Work Permits: Canada Adds Five New Occupations In Global Talent Stream

A piece of good news for those looking for work in Canada is that the country has identified five new engineering occupations as it is as experiencing labour shortages.

In response, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has recently added these occupations to the list of eligible positions under the Global Talent Stream (GTS) program.

What is the Global Talent Stream?

The Global Talent Stream (GTS) is an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) programme that enables Canadian employers to quickly hire foreign workers for in-demand occupations.

The programme is designed to assist Canadian employers in addressing skill shortages and filling labour gaps in their organizations, while also assisting in accelerating Canada’s economic growth.

Employers can apply for a work permit under the Global Talent Stream (GTS) programme in order to hire a foreign skilled worker in high-demand professions.

New Occupations Added to the Global Talent Stream

The list of eligible occupations was recently expanded to include five more in-demand occupations, bringing the total to 17. Below is the list of 5 new occupations that have been added to the GTS recently.

For highly skilled talent, the Global Talent Stream has a two-week standard for processing work permit applications (and temporary resident visas, if applicable). It is part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in Canada.

Hiring through the GTS

Foreign workers hired under the GTS must be paid at least the prevailing wage, which is determined by one of three factors:

1. The median wage for the occupation on the Government of Canada’s Job Bank.
2. The wage is within the range that an employer pays current employees in the same position at the same location, with the same skills and experience.
3. The minimum wage floor is defined in the Global Talent occupations list (if applicable).

The prevailing wage is the highest of these three figures. This requirement is in place to ensure that foreign workers hired through the GTS are paid fairly and competitively, and to prevent employers from using the program to undercut local wages.