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On December 22nd, (ESDC) expanded the list of eligible occupations in the (GTS).

ESDC is a government department that works to support Canada’s labour force, and so has oversight over many immigration matters—including issuance of (LMIAs) and oversight of the GTS; a work permit program with expedited processing created to help Canadian employers hire foreign skilled workers in the technology sector.

Under the GTS, employers looking to hire a foreign skilled worker for one of (included due to insufficient labour supply in Canada) can apply and receive a work permit. The GTS looks to establish a service standard of two weeks for work permits.

What are the new occupations added to the GTS?

Previously at 12 positions, the list of eligible occupations has now expanded to 17 with the addition of five engineering roles.

These are:

• (NOC code 21300);
• (NOC code 21310);
• (NOC code 21330);
• (NOC code 21390); and
• (except software engineers and designers, NOC code 21311).

Why have more occupations become eligible?

The list of eligible occupations for the GTS changes according to Canada’s labour market needs; the inclusion of these five new positions is likely telling of an internal need for engineering labour in Canada.

This year has also seen a growing trend of targeting specific professions for immigration, to more directly address Canada’s labor market needs.

Among these measures include:

• The introduction of the (NBCWP)—which works with six employers to directly address New Brunswick’s labour needs;
• The removal of barriers to permanent residence for physicians (amid historic labour shortages of healthcare workers) applying through Express Entry; and
• The approval of Bill C-19; which grants the immigration minister the power to create groups in the Express Entry pool (based on policy needs like in-demand positions) and issue (ITAs) to these groups. Consequently, Express Entry will likely target occupations more in 2023.

As Canada continues to face high labour shortages and a , in a post-COVID world, it seems likely the country will continue to address its economic requirements in a much more targeted way; as Canada has already identified immigration as the .

Employers hiring foreign talent through the GTS will need to ensure they properly prepare applications; including developing a (LMBP) to demonstrate their commitment to activities that have a lasting, positive impact on the Canadian labour market. An immigration lawyer can greatly complement application preparation here, to ensure completeness and compliance with program standards.

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