Education requirements dropped from Stream B of Hong Kong Pathway to PR
Posted on 14/07/2023
If you’re a Hong Konger now working in Canada, or planning to, under the Canadian Work Experience stream of the Hong Kong pathway to permanent residence, then we’ve got good news. The post-secondary education requirements of that stream have been dropped by IRCC.
Canada has announced a further modification to the Hong Kong pathway to Permanent Residence, originally announced in 2021 and modified since then. As we discussed here at MaxCan Visa, the program involves two streams:
- The In-Canada Graduates stream (Stream A) for Hong Kong residents who have completed a post-secondary degree at a Designated Learning Institute in Canada.
- The Canadian Work Experience stream (Stream B) for Hong Kong residents who have completed a post-secondary education and have worked for at least the equivalent of 1 full-time year (1,560 hours) in Canada.
The latest change is for the Canadian Work Experience Stream, also called Stream B. You now do not have to have a post-secondary degree or diploma to qualify, starting August 15, 2023.
This means several things:
- More Hong Kongers with Canadian work experience will become eligible for permanent residency.
- Removing the education requirements from Stream B will simplify and therefore hopefully speed up the process.
- More skilled Hong Kongers working in Canada will contribute to filling the gaps in the job market that are currently facing Canadian employers.
A few more points to remember:
- The Pathway to Permanent Residence program for Hong Kongers will continue until August 31, 2026.
- Hong Kong residents have until February 7, 2025 to apply for the expanded Open Work Permits we talked about here at MaxCan visa.
- Hong Kong residents who fled to other countries as a result of the situation in Hong Kong can also apply to come to Canada through private or Canadian government sponsored refugee programs.
Posted in News Tips and tagged Hong Kong PR, Stream A, Streams B
