Canada Introduced New Work Permit Without LMIA | Innovation Stream Pilot

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently announced a new “Innovation Stream Pilot” program for temporary foreign workers. This pilot program will continue for the next two years till March 22, 2026.

The Innovation Stream Pilot is a work permit program that allows foreign nationals to work in Canada for a specified period of time. There are other work permit programs offered by Canadian Immigration such as the “Temporary Foreign Workers Program” (TFWP) or the “International Mobility Program” (IMP), but the main difference between the old two programs and the Innovation Stream pilot is that family members of foreign workers are also eligible for this new pilot. Eligible for open work permit under

What is Innovation Stream Pilot?

This pilot program makes it easier for some Canadian companies to hire foreign workers without an LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment). Occupations under TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3 of the National Occupation Classification (NOC) are eligible for Canadian work permits under this new pilot.

Job occupations under TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 are considered professional and highly skilled. Whereas TEER 4 and 5 occupations are semi-skilled and unskilled.

The Innovation Stream pilot is directly linked to the Canadian government’s Global HyperGrowth project.

What is the Global Hypergrowth Project?

The Global Hypergrowth Project (GHP) is designed to keep a close eye on innovative Canadian businesses, monitor their growth and help them create more jobs. Companies achieving rapid growth and prosperity in Canada’s economic sectors are now eligible to hire international talent under the Innovation Stream pilot.

Canadian companies covered by the Global HyperGrowth project

• Ada
• AlayaCare
• CellCarta
• Clarius
• Clio
• DPG
• Lightspeed
• Vive

These are the employers eligible to recruit globally under the Innovation Stream pilot.

Eligibility, Requirements and Process Time

Since there is no random job search to obtain a Canadian work permit under this new program, the eligibility criteria are simple and the process time is quick.

Receive a job offer from a qualified employer in a qualified occupation. Eligible occupations are those that fall under TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3
Apply online for Canadian work permit directly to IRCC through their official portal.
If you have a job offer for a TEER 0 or TEER 1 post, you have a chance to get a work permit in just 14 days. These job positions are eligible for expedited work permit processing when applying from outside of Canada.

The process time for obtaining work permit under innovation stream pilot for TEER 3 and 4 positions is not specified by IRCC but may take longer.

What do you need to apply?

Before applying for your work permit under the Innovation Stream pilot, your employer must pay a CAD 230 fee to IRCC and submit your work offer.

you will need,

• A job offer
• Employer Number
• Pay the work permit application fee – CAD 155

How to apply?

The first step is to receive a job offer from an approved Global HyperGrowth Project employer. Visit all eligible company websites and find the right job for you. Links to eligible employers’ websites are provided below.

• Ada Support Inc. – https://www.ada.cx/
• AlayaCare – https://alayacare.com/
• CellCarta – https://cellcarta.com/
• Clarius – https://www.clarius.com/
• Clio – https://www.clio.com/
• DPG – https://duchesnaypharmaceuticalgroup.com/en
• Lightspeed – https://www.lightspeedhq.com/
• Vive – https://www.vivecrop.com/

Apply for the desired job position with a resume/CV in the correct Canadian format and a cover letter.