With the advent of 2023 and an updated National Occupational Classification (NOC) system, Immigration Canada has recently updated its list of eligible occupations under Category B of the Global Talent Stream (GTS), along with the associated NOC codes. [Category A is for companies who have been approved generally to use the program; Category B is for companies who may use the program intermittently or who seek to fill single or limited-number positions.] As readers will know, the GTS is a somewhat streamlined version of a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), where no recruitment is required to be shown. However, users of the GTS should recognize that there are ‘back end’ issues in terms of benefits that the government requires of companies who take advantage of the program. In Category B, employers must show an increase in skills and training investment (mandatory), along with two further commitments which may include, e.g., job creation, transfer of knowledge to Canadians, or enhanced company performance.
The new GTS Category B Occupation List (with concordance) is:
| NOC code 2021 | Prior NOC code | Occupation | ||
| 20012 | 0213 | Computer and information systems managers | ||
| 21300 | 2131 | Civil engineers | ||
| 21310 | 2133 | Electrical and electronics engineers | ||
| 21330 | 2143 | Mining engineers | ||
| 21390 | 2146 | Aerospace engineers | ||
| 21311 | 2147 | Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) | ||
| Sub-set of 21210* | Sub-set of 2161* | Mathematicians and statisticians | ||
| * Positions for actuaries or related occupations are excluded from this subset. | ||||
| 21211 – Data scientists | 2171 | Information systems analysts and consultants | ||
| 21220 – Cybersecurity specialists | ||||
| 21221 – Business system specialists | ||||
| 21222 – Information systems specialists | ||||
| 21233 – Web designers | ||||
| 21211 – Data scientists | 2172 | Database analysts and data administrators | ||
| 21223 – Database analysts and data administrators | ||||
| 21231 – Software engineers and designers | 2173 | Software engineers and designers | ||
| 21211 – Data scientists | ||||
| 21230 – Computer systems developers and programmers | 2174 | Computer programmers and interactive media developers | ||
| 21232 – Software developers and programmers | ||||
| 21234 – Web developers and programmers | ||||
| 21233 – Web designers | 2175 | Web designers and developers | ||
| 21234 – Web developers and programmers | ||||
| 22310 | 2241 | Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians | ||
| 22220 | 2281 | Computer network technicians | ||
| (NOC 2021 occupation: Computer network and web technicians) | ||||
| 22222 | 2283 | Information systems testing technicians | ||
| Sub-set of 51120** | Sub-set of 5131** | Producer, technical, creative and artistic director and project manager – Visual effects and video game | ||
| **The position must require a minimum of 3 years of experience in the visual effects, video game or animation industries in 1 or a combination of the following roles: producer, technical director, creative director, artistic director or project manager, senior coordinator, department manager, with 3 years of job experience in at least 1 or more of the following skills relevant to the visual effects, video game or animation industries: surfacing and look development; character or simulation rigging; matte painting; managing budgets or teams; or technical pipeline development and application for visual effects, video games, or animation production. | ||||
| Sub-set of 52120*** | Sub-set of 5241*** | Digital media designers | ||
| ***The position must require a minimum of 3 years of job experience in at least 1 of the following digital media design skills: 3D modeling, compositing, paint and roto, layout and match move, digital environment and Matte painting, texture, lighting shading, character effects, effects and simulations, design and scenario, rigging, user interface or user experience, responsive design (for gaming), virtual reality, augmented reality, digital media animation, levels editing for digital media design, software editing for digital media design, pipeline software development or applications relevant for digital media design |
Please note that along with the information above, each situation must be checked to ensure occupational congruence between the job offered and the NOC description, appropriate salary, and other elements of a GTS application.
The information in this article is for general purposes only, and not intended as legal advice for any particular situation.