Immigration Update

On June 8, 2021, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced the opening of two (2) new programs offering a pathway to permanent residence for Hong Kong residents.

Both programs are only applicable to Hong Kong residents currently living in Canada.

The eligibility requirements for each program are as follows:

A: In-Canada Graduate Stream

• Applicants must have a valid passport issued by either the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China or by the United Kingdom to a British National (overseas) as a person born, naturalized, or registered in Hong Kong;

• The applicant must be physically present in Canada and have valid temporary resident status;

• The applicant must intend to live in Canada, in any province or territory outside of Quebec;

• The applicant must demonstrate moderate (benchmark level 5) language proficiency test scores in either English or French; and

• The applicant must have graduated with an eligible degree or diploma from a Canadian post-secondary institution within the last three (3) years.

B: Canadian Work Experience Stream

• Applicants must have a valid passport issued by either the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China or by the United Kingdom to a British National (overseas) as a person born, naturalized, or registered in Hong Kong;

• The applicant must be physically present in Canada and have valid temporary resident status;

• The applicant must intend to live in Canada, in any province or territory outside of Quebec;

• The applicant must demonstrate moderate (benchmark level 5) language proficiency test scores in either English or French;

• The applicant must have graduated within the last five (5) years with a post-secondary degree or diploma of at least one year in duration; and

• The applicant must have accumulated at least 12 months of full-time work experience in Canada within the last three (3) years.

These two new pathways are an excellent opportunity for Hong Kong residents to apply for permanent residence in Canada, particularly international students who have recently completed studies in Canada. IRCC has indicated that the public policy will be in effect until August 31st 2026. In addition to the above requirements there is extensive law and policy applicable to each application category.