Employers looking to submit a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for a specialized worker under Category A of the Global Talent Stream (GTS) now face a reduced number of designated referral partners in Canada, following a 29% decrease in the list.

The list of organizations authorized to refer Canadian employers to Category A of the GTS has been trimmed down to 41, with 17 partners being removed.

Changes in Designated Referral Partners

The recent update by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) on September 15, 2026, revealed the revised list of designated referral partners for the Global Talent Stream.

Under Category A of the GTS, which is part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), both the employer and foreign worker must meet specific eligibility criteria before the employer can secure a positive LMIA to support the worker’s work permit application.

Through the GTS, employers and foreign workers can benefit from faster processing times, with the government aiming to process both LMIAs and work permits within 10 business days for 80% of cases.

Organizations No Longer Listed as Referral Partners

The removal of designated referral partners has impacted various regions, with Ontario experiencing the highest number of removals, accounting for eight out of the 17 organizations removed. Here are some of the organizations that are no longer listed:

Organization	Region
Kootenay Association for Science & Technology	British Columbia
Launch Academy
Tech Manitoba	Manitoba