Canada's Global Talent Stream (GTS) visa

Legal basis

GTS is part of Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program, launched under the Global Skills Strategy. It is employer-driven: a foreign worker cannot apply without an employer - a Canadian employer must make a job offer and participate in the program.

The employer must obtain a simplified LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment) under GTS and prepare a Labour Market Benefits Plan.

Two application categories

• Category A - for innovative, rapidly growing companies that need unique specialists. Requires a referral from a designated partner (e.g. a business incubator). Salaries are typically $57,000+ per year.
• Category B - for roles on the official Global Talent Occupations List where Canada faces labor shortages (software developers, engineers, data analysts and other IT roles). No referral letter is needed, but the wage must meet or exceed the prevailing wage.

Once the GTS application is approved, a positive LMIA is typically issued in about 10 business days, and the work permit follows in about 2 weeks.

If you have no job offer, look at the US EB-1A visa: you file the green card petition for extraordinary ability without an employer or sponsor.

Costs and timelines in 2026

US dollar amounts use the European Central Bank rate of 5 October 2026, rounded up.

Category A: innovative companies

The employer needs a referral from a designated program partner, such as a business incubator or a government development agency. Pay for the first two unique positions in a calendar year must be at least $57,000 a year, or $30 an hour. For the third and later positions it is at least $110,000, or $55 an hour. The employer's main benefits plan commitment is creating jobs for Canadians and permanent residents.

Category B: occupations on the official list

No referral is needed, but the position must be on the global talent occupations list and pay at least the prevailing wage, and for some occupations a set minimum.

The employer's main commitment in category B is investing in the skills and training of Canadians and permanent residents.

Labour market benefits plan

Every program employer signs a benefits plan: one mandatory commitment for its category and at least two complementary ones, such as student internships, university partnerships or hiring Canadians. Progress is reviewed every year. The program has no minimum requirement to recruit Canadians first, but recruiting is encouraged.

Family: what changed on 21 January 2025

• A spouse gets an open work permit only if the specialist works in a level 0 or 1 occupation of the Canadian classification or in selected level 2 and 3 occupations.
• The specialist's permit must remain valid for at least 16 months on the date the spouse applies.
• The specialist's children no longer get open work permits; they can attend school.
• A spouse's open work permit costs about $180 in fees.

Most positions in this program, such as software engineers, are level 1, so a spouse usually keeps the right to work.

Path to permanent residence

After a year of skilled work in Canada, 1,560 hours within the last three years, the specialist can apply for permanent residence under the Canadian experience class through express entry. Points grow with Canadian experience, education, age and English or French, so it is worth taking the language test early.

Why applications are refused

• Pay below the category threshold or the regional prevailing wage.
• The position is not on the category B list and there is no category A referral.
• An incomplete or unrealistic benefits plan.
• The employer has not shown it runs a real business in Canada.
• The specialist lacks police certificates or education and experience documents.

What we do

• We check whether the position fits category A or B and whether the pay meets the threshold.
• We help the employer prepare the benefits plan and the assessment application.
• We prepare the specialist's work permit application and family documents.
• We plan the path to permanent residence from the first year of work.

We calculate our support fee in the chat for your situation.

Category A or B: how to choose

The specialist's documents

• Passport and a job offer with the approved assessment number.
• Diplomas and proof of experience matching the position.
• Police certificates from the countries where you lived; a medical exam by a panel physician if required.
• Biometrics: fingerprints and photo at a visa centre.
• Family documents: marriage and children's birth certificates.

Alternatives without an employer

The program requires a job offer from a Canadian employer. Without one, compare routes where the specialist applies alone: the US O-1 visa, the UK global talent visa or the Canada start-up program.

Step by step with timelines

What the specialist and family pay

• Work permit - about $110.
• Biometrics - about $60 per person.
• Spouse open work permit - about $180.
• Medical exam and certificates - at doctors' and agencies' rates.

Work visas for Canada: every option

This is one route. Every work visa and permit for Canada, with conditions, fees in dollars and timelines, is compared on Canada work visa in 2026: how a foreigner can get one.

Every way to get residency in Canada

This is one route. All the other grounds for residency in Canada, with conditions, amounts in dollars and timelines, are compared on How to get residency in Canada in 2026: every route.

Benefits of the Global Talent Stream

How to get a GTS work visa: step by step

FAQ