Canada’s new immigration path for Hongkongers attracts strong interest
- There have been nearly 6,000 applicants for the scheme in the three months since its launch
- The new visa rules were a response to a national security law imposed by China
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s new immigration pathway for Hong Kong residents has seen nearly 6,000 applicants three months since its launch, a spokesman for the country’s immigration ministry said on Thursday.
In November, the Canadian government said it would make it easier for Hong Kong youth to study and work in Canada in response to a new security law imposed by China on the city.
Under the new visa rules, any Hong Kong resident who has graduated from a Canadian university in the past five years can apply to work for up to three years.
Those with equivalent foreign credentials are also eligible.
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National Security Law: The impact on Hong Kong’s activists
This initiative, the first of three to target young Hong Kong residents, was launched on February 8 and has received 5,727 applications as of May 18, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada press secretary Alexander Cohen said in an email.