Global Skills Strategy: Find out if you’re eligible for faster processing

Start working in Canada faster through the Global Skills Strategy (GSS).

We aim to process eligible GSS work permit applications within 2 weeks.

Who is eligible for faster processing

There are 2 ways you can be eligible for 2-week processing of your work permit application, depending on if you need a labour market impact assessment (LMIA).

If you don’t need an LMIA (LMIA-exempt)

If you don’t need an LMIA, you may be eligible for 2-week processing if you meet all of these requirements:

• You’re applying from outside Canada.
• Your job is classified under Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) category 0 or 1 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system.
• Your employer has submitted an offer of employment using the Employer Portal and paid the employer compliance fee.

International Experience Canada applicants are not eligible for GSS processing.

If you need an LMIA (LMIA-required)

If you need an LMIA, you could qualify for 2-week processing if you meet all of these requirements:

• you’re applying from outside Canada
• you have a positive LMIA through the Global Talent Stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (this will be on the LMIA decision letter)

Spouses and dependents

Your spouse, common-law partner and dependent children are also eligible for 2-week processing if they apply at the same time as you. This applies to applications for a

• visitor visa
• work permit
• study permit

They must submit a complete application and apply at the same time as you.

How to get faster processing

Once you have the documents and information you need from your employer, you and your family members must

• apply online from outside Canada
• submit a complete application, which includes
  • a medical exam (if needed)
    • Find out if you need a medical exam and book it before you apply so you can include it with your application.
  • police certificates (check your local visa office requirements)
  • certified translations of documents that aren’t in English or French
  • processing fees
• submit your biometrics results within 2 weeks of submitting your application (if needed)

Local visa office requirements

Many of our visa offices abroad have specific instructions that you need to follow. Check your local visa office requirements to make sure you are including all required documents with your application.

If you have local instructions to follow, you can find them in the application package.

1. Go to the work permit application.
2. Select “Apply online”.
3. Select the country or territory you’re applying from.
4. Download the country-specific visa office requirements from the list of documents, if there are any.

To be eligible for 2-week processing you must include certified translations of documents that aren’t in English or French, even if your visa office requirements say we accept other languages.

Examples of requirements that may change depending on where you’re applying from include

• police certificates
• biometrics

Special instructions if you need an LMIA

Make sure you

• answer “yes” when asked during the online eligibility check, “Did Employment and Social Development Canada issue your employer’s Labour Market Impact Assessment under the Global Talent Stream?”
• apply as soon as they receive your LMIA decision letter

Who’s not eligible for faster processing

We won’t process your application in 2 weeks if

• your application is incomplete
• you don’t include certified translations of documents that aren’t in English or French
• you forget documents from your local visa office instructions
• you submit a paper application
• you apply from inside Canada
• you submit an International Experience Canada application