Global Skills Visa is a new initiative by IRCC permitting highly-skilled foreign workers to begin their processing with the target of achieving their work permits within two weeks. This is a new strategy by IRCC to support employers in their search for valued skilled workers. Global Skills Visa is a new stream that primarily provides three advantages:
- Work permit application processing will take place within two weeks of submission. These applications will account for 80 percent.
- High-skilled workers will get the opportunity to be a part of work permit exemptions, specifically for working on short-term projects. Additionally, research-oriented people will become part of these exemptions during their short-term projects in the country.
- This new strategy provides a provision to companies or organizations for a service channel. Also, these companies must particularly focus on Canadian investments to produce jobs on a larger scale.
Global Skills Visa- Eligibility
Workers can use two ways to visit to become eligible under an arrangement of a two-weeks processing time. They are as follows:
Labour Market Impact Assessment exemption
Workers must fulfill the following eligibility criteria to avail of the LMIA exemption for a work permit:
- They should ensure they apply for the job position from somewhere else apart from Canada.
- The job position must comprise a specific employer with the appropriate NOC codes.
- Additionally, they must submit an employment offer through the Employer portal. They must pay the required fees of the employer.
Positive LMIA
Notably, the employee can take another route by possessing a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment with an employer-specific job position. Moreover, this job position must imply prior eligibility in the Global Talent Stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. The employee’s spouse or other dependents can also apply for a two-weeks processing time along with the worker’s application.
Global Skills Visa- working process
Employers and workers can take advantage of the processing arrangement by following the steps below:
- Employers must make sure that they submit an employment offer through the employer portal on behalf of the employee.
- Employees should submit their applications from abroad (outside Canada).
- They must submit their complete application.
- Workers must prove that they have been a part of GTS, using an appropriate tool if it applies to them. This step is a crucial part of LMIA.
- Ensure to pay biometric or medical fees while submitting their application as part of the process.
- They will need to display the Biometric result within 14 days from the application date.
The Global Skills Strategy provides exemptions for work permits to only specific workers who meet certain requirements.
These specific requirements include the following-
- Workers with suitable occupational skills under National Occupation Classification (Executive, Managerial or Professional).
- Employees on short-term work projects are restricted to 15 days in 6 months or thirty days within one year.
- Those researchers who have an invitation through Canadian post-secondary institutions provided these are publicly-funded and provide degrees. They could also belong to research institutions (only affiliated ones) in Canada. However, they can only come for a period of 120 days.
Apart from this, a foreign national eligible for this exemption will need to have a work permit for research work for a more extended period.
The Dedicated Service Channel can also provide benefits under the Global Skills Strategy to the following:
- Employers already with large investments in Canada.
- The DSC also applies to universities supporting research chair holders (only publicly funded) visiting Canada.
Lastly, if a company or organization needs to be eligible to access the DSC, it must have gained recognition from identified referral partners.
