Work in Canada
Five New Occupations Have Been Added to the Global Talent Stream
The ESDC announced on December 22nd that more occupations are now eligible for the Global Talent Stream (GTS).
ESDC works to support Canada’s workforce, so it oversees many immigration issues, including the issuance of Labour Market Internal Assessments (LMIAs) and oversight of the GTS; a work permit program designed to assist Canadian businesses in hiring foreign skilled workers in the technology industry with expedited processing.
The GTS aims to establish a service standard for work permits of two weeks based on the need to hire foreign skilled workers for 17 in-demand professions.
In the GTS, what occupations have been added?
The list of eligible occupations now includes 17 positions, including five engineering positions, up from 12 previously.
These are:
- Civil Engineers (NOC code 21300)
- Electrical and electronics engineer (NOC code 21310)
- Mining engineers (NOC code 21330)
- Aerospace engineers (NOC code 21390); and
- Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers, NOC code 21311)
What are the Reasons for the Expansion of Eligible Occupations?
It is likely that these five new positions are indicative of an internal need for engineering workers in Canada, since the GTS list of eligible occupations changes based on the labour market needs of the country.
Moreover, a growing trend has been to target specific professions for immigration in order to meet the labor market needs of Canada.
The following are some of these measures:
- New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot (NBCWP) – the program works with six employers to address the labour shortage in the province;
- Improving the process of permanent residency for physicians (due to historical shortages of healthcare workers) applying through Express Entry
- A bill has been approved allowing the immigration minister to create groups in Express Entry based on policy needs (such as in-demand positions) and issue invitations to apply (ITAs). As a result, Express Entry will likely focus more on occupations in 2023.
As Canada continues to face high labour shortages and a growing class of retirees, it seems likely that it will continue to address its economic needs in a much more targeted way in a post-COVID world; Canada has already identified immigration as a way to fulfill in-demand labour needs. Employers hiring foreign talent through the GTS will need to make sure their applications are properly prepared; including developing a Labour Markets Benefit Plan (LMBP) to demonstrate their commitment to activities that have a lasting, positive impact on the Canadian labour market. To ensure that applications are complete and compliant with program standards, an immigration lawyer can greatly complement application preparation here.
