Global Talent Stream (GTS): 2026 Guide for Employers

The Global Talent Stream (GTS) is part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), run by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). It is still a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA): the employer applies to Service Canada and pays the processing fee, and the worker then applies for an employer-specific work permit. What makes it different is speed, a personalized service, no minimum advertising requirement and, instead of a transition plan, a Labour Market Benefits Plan (LMBP).

LMIA service standard in business days, met 80% of the time

10 days

IRCC's aim for eligible work permit applications

2 weeks

Minimum base salary for Category A (first 2 positions a year)

$80,000

Employment duration an employer may request; longer only in exceptional cases

3 years

ESDC's 10-business-day standard starts on the first business day after Service Canada receives the application. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) processes the work permit under the Global Skills Strategy (GSS), which aims for 2 weeks when the worker applies online from outside Canada with a complete application.

Category A criteria: the designated referral partner must confirm that the company operates in Canada, focuses on innovation, is willing and able to grow, is filling a unique and specialized position and has identified a qualified foreign worker. A unique and specialized position is shown by the wage above, advanced knowledge of the industry, and an advanced degree in an area of specialization or at least 5 years of experience in the specialized field.

Designated referral partners include pan-Canadian bodies such as the Business Development Bank of Canada, Global Affairs Canada's Trade Commissioner Service, the National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP), Invest in Canada and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's Accelerated Growth Service, as well as regional partners in most provinces. ESDC last updated the list on September 15, 2026. Each Category A worker needs a separate referral form, and an application without one is incomplete.

For occupations with a wage floor, the employer must offer at least the hourly rate; ESDC says the annual amounts are for illustration only. In Quebec, the wage floors are set by Quebec's immigration ministry (MIFI).

Every GTS employer works with ESDC to complete a Labour Market Benefits Plan (LMBP) during the application. The plan lists commitments that will have lasting, positive effects on the Canadian labour market. A third-party representative can take part, but cannot sign the plan: the employer's principal or alternate contact approves and signs it, because the commitments are the employer's own.

• One mandatory benefitCategory A: job creation for Canadians and permanent residents. Category B: increased skills and training investments. An employer applying in both categories commits to one activity for each.
• At least 2 complementary benefitsWith at least one activity each, different from the mandatory benefit. Examples include paid co-op placements, partnerships with colleges and universities, mentoring of Canadian staff by the foreign worker, and hiring from underrepresented groups.
• Annual progress reviewsThe first review is about 1 year after the plan is signed. Its date does not change when the plan is amended for more positions.
• Returning employersAn approved plan can be reused, but ESDC may ask for updates or larger commitments for additional positions. A plan can also be built on a forecast of positions for the next 12 months.

Recruitment: the GTS has no minimum recruitment or advertising requirement, but employers are encouraged to recruit Canadians and permanent residents first and must describe any recruitment done. All other LMIA requirements still apply, including the prevailing wage, business legitimacy documents, health insurance, workplace safety coverage, a signed employment agreement and no recruitment fees charged to the worker.

1. 1

   Confirm the category

   Check whether the occupation is on the Category B list. If not, contact a designated referral partner about a Category A referral.

2. 2

   Meet provincial requirements

   In British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia, register with the province first. In Quebec, apply to Service Canada and MIFI at the same time.

3. 3

   Apply through LMIA Online

   Use a Job Bank for Employers account. Upload business legitimacy documents, any recruitment records and, for Category A, a referral form for each worker. Pay $1,000 per position. You can apply up to 6 months before the job starts.

4. 4

   Complete the benefits plan

   ESDC works with you on the LMBP during the assessment.

5. 5

   Receive the decision

   A positive LMIA is valid for up to 6 months. Send the worker the decision letter and the employment contract signed by the employer; the worker includes the contract, signed by both, in the work permit application. In Quebec, also send the Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ).

6. 6

   The worker applies for a work permit

   For 2-week processing, the worker applies online from outside Canada, pays the fees, gives biometrics within 2 weeks if required, completes any medical exam and submits a complete application. A spouse and dependent children qualify for the same processing if they apply at the same time.

Incomplete applications are not eligible for 2-week processing and take longer. The worker does not need a separate visitor visa or electronic travel authorization (eTA) application: IRCC issues it with the work permit. International Experience Canada applicants are not eligible for 2-week processing.

The LMIA fee is not refunded if the application is withdrawn, cancelled or refused, or if the job offer is later cancelled, and it cannot be moved to an application in another stream. It cannot be paid by, or recovered from, the worker.

ESDC's monthly average processing time for GTS LMIAs and IRCC's work permit times appear below, live.

• The work permit is employer-specific. Changes to the wage, duties or location may need a modification of the positive LMIA. Names on a GTS LMIA cannot be changed once IRCC has used the LMIA for a work permit, and a new Category A worker needs a new referral.
• Employers must review the prevailing wage at the start of employment and every year, and keep GTS documents for at least 6 years from the worker's first day of work.
• A spouse or common-law partner may qualify for an open work permit if the worker's job is in TEER 0 or 1, or a select TEER 2 or 3 occupation, and the permit is valid for at least 16 months after IRCC receives the spouse's application.
• The employer stays accountable for its benefits plan even if the worker becomes a permanent resident.
• Skilled Canadian work experience can count for the Canadian Experience Class. Since November 3, 2026, Express Entry also gives extra points for experience in eligible high-wage occupations, and job offers no longer need an LMIA.