Changes to Category A of the Global Talent Stream

Employment and Social Development Canada (Service Canada) recently published new program requirements for Category A of the Global Talent Stream (GTS) which will make it much more difficult for employers to obtain more than two Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) under this Category.

To be eligible for an LMIA under Category A of the GTS, an employer must be referred by a Designated Referral Partner (DRP) on the basis that the position they are seeking to fill requires unique and specialized talent.

Pursuant to the new program requirements, Service Canada will consider accepting more than two referrals for an employer under this Category only if:

• The DRP has reconfirmed that the employer continues to meet the eligibility requirements for this category and provided an assessment of the unique and specialized nature of the additional position being requested;
  
  
• The employer is "high growth" in terms of revenue or job creation in Canada (average annualized growth rates in revenue or job creation in Canada is greater than 20% per year over a 3 year period and the employer had at least 10 employees at the beginning of this period); and
  
  
• The annual wage for the position is at least $150,000 (as opposed to $80,000 or the prevailing wage, whichever is higher).