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Canada targets Hong Kong’s young and well-educated, grants 1,700 permanent residence and 33,000 work, study permits under new migration schemes
- ‘Extensive efforts’ to lure young Hongkongers pay off as Canada issues over 17,000 open work permits
- More than nine in 10 who sought PR relied on their Canadian educational qualifications to apply
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Canada has granted permanent residence to 1,700 Hongkongers and nearly 33,000 work and study permits to others under easy immigration pathways unveiled after Beijing imposed the national security law on the city.
It has become a top destination for Hong Kong residents wishing to leave, with about 17,000 applying for open work permits and less than 16,000 seeking study visas.
The city has experienced a wave of emigration since Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia eased their immigration rules for residents in response to Beijing imposing the national security law in June 2020.
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Canada’s policies have been the easiest, targeting young people, recent graduates and those who study there.
It announced “permanent residence pathways for Hong Kong residents” in June 2021. Hong Kong graduates who studied in Canada or those who have worked there for at least a year after attaining postsecondary qualifications within the past five years may apply for permanent residence.
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