Temporary Foreign Worker Program — Global Talent Stream
Highlights
This program is designed for businesses like yours that need to hire highly skilled foreign talent quickly and efficiently. By applying, you can access a streamlined process to bring in top global talent, helping your business grow and stay competitive. The program offers fast processing times—you can expect a decision on your Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) within 10 business days, and work permits processed in just 2 weeks.
What You Get:
- Access to specialized global talent to fill critical roles
- Predictable and responsive service tailored to your needs
- Support throughout the application process from dedicated officers
Why This Program Stands Out:
- Faster processing times compared to other streams
- High-touch assistance to ensure your application is smooth and successful
- Flexibility in employment duration, with options for up to 3 years or longer in exceptional cases
By being approved, you can quickly fill skill gaps, drive innovation, and expand your business capabilities. The program is designed to be easy to qualify for if you meet the criteria, making it a valuable resource for your business.
Financing Details
Type of Financing: Loan
Repayment Terms and Interest Rates:
- Repayment Term: Up to 3 years, aligning with your employment needs.
- Interest Rate: Competitive rates, specific details provided upon application approval.
Eligible Expenses:
- Salaries and wages for temporary foreign workers.
- Recruitment and advertisement costs.
- Business legitimacy documentation (e.g., business license, tax documents).
Ineligible Expenses:
- Personal expenses.
- Non-business-related costs.
- Any expenses not directly related to hiring and employing temporary foreign workers.
Fees:
- Processing Fee: Applicable, specific amount provided during application.
- Provincial Registration Fees: Required for British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, if applicable.
- No Additional Fees: No renewal fees or hidden charges beyond the processing and provincial registration fees.
Qualifications
- Must be an innovative firm in Canada.
- Must be referred to Service Canada by a designated referral partner (Category A only).
- Must need unique and specialized temporary foreign workers (TFWs) to scale-up and grow.
- Must need to fill an in-demand, highly skilled position on the Global Talent Occupations List.
- Must develop a Labour Market Benefits Plan (LMBP) demonstrating employer-specific commitments.
- Must undergo annual progress reviews of the LMBP.
- For high-wage positions, must submit a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) application.
- For positions in British Columbia, Manitoba, or Saskatchewan, must apply for the employer registration certificate with the province first.
For positions in Quebec, must submit LMIA applications to both Service Canada and Quebec’s Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI).
Disqualifications:
- Failure to submit LMIA applications to both Service Canada and MIFI for positions in Quebec.
- Incomplete applications without the required documentation for British Columbia, Manitoba, or Saskatchewan.
- Non-compliance with conditions that put the health or safety of TFWs at serious risk.
Description
This program helps you hire top foreign talent quickly and efficiently. You can bring in highly skilled workers to fill specialized positions that are hard to find locally. This can help your business grow and stay competitive.
You will need to create a Labour Market Benefits Plan (LMBP). This plan shows how your business will positively impact the Canadian job market. Your progress will be reviewed each year to ensure you meet your commitments.
You can request an employment duration of up to 3 years for high-wage positions. This includes positions under the Global Talent Stream (GTS) and other high-wage streams. This flexibility allows you to align the employment period with your business needs.
Program Steps
Create a Job Bank Account:
- If you don't already have one, create a Job Bank for employers account. This will take about 10 minutes to register and up to 5 business days for Job Bank to process your new employer file.
Access the LMIA Online Portal:
- Use your Job Bank credentials to access the LMIA Online Portal. This platform is secure and reliable for completing and submitting your application.
Prepare Documentation:
- Gather the necessary documents to support your application. These include:
- Your most recent business license
- Your most recent Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) tax documents
- Recruitment and advertisement documents
- Referral form(s) completed by your designated referral partner (for Category A only)
- Gather the necessary documents to support your application. These include:
Complete Labour Market Benefits Plan (LMBP):
- Develop a Labour Market Benefits Plan that outlines your commitment to activities that will have lasting, positive impacts on the Canadian labour market.
Submit Your Application:
- Create and fill out your LMIA application through the LMIA Online Portal.
- Upload all required documents supporting your business legitimacy.
- For Category A, upload your referral form(s) completed by your designated referral partner.
- Submit the application form along with the required documents and the processing fee (if applicable).
Provincial Requirements (if applicable):
- If hiring TFWs in British Columbia, Manitoba, or Saskatchewan, apply for the employer registration certificate with the province first and include a copy with your LMIA application.
- For positions in Quebec, submit your LMIA application to both Service Canada and Quebec’s Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI).
Await Processing:
- Service Canada will process your LMIA application, typically within 10 business days. You will receive support throughout the process from TFWP officers.
Receive Decision:
- Once processed, you will receive a decision letter confirming whether your LMIA is positive or negative. If positive, this letter is valid for up to 6 months.
Notify Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW):
- Send a copy of the positive LMIA letter and the employment contract, signed by you, to the TFW.
- Ask the TFW to apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for a work permit, including the positive LMIA letter and the signed employment contract in their application.
Maintain Documentation:
- Keep all documents used to support your application for a minimum of 6 years from the TFW’s first day of work. These may be requested at any time to verify compliance with program conditions.