Canada scraps tertiary education requirement for easier permanent residency application for Hongkongers

Canada announced on Tuesday (Jul 11) that the tertiary education requirement under the work experience stream of the “Hong Kong Pathway” immigration scheme will be scraped starting August 15, allowing all Hongkongers to apply for permanent residency after working there for a year. 

Apart from those holding an open work permit (OWP), Hongkongers with a working holiday visa and other work visas can also apply for permanent residency under the scheme’s Stream B Canadian work experience if they fulfill the one-year work requirement. 

Hongkongers can also choose to work for 1,560 part-time hours in the three years before submitting an application. 

Currently, only Hongkongers who have graduated from post-secondary institutions no more than ten years can apply for an OWP and then for permanent residency under the scheme’s Stream B after having worked for a year. 

As of this April, a total of 3,122 Hongkongers have immigrated to Canada under the scheme. 

Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser said the new move is a win-win situation as it provides support to Hongkongers in need and allows Canadian companies to import experienced workers and tackle labor shortage. 

The application for the OWP was earlier extended to February 7, 2025. The deadline for the Hong Kong Pathway scheme is August 31, 2026. 

Click here for more information.