Canada’s Global Skills Strategy

Canadian workers are among the most highly educated and highly skilled workers in the world. The goods they produce and the services they provide are respected the world over. That said, Canada needs to be able to access the skills and expertise of talented workers from around the world to enable Canadian firms to succeed in the global marketplace.

To grow Canadian businesses, create more Canadian jobs and compete among the best in the world, we must also attract the best minds in the world. Perhaps more than any other country, Canada has drawn strengths from its diversity and openness to change.

Faster Processing for Global Talent

Canada’s Global Skills Strategy will make it easier for Canadian businesses to attract the talent they need to succeed.
Whether they need to bring in professionals to train Canadian workers, or to hire global talent with highly specialized, in-demand skills, the proposed new Global Skills Strategy will set an ambitious two-week standard for processing visas and work permits for low-risk, high-skill talent for companies doing business in Canada. This initiative will target:

• High-growth Canadian companies that need to access global talent in order to facilitate and accelerate investments that create jobs and growth. This will include companies that can demonstrate labour market benefits, such as increasing investments, knowledge transfer and Canadian job creation; and
• Global companies that are making large investments, relocating to Canada, establishing new production or expanding production, and creating new Canadian jobs.

The Short-Duration Work Permit Exemption

The government will introduce a new work permit exemption for short-duration work terms. The exemption will apply to work terms of fewer than 30 days in a year, or brief academic stays.