According to a report by CityNews, the Canadian federal government is actively assisting Hong Kong residents to stay in Canada by proposing one of its safe haven programs, which is expected to begin accepting applications next Monday (8).
The program is available to Hong Kong residents who have received a Canadian post-secondary diploma or degree in the past five years, or an equivalent foreign certificate, and who are eligible for a three-year work visa and may eventually be granted permanent residency in Canada.
Given the restrictions on entry caused by the Epidemic, it is expected that most of the first to benefit will be Hong Kong residents already in Canada, although the program will apply to both Hong Kong residents currently living in Hong Kong and Hong Kong residents already living in Canada.
Canadian Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said in a statement that the flexible and open work visa is a fast track to permanent residency and that Hong Kong residents will have a unique opportunity to develop their careers and help accelerate Canada’s economic recovery.
The other two haven programs include one for people with one year of work experience in Canada and another for recent university graduates who come directly from Hong Kong.
The programs were announced in the fall of 2020, but the Canadian government is taking more action in response to the Chinese government’s move to impose new laws and measures on Hong Kong.
The federal government plans to open work visa applications to eligible Hong Kong residents next Monday, but the Chinese government appears to be pressuring the more than 300,000 Hong Kong residents who also hold Canadian citizenship to choose only one nationality.
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