Who is eligible for two-week work permit processing?

Processing delays for GSS applications

Processing times for GSS applications continue to be affected by

the number of applications we’ve already received
an increase in applications as health and travel restrictions lift in Canada and around the world

It will probably take more than 2 weeks to process your GSS application. We’re continuing to recover so we can return to 2-week processing.

The Global Skills Strategy (GSS) can help you get to work in Canada faster by offering two-week processing times on eligible work permit applications.

To be eligible, you must be applying online from outside Canada in one of these situations:

Situation one

Your employer has a positive Global Talent Stream (GTS) (Category A or B) Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) for your position.

In this situation, you must tell us you are applying using a GTS LMIA when you complete your eligibility check. Otherwise, we won’t recognize you as a GSS applicant.

Situation two

You:

have an offer of employment from an employer who is exempt from the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process
have an occupation that is under TEER 0 or TEER 1 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC)
are applying for an employer-specific work permit

Some employers don’t need to submit an offer of employment or pay the employer compliance fee. Find out how to get a work permit for these jobs.

Find out how to apply for two-week processing if you are eligible.