Canada continues to support the freedom and democracy of the people of Hong Kong. Hong Kongers have been able to enter Canada through designated immigration paths since 2021, and Canada is always trying to make these pathways better and make it simpler for them to live there permanently. The education requirement under the Canadian work experience stream (Stream B) of the Hong Kong permanent residence pathways has been eliminated starting as of today August 15, 2023. Because they would no longer be constrained by their educational status, more Hong Kongers with Canadian work experience will be eligible for permanent residency. Additionally, as candidates would no longer need to show documentation of their degree, the application procedure is made simpler.
This amendment helps Hong Kong citizens migrate from Canadian temporary to permanent residency and goes hand in hand with the recent increase and extension of open work licenses for Hong Kong residents. Canada will be able to draw persons with prior Canadian job experience by putting these procedures into place. This will provide competent people from Hong Kong the chance to contribute their special talents and experiences to Canada’s diversified workforce.
Hong Kong citizens now have access to two new permanent residence programs in Canada:
- Stream A: In-Canada Graduates
- Stream B: Canadian working experience
For B stream to be available to you, you must:
- Own a current passport issued by one of the following countries: United Kingdom to a British National (Overseas) as a person born, naturalized, or registered in Hong Kong
- Must be physically present in Canada at the time of application and must have a valid temporary resident status in Canada.
- Have a level 5 score on one of the following scales in all 4 abilities (reading, writing, hearing, and speaking) in either English or French- Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) and Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC)
- Want to reside in any province or territory of Canada other than Quebec.
- Minimum of 12 months of full-time employment, or an equivalent number of part-time hours, in Canada within the three years prior to your application.
Who is eligible to apply for this stream B?
For at least three years before to applying, you must have worked in Canada either full-time for at least 12 months, or part-time for at least an equivalent number of hours (at least 1,560 total). For these hours to be considered, you have to be legally permitted to work in Canada. This indicates that you were either in possession of a valid work permit or were not required to have one.
