New Option for High Skilled Workers

On June 12, 2017, the Government of Canada launched the Global Skills Strategy - a collaboration between Immigration, Citizenship & Refugee Canada (“IRCC”) and Employment & Social Development Canada (“ESDC”) aimed at facilitating faster entry for highly-skilled immigrants.

Under the Global Skills Strategy, high-skilled foreign workers and employers can benefit from:

Faster Processing Times
Employers applying through the Global Talent Stream will receive priority 10 business day processing of their Labour Market Benefits Plans and the foreign workers they hire will similarly receive priority processing of their work permit applications.

Foreign workers in certain high-skilled occupations (NOC 0 and A) will also receive priority work permit processing when applying under the International Mobility Program.

Work Permit Exemptions
Researchers are now eligible to come to Canada for 120 days every year without a work permit when working on a research project for a publicly funded post-secondary institution.

High-skilled workers (NOC 0 and A) can now come to Canada for one 15-day work permit exempt stay every 6 months, or one 30 day work permit exempt stay every 12 months.

Dedicated Service Channel
Post-secondary institutions and employers who make significant job creation investments in Canada can now access a Dedicated Service Channel for personalized guidance and assistance with filling their labour needs.

At McLennan Ross, we are hopeful that this new step in the right direction will lead to more predictability for employers as well as an injection of global talent. The new Work Permit Exemptions, in particular, should provide some relief from the Government’s refusal to process Labour Market Impact Applications for certain high-skilled occupations in Alberta.

For more information about the Global Skills Strategy and how you can benefit from it, please contact McLennan Ross LLP.