Process of work permit

[shelleydalyce]

Hello,
could somebody please help me (inbox messages accepted!)...
my boyfriend is an American citizen who came to Canada but where I was living at the time was not able to get a job offer and apparently extended his stay illegally. Border officers said he cannot return without a work permit....
I have since relocated to Ontario.
He is in the electrical trade and we have been looking into the process of a work permit but the CIC website isn't easy to understand.

What are the requirements? Does he really need 10 grand in the bank to qualify?!? That's insane...

Please help! So lost an confused...