Recently Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney outlined updates to the Global Skills Strategy (GSS) as part of his government’s immigration policy, emphasizing sustainable immigration levels and economic growth. The GSS, a federal program designed to help Canadian businesses hire highly skilled foreign workers, was revamped to prioritize attracting top global talent, particularly in high-demand sectors such as technology, healthcare, and skilled trades. Key points of the policy include:
Expedited Work Permit Processing: The GSS continues to offer priority processing of work permits within two weeks for eligible highly skilled workers, ensuring Canadian businesses can quickly access global talent. This includes streamlined credential recognition to address labor shortages in critical sectors.
Focus on Economic Immigration: The policy emphasizes attracting skilled professionals to support Canada’s economic prosperity. Updates to the GSS aim to facilitate hiring from abroad, with a particular focus on drawing skilled workers from the United States to bolster high-growth industries.
Support for High-Growth Businesses: New initiatives under the GSS are designed to help Canadian entrepreneurs and high-growth businesses attract talent, ensuring Canada remains competitive in the global market. This includes tailored pathways for workers in innovative sectors.
Alignment with Infrastructure Capacity: The GSS updates align with Carney’s broader immigration strategy to stabilize permanent resident admissions at 395,000 in 2025, 380,000 in 2026, and 365,000 in 2027, while reducing temporary residents to 5% of Canada’s population by 2027. This ensures immigration levels do not overburden housing, healthcare, and social services.
Francophone Immigration: While not exclusive to the GSS, the policy supports increased francophone immigration outside Quebec, targeting 8.5% in 2025, rising to 12% by 2029, to strengthen French-speaking communities and meet labor needs.
These updates aim to balance economic growth with infrastructure capacity, ensuring that skilled workers contribute to Canada’s economy without straining public resources. For more details on the GSS, you can refer to official government resources at canada.ca.
