Canada aims to increase immigration from Hong Kong

The Chinese security law imposed in Hong Kong has resulted in a wave of inquiries about Canadian Immigration by individuals and families desiring to emigrate from the city. Many such people are choosing Canada as their top immigration destination. In the backdrop of these events, the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has told the media that Canada will figure out different ways to intake more immigrants from Hong kong. As per the Census of 2016, an estimated 215,000 Canadians born in Hong Kong are living in Canada. And approximately 300,000 permanent residents and Canadian citizens are residing in Hong Kong. Also Read: 9 Easiest Ways to Immigrate to Canada Earlier in the 90s, immigrants from Hong Kong came to Canada through the Federal Entrepreneur Program or Immigrants Investor Program. Both these programs are discontinued by Canada. Immigrants coming to Canada from Hong Kong were rapidly declining in the previous years with only 900 people moving to Canada in 2015. However, interestingly, the number increased in 2019 when around 1,500 immigrants from Hong Kong moved to Canada.

How to immigrate to Canada from Hong Kong?

Canada offers a multitude of immigration programs for immigrants all over the world. People from Hong Kong can move to Canada through the following immigration pathways:

Express Entry

Express Entry is one of the popular immigration systems in Canada for skilled workers. Individuals living in Hong Kong can migrate to Canada through the Federal Skilled Worker Program of the Express Entry. They need to create an express entry profile and then they will be invited to apply for Canadian Permanent Residence according to the Comprehensive Ranking System score obtained by them. If a sibling is already living in Canada, applicants can get more points in the CRS score.

Family Class Programs

If the close family member of a Hong Kong national is residing in Canada, he or she gets an opportunity to settle in Canada through the Family Class immigration program.

Provincial Nominee Programs

Provincial Nominee Programs have become increasingly popular in some years. And almost every Canadian province and territory have their own PNPs through which they select talented workers as per their economic needs. Most of the individuals from Hong Kong live in the province of Ontario and British Columbia. Both these provinces actively conduct PNP draws and have been regular in inviting candidates even during the pandemic. British Columbia and Ontario run entrepreneur streams which provide an option for Hong Kong nationals to start a new business in Canada. So, Canada is expecting a rise in the number of immigrants coming from Hong Kong in the coming times. The government is also actively looking for ways to improve immigration pathways for Hong Kong immigrants.