As per the announcement made by the Canadian government, Hong Kong residents in Canada continue to receive immigration support.
A new permanent resident program was introduced by IRCC in 2021. It allows Hong Kong citizens who worked or studied in Canada to get permanent residency.
For Stream A, you need to have completed your post-secondary education within three years in Canada.
Stream B is intended for former residents of Hong Kong who have graduated from a post-secondary educational institution in Canada or overseas. And have worked in Canada for at least one year.
By August 15th, when IRCC will eliminate the educational requirement from Stream B, Candidates with at least one year of work experience in Canada may apply for permanent residency. Aside from making it easier for Hong Kong citizens who worked in Canada to obtain permanent residency. The application process will also be simplified since documentation of Canadian or international academic credentials is no longer required.
The growth of Stream B also contributes to filling Canada’s labor shortage by providing residents of Hong Kong with valuable Canadian work experience.
Canada’s Hong Kong residents
Immigrants from Hong Kong are a major source of immigration to Canada. A total of 213,855 immigrants listed Hong Kong as their birthplace in the Statistics Canada 2021 Census. It makes Hong Kong one of the top five Asian immigrants to Canada.
In the period January to November 2022, 3,750 Hong Kong residents moved to Canada as permanent residents. While 8,705 study visas were granted to Hong Kong residents studying abroad. Over 8,795 overseas employees from Hong Kong were also granted work permits under the International Mobility Program in 2022.
Residents of Hong Kong can extend their work permits
Canadian immigration minister Sean Fraser announced in February that Canada would extend open work permit opportunities for Hong Kong residents for two more years. The qualification requirement for Hong Kong citizens has changed from five years to ten years of completion of a Canadian post-secondary degree or diploma. It may also be possible for them to apply for an evaluation of their educational credentials. If they hold a foreign certificate equivalent to their own. A postsecondary diploma program should last at least two years.
It is possible for Hong Kong residents temporarily residing in Canada to apply online from within the country as tourists, students, or workers.
