The Canadian government had recently made an announcement about the ongoing support for Hong Kong residents who are seeking immigration to Canada.
In 2021, the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) established two pathways to permanent residence specifically for Hong Kong residents who have either studied or worked in Canada.
Stream A was designed for former Hong Kong residents who have graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution within the past three years.
Stream B, on the other hand, was created for former Hong Kong residents who have completed their education in a Canadian or foreign post-secondary institution and possess at least one year of work experience in Canada.
Starting from August 15th, IRCC will eliminate the educational requirement from Stream B. This means that as long as a candidate has accumulated a minimum of one year of work experience in Canada, they will be eligible to apply for permanent residence. This change not only broadens the opportunity for more Hong Kong residents with Canadian work experience to obtain permanent residency, but it also simplifies the application process by no longer necessitating proof of Canadian or foreign educational credentials.
The expansion of Stream B is also beneficial in addressing labor shortages in the Canadian job market by welcoming Hong Kong residents who possess valuable Canadian work experience.
Hong Kong residents form a significant portion of Canada’s immigrant population. According to the 2021 census data from Statistics Canada, there were 213,855 immigrants in Canada who identified Hong Kong as their place of birth, making it one of the top most five Asian source countries for Canadian immigrants.
Furthermore, data indicates that between January and November of 2022, Canada welcomed 3,750 new permanent residents from Hong Kong. During the same period, 8,705 study permits were issued to international students from Hong Kong, and 8,795 work permits were granted to foreign workers from Hong Kong through the International Mobility Program in 2022.
In February of this year, Sean Fraser, the responsible minister, announced an extension of open work permit options for Hong Kong nationals for an additional two years.
