Canada Announces Fresh 2-year Work Permit Program – Check Eligibility and Apply Now
Canada is continuously seeking ways to make their country better and ensure that local industries and manufacturers remain in business and because of this, the country always opens its doors to immigrants through various pilot programs, and in 2024 alone, they have launched at least three new pilot programs to attract diverse categories of workers to the country.
One such pilot program launched by the Canadian government to attract workers is the Innovation Stream Pilot.
Read also: Move to Canada As Agri-Food Farmer
What Is an Innovation Stream Pilot?
The Canada Innovation Stream Pilot program is a 2-year Innovation work permit under the Global Hypergrowth Project launched on April 15, 2024. This program will allow eligible Canadian companies to hire foreign workers without a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and is open for recruiting workers under TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 who are considered high-skilled workers.
What Is the Global HyperGrowth Project(GHP)?
GHP is a new scale-up service created by the Canadian government to help companies rooted in Canada go further, and faster. The project aims to provide tailored support to each participating company’s specific needs and one of these key needs is hiring skilled workers from across the globe to fill major workforce shortages in participating firms.
As a pilot program, only eight(8) companies have so far been shortlisted to start the process and the companies include;
- Ada Support Inc.
- AlayaCare
- CellCarta
- Clarius Mobile Health
- Clio
- Duchesnay Pharmaceutical Group (DPG)
- Lightspeed Commerce
- Vive Crop Protection
Read also: Plumbing Jobs In Canada for Newcomers and Immigrants
How to Benefit From Innovation Stream Pilot | Canada Announces Fresh 2-year Work Permit Program
The Innovation Stream Pilot program offers an opportunity for interested immigrants to get Canadian work permits by securing a job in any of the companies participating in the GHP program.
To benefit from this opportunity, you must have a skill that falls under TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 and be willing to work in any of the locations in Canada where the company offering you a job operates. Use this link to find the list of all skills under these categories.
It is important to note that as TEER 0, 1,2,3 category workers in Canada, your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children are eligible for an open work permit as family members of a high-skilled worker.
Read also: Migrate to Canada As a French Speaker Through FCIP
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants who want to apply for a work permit under the Innovation Stream must have a job offer from one of the selected Canadian employers under the Global Hypergrowth Project.
- The job offer must be under TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation list as stated above.
- The Canada Innovation work permit application should be filled out using the IRCC Secure Account.
- Wages/salaries offered should equal to or exceed the median hourly wages set for the region.
- Prospective applicants should have the skills required for the job they are applying for.
- Immigration officers must ensure the applicants meet the education and experience requirements for the job they are offered.
How to Apply for Innovation Stream Pilot
Application for the Innovation Stream pilot is currently open and application for this program can be completed strictly online from any location in the world provided the applicant or prospective immigrant is eligible.
To start your application, here are the few steps you must take
- Get your document checklist – confirm that you have all the documents listed on the application portal or check here for a list of required documents
- Answer the basic questions of whether you are applying from within Canada or outside Canada(the questions differ). The questions cover
- nationality
- age
- language ability
- family members
- education
- work experience
- income or net worth
- details on any job offer
- Do a medical test
- Upload your documents – the type of documents required depends on the answers you give in the second option above.
- Apply for a work permit – since the application for this program is strictly online, you can submit your application using this link before the closing date of the pilot in March 2026.
After submitting your application, you can start preparing for your arrival in Canada and ensure you put everything in place before you move.