On June 12, 2017, the government of Canada launched the Global Skills Strategy, a new stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. The Global Skills Strategy employs new work permit programs and work permit exemptions both for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Department of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). The Global Skills Strategy aims to decrease work permit processing times in order to help innovative companies acquire highly skilled talent more quickly, and thereby driving economic growth.
In particular, the Global Skills Strategy introduces:
1) ESDC’s Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) Program
The Global Skills Strategy gives employers the option to submit their LMIA applications through the normal LMIA streams, or the Global Talent Stream. Under the Global Talents Stream, EDSC has committed to processing LMIA applications within 10 business days. Additionally, the Global Talents Stream will not require eligible employers to reach a recruitment minimum, although they will still be required to outline their recruitment efforts.
The Global Talents Stream is available to employers who fit into one of the two eligibility categories:
Category A – Employers hiring specialized talent that has been referred to the stream by one of the program’s designated program. In order to be considered specialized or unique talent, applicants must demonstrate advanced knowledge in their industry, hold an advanced degree in their area of specialty or have a minimum of five years experience in the field, and their position in Canada pays $80,000.00CAD per annum or higher.
As of the programs launch date (June 12, 2017), the designated partners of the Global Talents Stream are:
- Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
- BC Tech Association
- Business Development Bank of Canada
- Communitech Corporation
- Council of Canadian Innovators
- Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
- Global Affairs Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service
- ICT Manitoba (ICTAM)
- Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada – Accelerated Growth Service
- MaRS Discovery District
- National Research Council – Industrial Research Assistance Program
- Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration
- Ontario Ministry of Economic Growth and Development
- VENN Innovation
Category B – Employers hiring highly-skilled foreign workers for positions included on the Global Talent occupation list.
The list of acceptable occupations is as follows by National Occupational Classification (NOC) code:
- NOC 0213 – Computer and information systems managers
- NOC 2147 – Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
- NOC 2171 – Information systems analysts and consultants
- NOC 2172 – Database analysts and data administrators
- NOC 2173 – Software engineers and designers
- NOC 2174 – Computer programmers and interactive media developers
- NOC 2175 – Web designers and developers
- NOC 2241 – Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians (minimum salary $81,000)
- NOC 2283 – Information systems testing technicians (minimum salary $78,000)
- NOC 5241 – Digital Media and Design where the position requires a minimum of five years industry experience
In order to be eligible to the Global Talent Stream, prospective employers must develop a Labour Market Benefits Plan, outlining the specific ways in which ways they will ensure a positive impact on the Canadian labour market. Employers can make commitments that are categorized as either mandatory commitments, or complimentary benefits.
Each Category (A and B) have different mandatory commitments:
Under this category, employers must commit to creating jobs for Canadians and permanent residents, either directly or indirectly.
Under Category B, employers must commit to increasing skills and training quality for Canadians and permanent residents.
For complimentary benefits, some examples include:
- job creation;
- investment in skills and training;
- transferring knowledge to Canadians and permanent residents;
- enhanced company performance; and
- implementing best practices or policies as an employer for a company’s workforce.
Activities that support both mandatory commitments and complimentary benefits may include:
- increasing the number of Canadians or permanent residents employed full-time and part-time by the firm;
- establishing educational partnerships with local or regional post-secondary institutes or with other organizations that are supporting skills and training;
- paid co-op or internship programs;
- developing and implementing policies to support the hiring of underrepresented groups;
- directly training Canadians or permanent residents;
- directly supervising and mentoring Canadians or permanent residents;
- increasing growth of revenue, employment or investment; and
- developing/enhancing partnerships with organizations that assist with the identification of top domestic capital.
Employers in either category (A or B), must commit to two complementary benefits and at least one activity for each benefit.
2) IRCC commits to ten (10) day work permit processing
IRCC is offering ten-day work permit processing (two-week processing) to applications who are applying from outside of Canada, will be working in an LMIA exempt position that is a NOC 0 or A, and have applied online. The two-week processing is also available to applicants who have a positive LMIA obtained through the ESDC’s Global Talents Stream.
3) Work Permit exemption for short-term work
Foreign workers in an occupation under NOC code 0 or A no longer need work permits if they are:
- Performing work for 15 consecutive days or less, and 6 months have passed since the first day of work under the last use of this exemption
- Working for 30 days or less, and 12 months have passed since the first day of work under the last use of this exemption
4) Work Permit exemption for researchers
Researchers are now eligible for a work permit exemption for the length of 120 days if they:
- are coming to work for 120 days or less, and 12 months have passed since the first day of work under the last use of this exemption
- will be engaged primarily in research activities
- Will be working at publicly funded, degree-granting institutions at the college or university level or an affiliate research institution
- Possess a letter from the institution with which they are working to attest to the nature of the work being primarily research and indicating the period of employment.