Canada wants skilled American workers and they’re very interested

The Government of Canada launched a program to attract skilled technology workers in America to Canada but had to close the application process after just one day of being active. 

The reason why the government closed the application process only one day after it had launched was because the program quickly reached its maximum number of applicants. 

In late June, Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced a new work permit for H1-B visa holders as part of a larger strategy to attract skilled workers to the country. 

CBC News noted H1-B visas allow foreign nationals to work in the U.S. for a set period of time based on their specialization in certain fields, one of which includes the tech sector. 

Tech went on a heavy hiring spree south of the border during the pandemic but many of those positions have been caught up in the mass layoffs that have taken place since. 

This has left some H-1B visa holders in the United States scrambling to find work before they have to leave the country and its very workers Canada was hoping to target. 

The government plan aimed to create a work permit stream allowing 10,000 H-1B visa holders to come to Canada and work and wouldn’t close until the target number was hit. 

"We’re enthusiastic about the ambitious goals we have set in immigration because they aren’t just about numbers—they are strategic,” Minister Fraser said in a press release. 

“With Canada’s first-ever immigration Tech Talent Strategy, we’re targeting newcomers that can help enshrine Canada as a world leader in a variety of emerging technologies,” Fraser added. 

It only took about one day for the program to reach 10,000 applications and the process was quickly shuttered as the government reached a target it thought would take longer. 

A spokesperson from the government program wrote in an email to CBC News: "When it comes to attracting international talent, we remain a top destination.” But is that true?

Demand from workers to come to Canada is quite high and that was exemplified by the quick pace at which applications to the program targeting H-1B visa holders in the U.S. 

One reason why Canada’s program proved to be so popular according to an applicant that spoke with BBC News was because it evened the playing field and offered opportunity. 

"For the past three years, I've had recruiters from major companies reach out to me, 10 to 20 a week," claimed H-1B visa holder Leon Yang, though he added once companies found out about his visa they would often walk away from him as a possible candidate. 

"I will be treated not equal, but fair compared to other competitors in the job market and that's one of the things I've missed so much in the past three years," Yang told the BBC. 

Canada’s digital strategy is also targeting American workers and other foreign nationals with a digital nomad visa as well as an innovation stream under Canada's International Mobility Program in order to attract highly skilled individuals to the country’s workforce.