In July, Canada opened applications for a pilot program that would allow up to 10,000 H-1B visa holders in the U.S. to apply for a three-year open-work permit in Canada. Since then, 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.