Canada lifts education requirement for immigrants from Hong Kong

Vancouver resident Calvin Wong says he can finally envision a future Canada after the federal government announced it would scrap educational requirements for Hong Kongers seeking permanent residency in the wake of the Chinese city’s crackdown on dissent.

Wong, 28, graduated from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2017 with a degree in computer science before moving to Canada on a work permit in 2021, seeking a life where he can enjoy “political freedom”.

But immigration routes for Hong Kong residents that allowed thousands to settle permanently Canada Wong excluded because it has been more than five years since he graduated.

That will change from August 15, after Ottawa announced on Tuesday that it would scrap all educational requirements for people with at least one year of work experience in Canada.

Immigration advisers say the move will in fact open roads for Hong Kongers of all ages, rather than the current focus on students and recent graduates. They said they had been inundated with questions since the announcement.

“It is a very good move by the Canadian government and I can eventually get permanent residency, contribute and live here Canada safe,” Wong said, his voice breaking with emotion.

The shop assistant said the chance of permanent residency was a “huge relief”, and his decision to move to Canada was something he “would never regret.”

In 2021, the federal government created two immigration pathways for Hong Kong residents who had worked or studied there Canada.

The trails came in response to a crackdown on political dissidents after protests took millions to the streets of Hong Kong in 2019, followed by the introduction of a tough new national security law in 2020.

Stream A applies to former residents of Hong Kong who have graduated from a post-secondary institution Canada within three years. People with at least one year of work experience Canada those graduating from a foreign or Canadian institution within five years could apply for Stream B.

The changes open Stream B to anyone with one year of work experience Canadaregardless of education.

Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, said the change was a “win-win situation”.

“(It) means we can welcome more Hong Kongers Canada who need our support, while at the same time helping Canadian companies fill job gaps with employees who already have work experience here,” he said in a statement.

The announcement by the Ministry of Fraser said Canada “continues to stand by the people of Hong Kong and support their freedom and democracy.”

Canada has welcomed 3,122 permanent residents under its two trajectories as of April 30, 2023.

Wong said he was depressed by the exclusion under the current rules.

“I found it very difficult to plan my future at that time. I thought: where should I go? Do I have to do my best to stay inside Canada or go to the United Kingdom?” said Wong.

Wong said he can now plan for the future and will submit his immigration application once he completes his one-year work experience Canada.

Vancouver-based immigration adviser Peter Pang said the move is a “massive change” that will provide Hong Kongers with more opportunities to contribute to Canada.

Immigration adviser Ken Tin Lok Wong of Richmond, BC, said that while current rules don’t prohibit older people, the time limits since graduation had in fact set a bar.

Being a graduate within the past five years generally meant that stream B applicants weren’t particularly old and were “of working age,” he said.

Wong said he had some customers ready to pack their bags and leave Canada. But they now felt they had “hit the jackpot.”

“The announcement feels like Canada helps retain Hong Kongers regardless of their education,” he said.

“So, if you happen to be a legal employee in Canadaif you happen to gain a year of work experience, then you are done.”