Middle-aged Hongkongers among sharp increase of students heading to Canada, hoping to emigrate
- 4,915 obtain study permits in nine months, many hope to qualify for easier migration pathways
- Hongkongers eager to start studies soon to ensure they meet 2026 deadline for Canada’s offer
Education and emigration consultants told the Post they had been handling an unprecedented number of inquiries this year from people keen to go to Canada.
They were surprised to see many middle-aged people, including some in their 50s and 60s, asking about returning to school, in the hope of taking the education route to settling down there.
Official figures from Canada showed that 4,915 Hongkongers obtained study permits from January to September, up sharply from 1,975 in the first three quarters of last year.
Of the total, 1,670 permits were issued in August alone, a new monthly record since 2015 and more than a threefold increase from the 520 in August last year.
From 2015 to 2020, Canada issued about 200 study permits every month. The monthly figure soared to around 630 on average from March to September this year.