New Global Skills Strategy will bring global talent to Canada’s universities

OTTAWA – Canada’s universities welcome today’s launch of the new Global Skills Strategy, which supports universities’ efforts to attract and retain top researchers and innovators from around the world.

Launched by Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains and Rodger Cuzner, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, the Global Skills Strategy includes a work-permit exemption for foreign faculty and researchers coming to Canadian campuses for short academic stays up to a maximum of 120 days.  This new measure will streamline the process for visiting academics, enabling the brightest minds from around the world to contribute to Canada’s research and innovation community.

Canada’s universities also welcome the inclusion of leading researchers in the strategy’s dedicated service channel for processing arrivals to Canada. This immigration concierge service will be made available to Canadian universities’ top recruits coming to Canada as holders of federally-funded research chairs.

“The federal government recognizes the important role Canadian universities play in ensuring Canada can compete in the global research and innovation race,” says Paul Davidson, president of Universities Canada. “These measures will make Canadian universities even more attractive to the brightest minds in the world, building universities’ capacity to advance knowledge, foster innovation and build prosperity.”

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