Global Talent Stream

The Global Talent Stream is part of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program. It establishes a two-week standard for processing of work permit applications for highly skilled talent.  

It is one of the pillars of Canada’s Global Skills Strategy, which aims to help innovative companies grow by ensuring they can access the highly skilled talent they need quickly.

There are two categories under the Global Talent Stream.

1. Category A: High-growth companies that can demonstrate a need to recruit unique specialized talent from abroad fall under Category A. Employers in this category must be referred to the Global Talent Stream by a designated referral partner.
2. Category B: Category B is for employers looking to hire certain highly skilled foreign workers for occupations found on the Global Talent Occupations List, which have been determined to be in-demand and for which there is insufficient domestic labour supply. 

Work Permit Exemptions

Under the Global Talent Stream, two new categories of workers are now exempt from the requirement to obtain a work permit.

Highly-skilled workers in skill type 0 or skill level A occupations of the NOC may enter Canada to work for 15 days in a six-month period, or for 30 days in a 12-month period, without obtaining a work permit.

Researchers working on research projects at a publicly-funded degree-granting institution or affiliated research institution may come to Canada for 120 days in a 12-month period, without requiring a work permit.

Designated Referral Partners List for Category A:

1. Accelerate Okanagan
2. Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
3. BC Tech Association
4. Burlington Economic Development Corporation
5. Business Development Bank of Canada
6. Canadian Economic Development for Quebec Regions
7. Cape Breton Partnership
8. City of Hamilton’s Economic Development Office
9. Communitech Corporation
10. Council of Canadian Innovators
11. Economic Development Winnipeg
12. Edmonton Economic Development
13. Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
14. Genesis (Newfoundland)
15. Global Affairs Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service
16. Government of Alberta, Alberta Labour
17. Government of British Columbia, Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology
18. Government of Manitoba, Manitoba Education and Training
19. Government of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Business Inc.
20. Government of Ontario, Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade – Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program
21. Government of Ontario, Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade – Ontario Investment Office
22. Government of Prince Edward Island, Island Investment Development Inc.
23. Government of Saskatchewan, Ministry of the Economy
24. Halifax Partnership
25. ICT Association of Manitoba (ICTAM)
26. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada – Accelerated Growth Service
27. Invest Ottawa
28. Invest in Canada
29. Kingston Economic Development Corporation
30. Launch Academy
31. London Economic Development Corporation
32. MaRS Discovery District
33. National Research Council – Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP)
34. Privy Council Office, Special Projects Team
35. Regional Municipality of Niagara
36. Regional Municipality of York
37. Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership
38. Toronto Global
39. Vancouver Economic Commission
40. Venn Innovation
41. Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation
42. WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation

Global Talent Occupations List for Category B:

NOC	Occupation	Minimum hourly rate	Minimum annual salary
0213	Computer and information systems managers	Prevailing wage	Prevailing wage
2147	Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)	Prevailing wage	Prevailing wage
Sub-set of 2161*	Mathematicians and statisticians* Positions for actuaries or related occupations are excluded from this subset.	Prevailing wage	Prevailing wage
2171	Information systems analysts and consultants	Prevailing wage	Prevailing wage
2172	Database analysts and data administrators	Prevailing wage	Prevailing wage
2173	Software engineers and designers	Prevailing wage	Prevailing wage
2174	Computer programmers and interactive media developers	Prevailing wage	Prevailing wage
2175	Web designers and developers	Prevailing wage	Prevailing wage
2281	Computer Network technicians	$39.42 or higher prevailing wage	$82,000 or higher prevailing wage
Sub-set of 5131**	Producer, technical, creative and artistic director and project manager – Visual effects and video game** The position requires a minimum of three years’ industry experience in the visual effects, video game or animation industries in one or a combination of the following roles: producer, technical director, creative director, artistic director or project manager, senior coordinator, department manager, with three years of job experience in at least one or more of the following skills relevant to the visual effects, video game or animation industries: surfacing and look development; character or simulation rigging; matte painting; managing budgets or teams; or technical pipeline development and application for visual effects, video games, or animation production.	$37.50 or higher prevailing wage	$78,000 or higher prevailing wage
Sub-set of 5241***	Digital Media and Design***The position requires a minimum of three years’ industry experience in at least one of the following digital media design skills: 3D modeling, compositing, paint and roto, layout and match move, digital environment and Matte painting, texture, lighting shading, character effects, effects and simulations, design and scenario, rigging, user interface or user experience, responsive design (for gaming), virtual reality, augmented reality, digital media animation, levels editing for digital media design, software editing for digital media design, pipeline software development or applications relevant for digital media design	$38.46 or higher prevailing wage	$80,000 or higher prevailing wage