conditions in the GTS application and the signed offer letter.
- The company remains engaged in the same business for the duration of the foreign worker’s work permit.
- For example, if the business is acquired or re-branded, the foreign worker may need a new GTS to reflect employment records accurately.
Tips for Succeeding in Global Talent Stream
GTS is a very popular program for hiring foreign workers, and many Canadian companies regularly use this program to expand their international recruitment capabilities and bolster their staff.
GTS can also be used for Canadian companies who want to retain current employees who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
Below are some crucial tips on how to succeed in GTS based on our experience:
- Basic questions about the business such as primary business activity, date the business was established, address, number of employees and approximate annual revenue for the most recent year.
- Primary employer contact information – the main point of contact figure which can be a member of the HR team or executive team. A primary employer is someone that is deeply involved in the process and can comfortably attend the interview with the ESDC officer.
- Information about the available position – title, NOC code, duties, wage, benefits, vacation eligibility and primary work location.
- Expected employment duration and rationale behind it.
- The maximum employment period that can be requested is 3 years.
- The rationale behind the duration can be subjective and varies for every business.
- For example, you can say that you have important projects in the pipeline that will require the foreign worker's presence for the entire 3 years.
- Language requirement for the position:
- It must be either English or French.
- For any reason that the foreign worker must speak another language, you must provide reasonable arguments why it is important.
- Requirements for the position such as education and previous relevant experience.
- Please keep in mind that if you identified a foreign worker for the position, the education and experience requirements must somewhat align with their background.
- You must keep it realistic based on the industry standards as well depending on the region.
- Whether you attempted to recruit Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
- Even though GTS was created specifically to exempt you from recruitment, the government of Canada still wants to know your previous efforts.
- It is okay to say that you haven’t attempted at recruiting Canadians, however, this would need to be elaborated on in detail.
- Commit to a set of activities under the Labour Market Benefits Plan (LMBP), see next section about this.
- It provides a good or service in Canada
- The job offer made to the foreign worker is genuine and legitimate
- It offers employment that is consistent with the reasonable needs of the business
- It has the financial ability to support the wages of the foreign worker
- A valid municipal/provincial/territorial business license
- Most recent T4 Summary of remuneration paid
- Most recent PD7A Statement of account for current source deductions
- An attestation confirming that the company is engaged in a legal business that provides a good or a service in Canada where an employee could work and a description of the main business activity. The attestation must be prepared by either:
- a lawyer or any other member in good standing with a law society (lawyers, notaries in Quebec and independent paralegals in Ontario), or
- a Chartered Professional Accountant in good standing with the respective professional body (attestations from Chartered Accountants in Quebec aren't authorized by the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec)
- Most recent T2 Schedule 100 Balance sheet information and T2 Schedule 125 Income statement information
- Most recent T2042 Statement of farming activities
- Most recent T2125 Statement of business or professional activities
- Most recent T3010 Registered charity information return
- Most recent T4 or payroll records for a minimum of 6 weeks immediately prior to the submission of the application, if the foreign worker already works for you
- An attestation confirming that the business is in good financial standing and will be able to meet all financial obligations to any foreign workers you hire for the entire duration of their employment. The attestation must be prepared by either:
- a lawyer or any other member in good standing with a law society (lawyers, notaries in Quebec and independent paralegals in Ontario), or
- a Chartered Professional Accountant in good standing with the respective professional body (attestations from Chartered Accountants in Quebec aren't authorized by the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec)
- 2023-01-01 till 2023-12-31: commitment to hiring 2 additional full-time employees that are Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
- 2024-01-01 till 2024-12-31: commitment to hiring 3 additional full-time employees that are Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
- 2025-01-01 till 2025-12-31: commitment to hiring 4 additional full-time employees that are Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
- 2023-01-01 till 2023-12-31: commitment to investing $5,000 per year in specialized training for Canadian employees.
- 2024-01-01 till 2024-12-31: commitment to investing $6,000 per year in specialized training for Canadian employees.
- 2025-01-01 till 2025-12-31: commitment to investing $7,000 per year in specialized training for Canadian employees.
Benefits of the GTS Program for Employers and Employees
The primary benefit of the GTS program is to provide Canadian businesses access to the global talent pool and bring them over to Canada to fill evident labour shortages.
Canadian employers can benefit from the GTS program in the following ways:
- Expedited processing time of 2~3 weeks to obtain a GTS approval letter that will be used to support foreign worker’s work permit.
- Comparable to the traditional Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) application that takes approximately 4 months to finalize overall.
- Target the highest-skilled talent from all over the world and bring them to Canada to work for your business.
- No limit on how many foreign workers you can bring from any country in the world.
- The foreign worker’s work permit will be issued specifically to your company and location for 3 years maximum – they won’t be eligible to work elsewhere.
- The initial duration of the work permit will be 3 years, with possibilities of extension or transition of the foreign worker into permanent resident status in Canada.
- Retain existing talent and save precious resources from hiring and training a brand new person.
The employees benefit from the GTS program as they would have an opportunity to live and work in Canada and be allowed to bring their spouses and children together with them.
After 1 year of continuous work experience, foreign workers generally become eligible for permanent residence, which can be a win for both parties.
Frequently Asked Questions about Canada’s Global Talent Stream Program
Below you will find answers to the most commonly asked questions about the GTS program.
- Category A targeting specialized talent to work for an innovative business in Canada.
- Category B targeting specific occupations to work for any business in Canada.
- The designated referral partner confirms to ESDC that the employer continues to meet eligibility criteria for Category A and has provided its assessment of the additional unique and specialized position being requested.
- The annual wage of the foreign worker must be at least $150,000 or meet the prevailing wage bracket, whichever is higher.
- On-line GTS application form
- Supporting documents from the Canadian company such as CRA-issued T2 Schedule 100 and 125, and the most recent PD7A
- Labour Market Benefits Plan – activities and commitments. Alternatively, you can discuss these commitments with the ESDC officer during the interview call
- Be admissible to Canada, meaning they are not in violation of any inadmissibility factors as specified by the Canadian immigration law
- Have industry-relevant education or specialized licenses
- Have relevant and matching previous experience
- Show initial settlement funds to cover incidental expenses in Canada until they are placed on the Canadian payroll and start earning Canadian salary
- Fluency in English or French
- The offered position is not on the list of eligible occupations
- The offered position doesn’t align with the needs of the business
- The offered position is not specialized enough or the company is not focused on innovation (for Category A)
- Lack of supporting documents to prove business legitimacy
- An incomplete application that contains false information
- The employer had previous compliance issues and is on the list of ineligible employers
- A weak LMBP failing to demonstrate benefits to the Canadian labour market
- The company’s inability to support the wages of the foreign worker
- Non-compliance at the 12-month progress review
- Legal name of the company in Canada and its operating name (if different from the legal name)
- Title/position of the foreign worker in Canada
- Start date:
- An anticipated start date is fine if it will depend on when the foreign worker will be able to secure Canadian work authorization documents
- Salary (including currency) and payment schedules (weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, etc)
- Location of employment – physical office location or at least city and province of employment
- Statutory holidays, sick days and vacation days:
- For statutory holidays, an indication such as “statutory holidays in accordance with the province of employment’s Employment Standards Act” is acceptable
- Vacation days/sick days should be specified
- Hours of work per week including overtime:
- If there is no overtime, this must be clearly mentioned in the offer letter, but you must ensure that this is in line with the ESA in the province of employment.
- Benefits such as health or medical insurance must be mentioned:
- If there is an indication that benefits will be provided in accordance with the company’s benefits policy, this is fine, however, the employee must be presented with a copy of the benefit policy document
- In the event the foreign worker will need private health insurance to cover the period until they become eligible for the provincial/territorial health plan, you can indicate it in the offer letter as well
- Please keep in mind that the cost of this plan cannot be reclaimed from the foreign worker
- Other non-taxable benefits such as bonus payouts, transportation and accommodation costs, visa support costs, etc.:
- In the event you use third parties such as recruiters or immigration practitioners, the associated costs cannot be reclaimed from the foreign worker
- The offer letter must be signed and dated by both the employer and the foreign worker
- In the event there are any insignificant changes to the offer letter, they can be recorded on an addendum that must be dated and signed referencing the original offer letter