On February 6, 2023, the Government of Canada extended the Ottawa open work permit program for eligible Hong Kong nationals. According to the expanded eligibility requirements, Hong Kong residents who have graduated within the past ten years from a post-secondary learning institution in Canada or abroad can obtain a work permit for up to 3 years.
Before, only those who had graduated within the last five years were eligible for application. Moreover, Canada has created two pathways to permanent residency for qualified Hong Kong nationals and their families.
Immigration Minister Honourable Sean Fraser, “expanding the open work permit public policy also means that spouses, common-law partners, and dependent children of Hong Kong residents can apply for a study or work permit in Canada, resulting in even more workers for employers to hire and more people coming to our communities.”
“We need to continue to bring in more immigrants to ensure that Canadian business owners can hire the workers they need to support our economy.”
In November 2020, Ottawa committed to creating a program for immigrants from Hong Kong to immigrate to Canada. The federal government announced two additional routes to permanent residency for Hong Kong residents in June 2021, shortly after the work-permit plan went into effect.
The two routes are typically referred to as Stream A and Stream B.
For Stream A, candidates must have completed their post-secondary education in Canada within the previous three years.
For Stream B, applicants must have at least one year of work experience in Canada and a recent post-secondary degree from a Canadian post-secondary institution or its foreign equivalent.
Those who applied for an open work permit are advised to proceed through Stream B, and because applicants had to have graduated within the previous five years, by the time they applied for that permanent residency option, those on the open work permit might have outgrown that criterion.
Want to know more details about the “Ottawa open work permit program extended for Hong Kong nationals” you can contact one of our immigration specialists at Gunness & Associates.
Tel: (416) 604-2669
Email: info@immigrationmatters.info
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