The Canadian government made a declaration regarding continued immigration support for Hong Kong residents in Canada.
In 2021, IRCC created two pathways for permanent accommodation for Hong Kong residents in Canada who have either worked or studied there.
Stream A has been opened for Hong Kong inhabitants who have graduated/ qualified from post-secondary learning institutions over the last three years.
Moreover, Stream B is open for former Hong Kong inhabitants who have graduated/ qualified from a post-secondary learning institution either in Canada or abroad & have at least one year of relevant work experience in Canada.
On August 15, IRCC will remove educational requirements from Stream B, implying that as long as applicants have one year of work experience in Canada, they are eligible to apply for PR. Well, this will not only allow more Hong Kong residents in Canada to get a PR but will also ease the application process.
In addition, Stream B’s expansion will also help fill the labor gaps with Hong Kong residents having relevant Canadian work experience.
Hong Kong Residents In Canada
Hong Kong is one of the significant sources of newcomers/ immigrants. As per the Statistics Canada 2021 census data, there were almost 213,855 newcomers/ immigrants in Canada who put Hong Kong as their place of birth, thus making it one of the top 5 Asian nations for Canadian immigration.
The data further shows that Canada welcomed 3,750 new permanent inhabitants from Hong Kong between January & November 2022. Moreover, 8,705 study permits were issued to international students from Hong Kong during the same time frame. Furthermore, 8,795 work permits were issued to international workers under IMP 2022.
Extended Work Permits For Hong Kong Residents
This year, in February, Sean Fraser declared that Canada was expanding its open work permit options for Hong Kong nationals for 2 years. So, in order to be eligible, Hong Kong inhabitants must have graduated/ qualified with a post-secondary degree/ diploma in the last ten years. Moreover, they may also hold an equivalent foreign credential for which they can receive an ECA. The post-secondary diploma program should last for at least two years.
Hong Kong residents who reside temporarily as students, professionals, or visitors can apply online.