Employers intending to submit a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for a specialized worker under Category A of the Global Talent Stream (GTS) now have fewer avenues to secure a mandatory referral, after Canada trimmed its list of designated referral partners by 29%.
There are now 41 designated organizations authorized to refer Canadian employers to Category A of the GTS, down from 58, after 17 were removed from the list.
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Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) published the updated list on its “Program requirements for the Global Talent Stream” web page on September 15, 2026.
Under Category A of the GTS, part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), both the employer and foreign worker must meet the applicable eligibility requirements before the employer can obtain a positive LMIA to support the worker’s work permit application.
Through the GTS, employers and foreign workers can benefit from expedited processing, with the federal government aiming to process both LMIAs and work permits within 10 business days in 80% of cases.
Which organizations are no longer listed as designated referral partners?
The table below outlines the designated referral partners that have been removed, organized by region.
Ontario absorbed the bulk of the cuts, accounting for eight of the 17 removals.
| Organization | Region |
|---|---|
| Kootenay Association for Science & Technology | British Columbia |
| Launch Academy | |
| Tech Manitoba | Manitoba |
| Ignite Fredericton | New Brunswick |
| Venn Innovation | |
| Genesis | Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Cape Breton Partnership | Nova Scotia |
| Burlington Economic Development Corporation | Ontario |
| Communitech Corporation | |
| Government of Ontario, Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade – Ontario Investment Office | |
| Invest Brampton | |
| Regional Municipality of Niagara | |
| Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership | |
| Toronto Business Development Centre | |
| Town of Oakville | |
| Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada – Industry Skills Directorate | Pan-Canadian |
| TECHNATION |
Employers in affected regions will need to obtain a referral from another designated partner, either a regional organization or one of the remaining Pan-Canadian partners available to employers nationwide.
Current designated referral partners for Category A of the GTS
There are now 41 designated referral partners available to provide Category A referrals under the GTS, which have been organized in the table below by region:
| Organization | Region |
|---|---|
| Calgary Economic Development | Alberta |
| Edmonton Metropolitan Region Economic Development Company (Edmonton Global) | |
| Government of Alberta | |
| Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (multiple locations across the region) | Atlantic Canada |
| Accelerate Okanagan | British Columbia |
| BC Tech Association | |
| Metro Vancouver Regional District/Invest Vancouver | |
| Venture Kamloops | |
| Economic Development Winnipeg | Manitoba |
| Government of Manitoba, Labour and Immigration, Employer Services | |
| Government of New Brunswick – Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour | New Brunswick |
| Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment | Northwest Territories |
| Invest Nova Scotia, Canada | Nova Scotia |
| Halifax Partnership | |
| City of Mississauga | Ontario |
| Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario | |
| Government of Ontario, Labour, Training and Skills Development – Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) | |
| Invest in Hamilton | |
| Invest Ottawa | |
| Invest Sudbury | |
| Invest Windsor-Essex | |
| Kingston Economic Development Corporation | |
| London Economic Development Corporation | |
| MaRS Discovery District | |
| Ontario East Economic Development Commission (OEEDC) | |
| Regional Municipality of York | |
| Toronto Global | |
| Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation | |
| Business Development Bank of Canada | Pan-Canadian |
| Council of Canadian Innovators | |
| Global Affairs Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service | |
| Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada – Accelerated Growth Service | |
| Invest in Canada | |
| National Research Council – Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) | |
| Privy Council Office, Special Projects Team | |
| Government of Prince Edward Island, Island Investment Development Inc. | Prince Edward Island |
| Canadian Economic Development for Quebec regions | Quebec |
| *Association québécoise des technologies (MIFI-designated) | |
| *Québec International (MIFI-designated) | |
| *Investissement Québec (MIFI-designated) | |
| Government of Saskatchewan, Ministry of Immigration and Career Training | Saskatchewan |
*ESDC’s federal list consolidates Quebec’s three MIFI-designated referral partners under one entry; this table lists each organization as a separate entity.
There are currently no specific designated referral partners listed for Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, or the Yukon.
Employers in the three regions above can instead contact a Pan-Canadian partner for a referral. Those in Newfoundland and Labrador may also reach out to the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
About Category A of the Global Talent Stream
Category A of the TFWP’s GTS is designed for Canadian employers seeking to hire a foreign national to fill a “unique and specialized” position, characterized by the following:
- An annual base salary of at least $80,000, or equivalent to the prevailing wage for the occupation, if higher.
- Advanced knowledge of the industry.
- Advanced degree in a specialized area of interest to the employer and/or at least five years of specialized experience in the field.
Employers are also subject to separate Category A requirements, including operating in Canada, focusing on innovation, demonstrating the willingness and capacity to grow, and seeking to fill a unique and specialized position.
To access Category A, an employer must obtain a referral from a designated partner, which validates the company’s eligibility and confirms that it has identified a qualified foreign worker for the position.
Once referred, the employer can submit an LMIA application to ESDC, with a separate referral form included for each temporary foreign worker.
Following issuance of a positive LMIA, the employer must give the worker a copy of the LMIA decision letter to use when applying for a work permit.
ESDC aims to process GTS-aligned LMIA applications within 10 business days in 80% of cases; once a positive LMIA is issued, the worker can apply for a work permit through IRCC under the same 10-business-day service standard.
Category B of the GTS, intended for employers hiring highly skilled workers in occupations on the Global Talent Occupations List, does not require a designated referral partner.
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