In response to the political strictures imposed by Beijing authorities following the implementation of Hong Kong‘s national security law, Canada‘s recently introduced new immigration policy has been welcomed by the local Hong Kong community. Data shows that the number of Hong Kong applicants for Canadian visas has jumped by 20% in the past year. Canada has become the preferred country for Hong Kong people to move to.
As the Chinese Communist Party‘s control over Hong Kong becomes increasingly tight, many Hong Kong people are eager to settle in another country. Immigration Canada figures show that visa applications from Hong Kong increased by more than 20 per cent to 10,819 in 2020. For many Hong Kong people, Canada is the top choice in mind over the UK if they can afford to leave.
The UK’s new BNO passport system has been accepting applications since February 4. Eligible Hong Kong people and dependents can apply for visas to live and work in the UK for up to five years, and then apply for settled status when they have completed five years.
Starting February 8, college graduates who have completed a post-secondary program in Hong Kong within the last five years or who hold foreign equivalent qualifications may also apply for a three-year work visa to move to Canada. In addition, Hong Kong residents with one or more years of Canadian work experience and those who have completed a post-secondary program in Canada can apply directly to become permanent residents.
Assist Hong Kong people to apply for asylum in Canada, “New Hong Kong Cultural Association” said Uncle Hung, the British and Canadian systems have their advantages, but to immigrate to the United Kingdom pocket needs more assets: “You need to have some financial strength to get the British identity, because the application to the United Kingdom has been more expensive than Canada is three times more expensive, and during the period of living and working in the UK is not entitled to social benefits. But not in Canada, once you get a visa to enter Canada, you are entitled to health care and other benefits, and there is less financial pressure.”
Emma Chan, who has organized many pro-democracy activities in Hong Kong, said that the economic conditions, educational environment and cultural inclusiveness in Canada make Hong Kong people feel more comfortable than in the UK. She has a friend who lived in the UK more than a decade ago, but later found it difficult to find a job in the UK and returned to Hong Kong, and then migrated to Canada at the end of last year: “The UK is not the first choice for Hong Kong, they find it easier to find a job in Canada, and the UK discriminates heavily against people from other places, but Canada is a pluralistic country with a higher degree of acceptance of outsiders. “
In both the 1980s and 1990s, Hong Kong people emigrated to Canada in large numbers for fear of political unrest. There are 300,000 registered Canadian citizens in Hong Kong, and if you add in the undeclared, it’s estimated that there could be nearly half a million.
“Hong Kong-Canada” Chairman Yvonne Fung said that the National Security Act has further touched the nerve of Hong Kong people to emigrate overseas, and many Hong Kong people in Hong Kong or already in Canada are eager to obtain Canadian immigration status as soon as possible, so “Hong Kong-Canada” will be held on Saturday “Therefore, the Hong Kong-Canada Coalition will hold a forum on Saturday on the new Canadian immigration policy for Hong Kong, inviting members of Parliament and immigration consultants to explain the details of the policy. Social media is full of posts about the application process and the search for schools, real estate and jobs for Hong Kong people immigrating to Canada.
Uncle Hung also said that Canada is a good haven for people who want to leave the Chinese Communist Party, and that the Hong Kong community in Canada is pooling its resources to help Hong Kong people.
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