Program to attract tech workers from the U.S. hits capacity one day after opening

A government program meant to attract highly skilled tech workers from the U.S. closed for applications the day after it launched when it hit its maximum number of applicants.

Last month, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced a new work permit for H-1B visa holders in the U.S. — part of a larger federal government strategy to poach talent from abroad.

H-1B visas allow foreign nationals to work temporarily in the U.S. in certain specialized occupations, including some in the technology sector.

Tech companies went on a hiring binge during the pandemic but have since starting laying people off in large numbers. That has left a lot of H-1B visa holders scrambling to find new jobs before they're forced to leave the U.S.

Applications for the work permits opened on Sunday. By Monday the program had reached capacity, with 10,000 applicants bidding for a permit.

"This temporary policy will last for 1 year or until we get 10,000 applications (whichever comes first)," the program's website says.

The program is a response to massive layoffs in the U.S. tech industry. Since last summer, hundreds of thousands of workers have been laid off from such major firms as Google, Microsoft and Amazon.

Fraser said he was watching the situation in the U.S. and saw it as an "opportunity" for Canada when he first announced the program.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said the high level of interest in the program shows how attractive Canada is to skilled workers.

"When it comes to attracting international talent, we remain a top destination," a spokesperson said in an email.

The program filled up at such a rapid pace that it drew the attention of Twitter owner Elon Musk. Replying to a tweet from a Twitter user flagging that the program was full, Musk responded with a "Wow."

Nick Schiavo, director of federal affairs for the Council of Canadian Innovators, said he's not surprised that applications filled up so quickly. He said the government should now consider expanding the program to more applicants.

"The more that we can pull from these highly qualified individuals that we know have the work experience, the skill set … the better," Schiavo said. "As this program develops, it would be great to see it expanded."

A source told CBC on background that while the government wants to see how the current program rolls out with the initial 10,000 applicants, it's open to adding more spaces in the future.

Immigration lawyer Mark Holthe said that if the government plans to expand the program, it should simplify the application process first.

"It was an absolute disaster," Holthe said, describing his efforts to help clients navigate their applications.

Holthe described encountering a glitch in the online portal that wouldn't allow the applicant to advance further in the application process. He also criticized the government for not providing clear instructions ahead of the portal opening.

"The application was not only a complete mystery to people before they started to log in, but as soon as they started to fill in the information there was one section that tripped up everyone," he said. "[It] didn't allow people to enter the information correctly."

Holthe said that a number of his clients abandoned their applications due to the burdensome process.

"People were left out in the dark to a large extent," he said.