In order to be eligible for Category A of the Global Talent Stream, an ‘innovative company’ must have be referred by a designated referral partner, who should confirm that the vacant position for which they are seeking a foreign worker requires unique and specialized talent in order to assist the business’s growth.
The designated referral partner must confirm that the requesting company:
👉 currently operates in Canada;
👉 is focused on innovation;
👉 has the potential, motivation and ability to scale up or grow;
👉 wants to use the Global Talent Stream to fill a ‘unique and specialized position’ in the company; and
👉 has already identified a foreign worker they wish to hire who is qualified for the position being offered
A ‘unique and specialized position’ must:
👉 pay a minimum hourly rate of CAD $38.46 per hour ($80,000 annual base salary) or the prevailing wage for a similar position in that occupation, whichever is higher;
👉 require advanced knowledge of the industry the role will be operating in;
👉 require an advanced degree in a relevant specialism; and/or
👉 require a minimum of 5 years’ specialist experience
By way of guidance, an innovative company that is eligible to be referred to Category A should usually only be looking to fill a small, specific number of specialist roles per year. They will be seeking to utilise the Global Talent Stream to fill genuine talent gaps in the existing Canadian labour market which are unavoidable due to the specialised nature of the role and/or business.