Global Skills Strategy

Global Skills Strategy is a unique program that allows a foreign worker to move to Canada within just two weeks. It is one of the easiest and fastest ways to move to Canada. With this program, Canada government aims to allow Canadian employers attract skilled and talented foreign workers to work for their business or company. So, the applicants under Global Skills Strategy enjoy faster application processing, work permit exemptions and enhanced customer service.

Only foreign citizens can apply for Global Skills Strategy and one should apply from outside Canada. They must also submit the required documents to prove their eligibility and admissibility, which include police certificates.

Types of Global Skills Strategy in Canada

Before applying to move to Canada under Global Skills Strategy, one needs to know under which category you should apply.

Currently, two categories are there under Global Skills Strategy:

• For LMIA-exempt workers and
• For workers who require LMIA

Global Skills Strategy for LMIA-exempt workers

To be eligible under this category, you must be a foreign worker and not a permanent resident of Canada. An LMIA is not necessary to qualify under this category. All you need is a job classified as category 0 or 1 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) under Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER). They include restaurant managers, mine managers etc. Those who have their work experience classified as skill A, or a professional job, are also eligible under this category. They include doctors, dentists, architects etc.

The employer must give a job offer to the foreign worker through the Employer Portal along with the employer compliance fee.

It must be noted that International Experience Canada applicants are not eligible for two-week processing.

Researchers
Another category under LMIA-exempt group is researchers. They should perform research in a Canadian or any of the publicly funded, degree-granting institutions or affiliated research institution.
LMIA required workers
The foreign workers who require an LMIA is the second category. The employers of the applicants under this category must have obtained a positive LMIA through Global Talent Stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
Spouses and dependents
Spouses and dependents can also come to Canada within two weeks under the Global Skills Strategy Program. This applies to applications being submitted under:

• Visitor visa
• Work permit
• Study permit

Common-law partners and dependent children must submit a complete application and submit the application along with the worker.

How to apply under Global Skills Strategy?

• The applications for Global Skills Strategy program must always be submitted online from outside Canada.
• The application must be complete, which means you must have answered all the questions on the application form.
• Along with the application, you must submit the document to prove that you have paid the application fees and also, all other required documents.
• Along with the application, you need to submit a medical report from a government-approved private hospital or government hospital.
• If any of your documents are not in English, you need to submit certified translations of these documents. This requirement is only for those who are not from an English or French-speaking country.
• You also need to submit biometric results within two weeks of submitting the application, if required.

If your application is incomplete and you have not provided the complete application along with required information and documents, the processing can be delayed or your application can be refused. Because of this reason, you must make sure that your application is complete, before submitting it.

How to get faster processing under Global Skills Strategy?

• Make sure that you are applying from outside Canada
• Make sure that you are submitting a complete application
• Don’t forget to include medical exam results, if required
• Don’t forget to include police certificates, if required
• Make sure that you are submitting certified translations of documents, which are not English or French
• Pay the processing fees
• If necessary, submit the biometrics within two weeks of submitting the application

In order to ensure faster processing, it is also necessary that the applicant and the family members, which means the spouse/common-law partner or dependent children are applying at the same time. However, the applicant need not apply for a visa or electronic travel authorization (eTA). It will be issued by the authorities while they process the application for the work permit.

Requirements at the local visa office

Sometimes, the Canada’s visa offices abroad would provide some specific instructions for the work permit applicants to follow. You must consult with the local visa office to make sure that you have included all the required documents in your application.

The requirements for the following documents may change depending on the location:

• Police Certificates
• Biometrics

Exemptions for Global Skills Strategy applicants

Among the applicants under the Global Skills Strategy, two types of workers do not require work permits for short term work. They are:

• Highly skilled workers
• Researchers

Highly Skilled Workers

For highly skilled workers, the job they take up must be one classified under Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) category 0 or 1 in the National Occupational Classification (NOC).

They will be allowed to work only for one of the following short periods of time:

• Upto 15 consecutive days once in every six months
• Upto 30 consecutive days in every 12 months

Researchers

The two requirements that a researcher must meet are:

• The research must be at a Canadian, publicly funded, degree-granting institution or its affiliated research institution
• The work must be for one period of 120 days in Canada once in every 12 months.

Extending the stay of the worker

If a worker wants to extend their stay in Canada after their exemption ends, they have two options:

• Apply for a work permit from outside the country
• Wait until once again they become eligible to use short-term work permit exemption.

Waiting time

After using any of the short-term exemptions, a worker must wait for

• Six months until they can use a 15-day exemption; or
• Twelve months until they can use a 30 or 120-day exemption

Suppose they have entered Canada using the 15-day work permit exemption. They will have to wait for at least six months before they can use a 15-day exemption again.

For an aspiring worker who wishes to live and work in Canada, there are several options. You can find your best option with the help of Canada immigration experts of CanApprove. Contact us now!