Global Talent Stream
Canada's Global Talent Stream program is designed to facilitate the growth of innovative companies by providing access to highly skilled workers quickly. It allows certain skilled workers to receive a work permit within two weeks of applying. This initiative has a standard processing time of two weeks for work permit applications and temporary resident visas for highly skilled talent. The Global Talent Stream is a component of Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program. The primary aim of the Global Talent Stream is to assist Canadian businesses in tackling skill shortages by offering an expedited, more streamlined and efficient approach to recruit highly skilled foreign workers. There are two categories under the Global Talent Stream: Category A and Category B.
Category A of the Global Talent Stream
For Category A of the Global Talent Stream, employers must be referred by 1 of the Steam’s designated referral partners. The role of designated referral partners is to refer innovative Canadian companies with whom they are able to vouch for in terms of legitimacy and eligibility for Category A.
Global Talent Occupations List for Category B of the Global Talent Stream (as of December 2022)
For Category B of the Global Talent Stream, applications will be accepted from firms in Canada that need to hire highly skilled foreign workers for occupations found on ESDC's Global Talent Occupations List, which have been determined to be in-demand and for which there is insufficient domestic labour supply.
For occupations with wage floors, note that employers must offer the hourly wage rate at minimum. Annual wage floors are provided for illustrative purposes only.
Global Talent Occupations List
| National Occupations Classification (NOC) code 2011 | NOC code 2021 | Occupation |
for illustrative purposes only
Minimum wage requirement (annual salary) |
Minimum wage requirement (hourly rate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0213 | 20012 | Computer and information systems managers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2131 | 21300 | Civil engineers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2133 | 21310 | Electrical and electronics engineers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2143 | 21330 | Mining engineers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2146 | 21390 | Aerospace engineers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2147 | 21311 | Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| Sub-set of 2161* | Sub-set of 21210* |
Mathematicians and statisticians * Positions for actuaries or related occupations are excluded from this subset. |
Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2171 |
21211 – Data scientists
21220 – Cybersecurity specialists 21221 – Business system specialists 21222 – Information systems specialists 21233 – Web designers |
Information systems analysts and consultants | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2172 |
21211 – Data scientists
21223 – Database analysts and data administrators |
Database analysts and data administrators | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2173 |
21231 – Software engineers and designers
21211 – Data scientists |
Software engineers and designers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2174 |
21230 – Computer systems developers and programmers
21232 – Software developers and programmers 21234 – Web developers and programmers |
Computer programmers and interactive media developers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2175 |
21233 – Web designers
21234 – Web developers and programmers |
Web designers and developers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2241 | 22310 | Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians |
$86,000 or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
$41.35 or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
| 2281 | 22220 |
Computer network technicians (NOC 2021 occupation: Computer network and web technicians) |
$85,000
or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
$40.87
or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
| 2283 | 22222 | Information systems testing technicians |
$85,000
or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
$41.03
or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
| Sub-set of 5131** | Sub-set of 51120** |
Producer, technical, creative and artistic director and project manager – Visual
effects and video game
**The position must require a minimum of 3 years of experience in the visual effects, video game or animation industries in 1 or a combination of the following roles: producer, technical director, creative director, artistic director or project manager, senior coordinator, department manager, with 3 years of job experience in at least 1 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. |
$85,000
or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
$40.87
or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
| Sub-set of 5241*** | Sub-set of 52120*** |
Digital media designers
***The position must require a minimum of 3 years of job experience in at least 1 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 |
$80,000
or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors $38.46 or higher prevailing wage |
$38.46 or higher prevailing wage If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
Note: Due to the TFW Program’s migration to NOC 2021, the published Global Talent Occupation List will display NOC 2011 codes and NOC 2021 codes. To note, some NOC codes are duplicated in this table as a result of the NOC migration.
Wages
Wages offered to temporary foreign workers should be similar to wages paid to Canadian and permanent resident employees hired for the same job and work location, and with similar skills and years of experience.
For the purpose of the Global Talent Stream, you must pay the prevailing wage which is defined as the highest of either:
- the regional median hourly wage posted on Job Bank
- the wage that is within the wage range that you are paying your current employees hired for the same job and work location, and with the same skills and years of experience
- under Category A, for the first 2 unique and specialized positions requested by an employer and approved by the TFW Program per calendar year, at least $38.46 per hour that amounts to no less than a base salary of $80,000 annually. For any additional unique and specialized positions requested by the employer (in other words, more than 2) and approved by the TFW Program per calendar under Category A, at least $72.11 per hour that amounts to no less than a base salary of $150,000 annually
- under Category B, for occupations with wage floors, employers must offer the hourly wage rate at minimum. Annual wage floors are provided for illustrative purposes only.
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