March 9, 2017- Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development and Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour announced that Canada's Global Skills Strategy is scheduled to launch on June 12th, 2017. The Global Skills Strategy is aimed at helping high-growth Canadian companies attract the specialized global talent they need to innovate and grow by providing faster and more predictable streamlined service for foreign workers.  

While real details of the new Global Skills Strategy are yet to be provided, this is what we know so far:

  1. There will be a  "Global Talent List" comprised of  in-demand occupations where there is a gap in the Canadian labour market;
  2. There will be a 2 week standard for processing work permit applications (and temporary resident visas where applicable) for high skilled talent;
  3. There will be a dedicated service for companies willing to make significant job-creating investments in Canada; and
  4. The requirement for a work permit for short term highly skilled work (less than 30 days in a 12 month period) and brief academic stays will be eliminated.

How does this help eligible Canadian companies applying for workers though the Global Skills Strategy?

  • Faster processing for work permits. The federal government expects processing under the new  Global Skills Strategy to be approximately 2 weeks; and
  • Short term workers may be work permit exempt. 

Please do not hesitate to contact us for additional information regarding the Global Skills Strategy.  Stay tuned as we will release information as soon as it becomes available.

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