Canada plans to create an expedited work permit stream for artificial intelligence professionals, with a proposed start-to-finish processing time of 20 days or less.
The federal government announced the plan on June 4. The AI worker stream would be implemented through Canada’s existing Global Talent Stream under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
How the Proposed AI Work Permit Stream Would Work
The planned stream would use the Global Talent Stream structure, which already provides faster processing for certain high-skilled foreign workers.
Under the current Global Talent Stream model:
- Labour Market Impact Assessments can be processed in 10 days.
- Work permit applications can also be processed in 10 days.
- This compares with a typical Temporary Foreign Worker Program work permit timeline of two to six months.
The proposed AI stream could therefore allow eligible AI professionals to receive work permits in 20 days or less from start to finish.
The government also said the AI worker stream would be accompanied by measures to support the transition of these workers to Canadian permanent residence.
No details were provided on:
- Which employers would qualify.
- Which foreign workers would qualify.
- Whether specific AI occupations would be listed.
- When the stream would launch.
- Whether the stream would modify existing Global Talent Stream categories or create a new category.
Link to Canada’s AI Strategy
The announcement was made as part of the federal government’s AI for All strategy, which is tied to the Carney government’s economic growth agenda.
According to the government, the AI strategy targets:
- An additional $200 billion in economic growth.
- 250,000 new AI-related jobs over the next five years.
- An increase in AI adoption from just over 12% to 60% by 2034.
Current Global Talent Stream Structure
The Global Talent Stream is a pathway under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program designed to help Canadian employers hire highly skilled foreign workers in specialized technology and in-demand occupations.
It currently has two categories.
Category A is limited to employers referred by a designated partner. It allows select employers to hire foreign workers with exceptional knowledge, shown through either an advanced degree in a specialized area or at least five years of work experience in a specialized position.
Category B allows any eligible Temporary Foreign Worker Program employer to fast-track hiring for roles listed as high demand on the Global Talent Occupations List. Examples include web designer, data scientist, and cybersecurity specialist.
The government has not yet said whether the proposed AI worker stream would be added to one of these categories or created separately.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
