From the growth of skills-based hiring to the popularity of hybrid work models, the landscape of work has changed dramatically and professionals all over the globe are thinking about their next career move. For those considering a relocation to Canada, LinkedIn recently conducted a study where they analyzed millions of jobs commenced by LinkedIn members over the past 5 years and thereafter produced a ‘2023 Jobs on the Rise list’ noting the most in-demand occupations in Canada. In examining this list, many of the occupations fall within the tech industry with job titles such as:

·       Growth Marketing Manager

·       Product Operations Manager

·       Technical Product Manager

·       Technical Program Manager

·       Information Technology Associate

·       Security Engineer

·       Data Engineer

Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Foreign nationals with the required work experience for these roles can get a work permit using the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) which is a way that the Canadian government supplements its workforce when there aren’t enough qualified workers in Canada to fill a job. To hire a foreign worker, an employer must submit a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) application which will be assessed by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to determine the effect of the specific occupation against the labour market. There are several LMIA streams but the two streams most relevant to the abovementioned occupations are the ‘Global Talent Stream’ and ‘High Wage Stream’.

Global Talent Stream

The Global Talent Stream allows innovative companies to gain access to highly skilled global talent in a fast-tracked and predictable manner through a designated referral partner under “Category A” and specified occupations, including several in-demand tech roles considered to be in a shortage in the local labour market under “Category B”. Under “Category B”, the ‘Global Talent Occupations List’ was previously limited to tech occupations, but the list was recently updated to include civil, electrical and electronics, mining, and aerospace engineers, and electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians. Under this stream, employers must develop a Labour Market Benefits Plan which identifies how the hiring of foreign talent through this program will work to benefit the Canadian labour market.

High Wage Stream

If an individual’s occupation does not fall under the ‘Global Talent Occupations List’, they can consider the High Wage Stream if they will be paid at or above the provincial/territorial median wage for their occupation. However with this stream, employers must advertise the job for at least four weeks before applying for a LMIA and must also submit a transition plan which describes the activities that the employer is agreeing to such as the recruitment, retention and training of Canadians and permanent residents and to show that they are using the program as a last and limited resort to meet immediate labour needs when Canadians/PRs are not available to fill the job.

Please refer to our LinkedIn page to get access to online webinars or articles posted on the most recent Canadian immigration updates. To discuss the details of your situation, please reach out to our office and we will gladly assist.