What is the Global Talent Stream?

The Global Talent Stream enables Canadian companies to hire highly-skilled foreign workers like engineers, analysts, and developers. It's part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), which helps fill labor shortages with skilled workers from abroad.

The Global Talent Stream is a fairly new program introduced in 2017 by the government of Canada. It is similar to the United States H-1B visa but is generally easier to obtain. It enables Canada to attract and hire foreign talent, including immigrants who have had difficulties with U.S. immigration.

To qualify for the Global Talent Stream, the employer, and candidate must align with one of two categories.

Global Talent Stream Category A: Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for Category A, Canadian companies need to receive a referral from a Global Talent Stream designated partner. The referral partner must validate that the company:

• Is operating in Canada;
• Has a focus on innovation;
• Has a willingness and ability to grow or scale;
• Is seeking to fill a unique and specialized position; and
• Has identified a qualified foreign worker they'd like to hire for the role.

The Canadian government defines unique and specialized positions as:

• Positions with a prevailing wage of at least $38.46 per hour ($80,000 annual base salary);
• requiring advanced knowledge of the industry; and
• requiring an advanced degree in the area of specialization; and/or a minimum of 5 years of related experience.

Global Talent Stream Category B: Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for Category B of the Global Talent Stream, foreign workers must be hired for a role on Canada's Global Talent Occupations List, which includes:

• Computer and information systems manager (NOC code 200012)
• Civil engineers (NOC code 21300)
• Electrical and electronics engineers (NOC code 21310)
• Mining engineers (NOC code 21330)
• Aerospace engineers (NOC code 21390)
• Computer engineers, except software engineers and designers (NOC code 21311)
• Mathematicians and statisticians (NOC code 21210)
• Data scientists (NOC code 21211)
• Cybersecurity specialists (NOC code 21220)
• Business system specialists (NOC code 21221)
• Information system specialists (NOC code 21222)
• Web designers (NOC code 21233)
• Database analysts and data administrators (NOC code 21223)
• Software engineers and designers (NOC code 21231)
• Computer systems developers and programmers (NOC code 2123)
• Software developers and programmers (NOC code 21232)
• Web developers and programmers (NOC code 21234)
• Web designers (NOC code 21233)
• Computer network technicians (NOC code 22220)
• Information systems testing technicians (NOC code 22222)
• Producer, technical, creative and artistic director and project manager for visual effects and video game (Subset of NOC code 51120)
• Digital media designers (Subset of NOC code 52120)

What are the requirements for a Global Talent Stream application?

Employers seeking to hire foreign workers via the Global Talent Stream must create a Labour Markets Benefits Plan. It should outline the employer's dedication to positively impacting the Canadian economy through recruiting foreign talent.

As part of the Labour Market Benefits Plan, Category A employers must indicate how they will create employment opportunities for Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Category A employers must show how they will improve skills and training for Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

In addition, employers must demonstrate how they will achieve two "complementary benefits" such as job creation, knowledge transfer, training current employees, creating internship programs, and more.

Global Talent Stream Wage Requirements

Employers must pay Global Talent Stream workers the prevailing wage or higher. The prevailing wage is either:

• the regional median hourly wage on Job Bank;
• a wage within the range paid to current employees in the same role and work location, with the same skills and years of experience; or
• A wage specific to the role for Category A or Category B.