Applicant guide for the Global Talent Stream

Introduction

The Global Talent Stream, which is a part of the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program, provides you with expedited access to unique, specialized and highly-skilled temporary foreign workers. This Stream is intended for innovative firms in Canada that have a need to hire unique and specialized temporary foreign workers in order to scale-up and grow. It is also meant for firms in Canada that are seeking to hire highly-skilled foreign workers to fill positions in occupations on the Global Talent Occupations List.

You may be eligible for Category A of the Global Talent Stream if you have been referred to the Global Talent Stream by one of the Global Talent Stream’s Designated Partners and if you are hiring an individual with unique and specialized talent.

or

You may be eligible for Category B if you are seeking to hire highly-skilled foreign workers to fill positions in in-demand occupations found on the Global Talent Occupations List.

Please visit Hire a top talent through the Global Talent Stream for detailed information on the eligibility criteria for Categories A and B as well as instructions on how to apply to the Global Talent Stream.

Service standard

• ESDC will aim to process Global Talent Stream applications within 10 business days, 80% of the time. The 10-business day service standard will begin on the business day after we receive the application.
• To minimize processing delays, ensure that your Global Talent Stream application is as complete as possible, and that your principal employer contact is available to address any potential questions from ESDC on your application, including on the documentation required to support your application and your Labour Market Benefits Plan.
• Note that not submitting a complete application or if your principal and alternate employer contacts are unavailable or unresponsive to ESDC questions, the service standard will likely not be met.

Application form instructions

The following provides instructions for completing the Global Talent Stream application form.

Section 1: Global Talent eligibility

After reviewing the TFW program website, if you believe that the position for which you intend to hire a foreign worker falls under one of the occupations listed on the Global Talent Occupations List (Category B), then select Yes and proceed directly to Section 2. If not, then proceed to the next question.

If you have been referred to the Global Talent Stream by a Global Talent Stream Designated Partner and you have identified an individual with unique and specialized talent (Category A) select Yes and proceed to the next sub-section to record the contact details of that organization’s representative(s).

• enter the complete contact information for the principal referral contact from the Global Talent Designated Partner whom ESDC will contact to validate the referral
• provide the contact information for an alternate referral contact from the Designated Partner, if available

Section 2: Employer business information

Canada Revenue Agency business number of the employer

• Enter the 15 digits of your company’s CRA business number

Business legal name

• Enter the legal name of your business (as registered with CRA or other authorizing body)

Business address

• Enter the street address of your business. If the business has multiple locations, enter the street address of your headquarters

Mailing address

• If your business receives mail at a different address than the business address above, enter the mailing address

Website address

• Enter the website address of your business

Date business started

• Enter the date that your business was established in the format listed (yyyy-mm-dd). The month and day are required if they are known

Organization type and structure

• Select the type and/or structure of your organization or business as you have registered it with CRA

Number of employees

• Enter the total number of employees employed nationally under the organization’s CRA business number. This includes all locations under the legal entity, even if the locations operate as different businesses under separate operating names

Annual gross revenue

• Enter the amount of gross annual revenue (or funding) that your business (or organization) earned during its last full fiscal year. If the amount is not in Canadian dollars, convert the amount to Canadian dollars and provide the formula for the conversion separately

Work-sharing support

• Indicate if any part of your business currently receives support through the Work-Sharing program

Section 3: Employer contact information

Principal employer contact information

• Enter the contact details for the principal employer contact

Alternate employer contact information

• Enter the contact details for the alternate employer contact if applicable. This individual should be at the appropriately senior level to be able to negotiate the employer’s commitments for its Labour Market Benefits Plan

Section 4: Third-party information

Appointment of a Third-party

• Indicate if you are using the services of a third-party (for example immigration consultant, lawyer, etc.) to assist or represent your business during the application or immigration process. If you are appointing a third-party, then select Yes and continue completing Section 4. If not, skip this section and move directly to Section 5.

Canada Revenue Agency business number of the third-party

• Enter the 15 digits of the third-party’s CRA business number

Legal name of the third-party

• Enter the legal name of the third-party’s business (as registered with CRA or other authorizing body)

Business operating name of the third-party

• Enter the operating name of the third-party’s business (the name that they use in day-to-day business operations), if it is different from their legal name

Third-party contact information

• Enter the contact details for the third-party contact

Payment of the third-party

• Indicate if the third-party is being paid for their services

Section 5: Job offer details

Job title

• Enter the job title of the position into which you would like to hire the foreign national. This does not need to be a standard job title used by government classification systems

Suggested National Occupational Classification

• Review the National Occupational Classification (NOC) (2021 version) website
• Search for the position that you feel best matches the position you are seeking to fill
• Enter the 5 digit NOC code in this field

Number of Global Talent TFWs

• Enter the number of positions you are seeking to fill with foreign workers for the occupation identified above

Main duties of job

• Describe, in your own words and in as much detail as possible, the main duties of the job. This could be sourced from the job description provided to the employee by your organization

Expected employment start date

• Enter the expected start date of the foreign worker

Expected employment duration

• Enter the expected employment duration in days, months, or years, as specified in the application form.

Employment duration rationale

• Describe, in your own words and in as much detail as possible, the rationale for requiring the TFW for the duration requested in the previous field

Union status

• Indicate if the position is part of a union or not

Language requirement(s)

• Indicate the language requirements as per the offer of employment

Education requirement(s)

• Indicate the minimum education requirements of the job. If the job requires multiple types or if there is a particular specialization required (for example Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, or Doctorate/PhD in Mathematics), please provide an explanation.

Experience requirement(s)

• List and describe all experience requirements in as much detail as possible, including the number of years of experience required and any occupational designations/certifications.

Recruitment

• Indicate whether or not you tried to recruit Canadians and/or permanent residents in the three months prior to submitting the application. If you indicate Yes, then describe your efforts to hire Canadians and/or permanent residents in as much detail as possible. If you indicate No, then explain why you have not attempted to recruit Canadians and/or permanent residents in as much detail as possible.

Lay-offs

• Indicate if any employees in the position being requested have been laid off in the last 12 months. If you indicate No, proceed to the next question. If you indicate Yes, then enter how many Canadians/permanent residents were laid off, how many TFWs were laid off, and briefly explain the reason for the layoff(s) and the occupations affected.

Job losses or reduction in hours for Canadian/permanent resident employees

• Indicate if hiring this TFW in the position being requested will lead to job losses, or a reduction in work hours due to layoffs, now or in the foreseeable future, for Canadian/permanent resident employees in your workforce or in the Canadian workforce more generally. This includes job losses or reductions in work hours for Canadians/permanent resident employees resulting from outsourcing, offshoring or other factors related to employing the TFW in the position being requested in this application. If you indicate No, then proceed to the next question. If you indicate Yes, then provide details on the impact of hiring this TFW on your workforce and the Canadian workforce more generally.

The definitions of Outsourcing and Offshoring are:

• Outsourcing - is the contracting out of a Canadian business process to a foreign or Canadian third party organization resulting in the entry of Temporary Foreign Workers into Canada.
• Offshoring - is the relocation by a company of a business process from Canada to another country. This would include an operational process, such as manufacturing, or supporting processes (e.g. accounting or IT services). More recently, offshoring has been associated with technical and administrative services supporting domestic and global operations from outside Canada.

Section 6: Compensation and benefits

Wage range

• If this position has no equivalent at your organization, then indicate that there are no employees currently working in this occupation at this work location and proceed to the next question.
• If equivalent positions already exist at your organization, then enter the hourly wage of the lowest-paid employee that works in the same occupation at the same work location with the same skills and years of experience.
• Then enter the hourly wage of the highest-paid employee that works in the same occupation at the same work location with the same skills and years of experience.

Full-time status

• Indicate if the job offer is for full-time employment and will be for the entire duration of employment covered by the application. If you indicate No, explain in as much detail as possible.

Work hours

• Enter how many hours the TFW will work each day. This can be an average but should match any figures provided on the job offer.
• Enter how many hours the TFW will work each week or month. This can be an average but should match any figures provided on the job offer.

Wages

• Enter the regular (non-overtime) hourly wage rate for the TFW in Canadian dollars.
• Enter the overtime hourly wage rate for the TFW in Canadian dollars, if applicable, then enter at which point the overtime rate begins per day, per week, or both.

Benefits

• Select any benefits listed which will be offered to the foreign worker as part of the job offer.
• Specify any additional benefits not already listed in the space provided. Examples of other benefits might include, but are not limited to, the daily personal use of a company car, a housing or clothing allowance, or financial benefits such as stock options or retirement fund contributions.

Vacation

• Enter the number of days of paid vacation, and/or the percentage of gross salary (in lieu of paid vacation days), to be provided to the TFW per year.

Section 7: Work location

Principal business activity at the work location

• Describe, in your own words and in as much detail as possible, the principal business activity at the work location where the TFW will work.

Operating name of the work location

• Enter the operating name that the business uses at the work location of the TFW. If the TFW will work at a location that is branded differently to the public than the company’s corporate or headquarters location, then the operating name of the specific location should be provided here, not the corporate or headquarters operating name.

Primary work location address

• Enter the street address of the primary work location. For most applications, this will be the only address required. If the TFW is expected to divide their time between more than one work location, the primary location is defined as being the one that they will work the majority of the time.

Other work location(s) address

• If the TFW is expected to divide their time between more than one work location, then enter the street address of the other work location(s) here.

Labour dispute

• Indicate if there is a labour dispute in progress at the location(s) where the TFW will work. If you indicate No, then proceed to the next question. If you indicate Yes, provide as much detail as possible regarding the labour dispute.

Section 8: Labour Market Benefits

If you are an employer that already has an approved Labour Market Benefits Plan and are submitting another application to the Global Talent Stream for additional TFW positions, you will not have to submit a new Labour Market Benefits Plan; however, a review of your existing Plan will be conducted.

As part of this review, you could be asked to provide an update on your commitments to date in the Labour Market Benefits Plan. You could also be asked to amend or expand existing commitments to reflect your request for additional TFW position(s). This will help ensure that returning employers to the Global Talent Stream continue to provide positive lasting benefits for Canadian workers.

Please note that a decision by a returning employer not to amend their Labour Market Benefits Plan on request by ESDC officials could result in a negative assessment for the additional requested position(s) unless the application is withdrawn.

As noted under the Processing Fee section of the Program Requirements for the Global Talent Stream, processing fees for an application will not be refunded in the event of withdrawal or a negative assessment, or for choosing to go through a different program stream.

Section 9: Mandatory Labour Market Benefit

Completion of Section 9: Mandatory Labour Market Benefit is only required on your first Global Talent Stream application.

Identify the Mandatory Benefit

• If you are an employer in Canada seeking to hire unique and highly specialized foreign workers and you have been referred to the Global Talent Stream by an ESDC Designated Partner because you are an innovative Canadian company seeking to scale-up and grow (Category A of the Global Talent Stream), you must commit in your Labour Market Benefits Plan to increasing job creation for Canadians and permanent residents as your mandatory benefit.
• If you are an employer in Canada seeking to hire highly-skilled foreign workers to fill positions in occupations on the ESDC’s Global Talent Occupations List that have been determined to be in-demand and for which there is insufficient domestic supply (Category B of the Global Talent Stream), you must commit in your Labour Market Benefits Plan to increasing skills and training investments for Canadians and permanent residents as your mandatory benefit.

Activity/milestone

• Every employer under the Global Talent Stream is required to identify at least one (1) activity that will support their achievement of the applicable Category A or Category B mandatory benefit in their Labour Market Benefits Plan. Suggested activities for the mandatory benefits are listed below but the examples are not exhaustive:

1. Job creation
   • For this benefit, employers will need to track the number of jobs either directly connected to the foreign national hired or the overall job growth within the company.
   • Examples of activities to support this benefit could include, but are not limited to:
     • Hiring additional Canadians and permanent residents to support the foreign worker in their role; and
     • Increasing the number of Canadians or permanent residents employed full time and part-time by the employer
2. Investment in skills and training
   • For this benefit, employers will need to invest in skills and training for Canadians and permanent residents to strengthen the labour market
   • Examples of activities to support this benefit could include, but are not limited to:
     • Increasing investments in in-house skills and training
     • Establishing or enhancing educational partnerships with local or regional post-secondary institutes or with other organizations that are supporting skills and training (for example, providing post-secondary institutes with free licenses or other access to specialized software that will help build student skills on key industry tools);
     • Providing paid co-op or internship opportunities at the firm; and
     • Participation in work-integrated learning or other federal and provincial skills and training programs

Target

• Set a reasonable and measurable quantitative target for the activity or milestone that your organization can commit to achieving over the course of the employment duration

Start and end dates

• Enter the start and end dates of the activity or milestone

Section 10: Complementary labour market benefits

In addition to the applicable mandatory benefit, you must commit to achieving at a minimum two complementary benefits with at least one activity for each benefit. The complementary benefits identified by an employer in their Plan must not be the same as the mandatory benefit identified in Section 9.

Completion of Section 10: Complementary Labour Market Benefits are only required as part of an employer’s first Global Talent Stream application.

Complementary benefits

• Every employer under the Global Talent Stream is required to identify at least two (2) complementary benefits for which they are committing to achieving as part of their employer-specific Labour Market Benefits Plan (see list below)

Activity/milestone

• Every employer is required to identify at least one (1) activity associated with each Complementary Benefit that they chose to include in their Labour Market Benefits Plan suggested activities for the complementary benefits are listed below but the examples are not exhaustive:
  1. Job creation
     • For this benefit, employers will need to track the number of jobs either directly connected to the foreign national hired or the overall job growth within the company
     • Examples of activities to support this benefit could include, but are not limited to:
       • Hiring additional Canadians or permanent residents to support the foreign worker in their role; and
       • Increasing the number of Canadians and permanent residents employed full time and part-time by the employer
  2. Investment in skills and training
     • For this benefit, employers will need to invest in skills and training for Canadians and permanent residents to strengthen the labour market. While it may not be possible in all cases, efforts should focus on addressing the labour shortage for the occupation that the foreign national is being hired to fill.
     • Examples of activities to support this complementary benefit could include, but are not limited to:
       • increasing investments in in-house skills and training
       • establishing or enhancing educational partnerships with local or regional post-secondary institutes or with other organizations that are supporting skills and training (for example, providing post-secondary institutes with free licenses or other access to specialized software that will help build student skills on key industry tools)
       • providing direct training Canadians or permanent residents, including supporting employees to travel to and attend industry or sector conferences relevant to the development of their specialized skillset
       • providing paid co-op or internship opportunities for Canadians and permanent residents at the firm; and
       • participation in work-integrated learning or other federal and provincial skills and training programs
  3. Increase in workplace diversity and inclusion
     • For this benefit, employers will need to illustrate how they will increase the diversity within their workplace
     • Examples of activities to support this complementary benefit could include, but are not limited to:
       • Increasing the number and percentage of new employees who are members of underrepresented groups (i.e., youth, indigenous peoples, newcomers, persons with disabilities, and women)
       • Participating in events or sessions that support the professional development of underrepresented groups
       • Allocating funds towards hosting or sponsoring events, initiatives, or organizations focused on diversity and inclusion
       • Creating internal affinity groups related to diversity and/or underrepresented groups
       • Allocating funds towards internal groups or committees that provide professional development support to employees belonging to underrepresented groups
       • Targeted recruitment of underrepresented groups through job postings and at job fairs and recruitment events for underrepresented groups
       • Developing and implementing initiatives to support leadership training, mentorship and other supports to underrepresented groups
  4. Knowledge transfer
     • For this benefit, employers will need to demonstrate how the foreign worker will transfer knowledge to Canadians and permanent residents. Knowledge transfer activities can be direct (for example, the foreign worker directly training Canadians or permanent residents) or indirect (for example, having the foreign worker improve the company’s good and services or business practices)
     • Examples of activities to support this complementary benefit could include, but are not limited to:
       • ensuring that the highly skilled foreign workers directly supervise and mentor Canadian workers at the firm to support knowledge transfer
       • develop a new good or service linked to their unique skill set
       • significantly improve an existing good or service linked to their skill set; and
       • develop new best practices or policies linked to their skill set
  5. Enhanced company performance
     • For this benefit, employers will need to show how their company’s performance has improved since hiring the foreign worker
     • Examples of activities to support this complementary benefit could include, but are not limited to:
       • increased growth of revenue, employment or investment
       • increased financing or funding
       • increased number of clients/projects/contracts or entry into new markets; and
       • avoid loss of Canadian or permanent residents jobs
  6. Best company practices or policies
     • For this benefit, employers will need to implement best practices in their workplace
     • Examples of activities to support this complementary benefit could include, but are not limited to:
       • develop/enhance partnerships with organizations that assist with the identification of top domestic capital (for example, Ventura for Canada)
       • develop or improve best company practices or policies related to attraction/retention of Canadian workforce (for example, by supporting code sprints and hackathons to hire new employees); and
       • number and percentage increase of Canadians receiving relocation supports (to facilitate interprovincial mobility)

Complementary benefit identified

• After you have chosen at least two (2) complementary benefits that will be achieved as part of your employer-specific Labour Market Benefits Plan, please enter all of your complementary benefits in the table

Activity/milestone

• Enter an activity or activity milestone that will support the achievement of the complementary benefit, selected from the options available in the table above

Target

• Set a reasonable and measurable quantitative target for the activity or milestone that your organization can commit to achieving over the course of the employment duration

Start and end dates

• Enter the start and end dates of the activity or milestone

Section 11: Signatures and declarations

Signature of employer

• An individual with financial or human resources authority must sign in this section and provide their name, title and the date the form was signed

Declaration of the third-party representative

• If applicable, the individual acting as a third-party representative for the employer must sign in this section and provide their name and the date the form was signed

Appointment of the third-party representative

• If applicable, the same individual with financial or human resources authority who signed the Signature of Employer must sign in this section and provide their name and the date the form was signed to confirm the appointment of the third-party representative listed in Section 4: Third-party Representative
• The individual acting as a third-party representative for the employer must sign in this section and provide their name and the date the form was signed

Processing fee payment form

Employer business name

• Enter the legal name of your business (as registered with CRA or other authorizing body)

Canada Revenue Agency business number

• Enter the 15 digits of your company’s CRA business number

Fee calculation

• Enter the number of positions requested, per occupation, and multiply this number by $1,000 to arrive at the total processing fee

Method of payment

• Indicate your preferred method of payment and ensure you complete all fields

Temporary Foreign Worker information template

Identify each foreign worker you are seeking to hire

Name

• Enter the last name and the first name(s) of the TFW as they appear on the individual’s passport

Gender and date of birth

• Enter gender and date of birth of the TFW

Citizenship(s)

• Enter the current citizenship(s) of the TFW

Location of primary residence outside Canada

• If the TFW is currently residing outside of Canada, enter the city and country of that they would consider their permanent home

Location of residence inside Canada

• If the TFW is currently residing within Canada, enter the city and province where they are currently located

Immigration status

• If the TFW is currently residing within Canada, indicate their immigration status

Annex 1 – Additional occupations

If you are seeking foreign workers in multiple occupations, complete Annex 1 for each additional occupation and include it with the completed application form (EMP5624).

Annex 1 shares all of its content with questions already present on the Global Talent Stream application. As such, applicants should refer to the above guidance in equivalent sections of the application.