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.
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.”
CBC reached out to Fraser’s office and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for comment but didn’t receive a response by publication time.
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