How The U.S. Lost Thousands Of High-Skilled Workers To Canada

On July 16, 2023 Canada opened visa applications for a pilot program that would allow up to 10,000 H-1B visa holders in the United States to apply for a three year open-work permit in Canada. H-1B holders are highly educated and specialized foreign workers that work in fields such as tech.

After massive layoffs in the tech industry, this was a lifeline for H-1B holders who needed to find a new job or face deportation. The program was an instant success reaching its full capacity on the first day.

Since then, the Canadian government says more than 6,000 high-skilled U.S. foreign workers have arrived in Canada. CNBC spoke with several foreign tech workers and immigration consultants to uncover the story of how the U.S.’s bureaucratic visa process pushed thousands of high-skilled workers north.