The Global Talent Stream (GTS) is a valuable tool that allows employers to expedite the hiring of foreign workers where the employer can show that either:
- They are an ‘innovative’ organization (Category A), or
- They are hiring for a position which falls in a prescribed list of high-tech occupations (Category B).
For the purposes of Category A, an employer needs to seek approval from a designated organization to which it substantiates its claim, based on relevant criteria. Among the criteria in this regard are requirements that the position in question for which hiring is proposed be at a salary of a minimum of $80,000CDN per year.
Also for the purposes of Category A, it is anticipated that an employer would perhaps be needing one or two positions filled. However, the government of Canada has now clarified that where a Category A employer seeks to fill positions beyond two, additional requirements must be met, including:
- Benchmarks for high growth as either
- Average annualized growth rates in revenue greater than 20% per year, over a three-year period, and with 10 or more employees at the beginning of the period, or
- Average annualized growth rates in job creation in Canada greater than 20% per year over a three-year period, and with 10 or more employees at the beginning of the period
- Positions would need to be paid at a minimum of $150,000CDN per year.
Clearly, organizations seeking to be ‘certified’ as Category A organizations, and who may wish to hire more than two people under the GTS should be aware of these updated requirements.
The information in this article is for general purposes only, and not intended as legal advice for any particular situation.