Hong Kong Graduate? Come Work in Canada!

Last February 8, 2021, Canada launched an open work permit valid for three years for Hong Kong residents who have graduated with a degree or diploma in the last five years. The Canada Hong Kong work permit will allow these graduates to gain significant work experience in the country which will serve as a pathway to permanent residency.

Canada believes that many Hong Kong graduates have skills and talents that are beneficial for the country’s economic growth and will be valuable assets in the country’s workforce. The work experiences these graduates will gain from this Canada Hong Kong work permit will enable them to expedite their Canada Immigration Hong Kong application. This is because Canada’s Express Entry System highly favors candidates with work experience in the country.

Why is Canada Granting Open Work Permits to Hong Kong Graduates?

Last November 2020, the Minister of IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) Hon. Marco Mendicino announced new initiatives that will inspire the youth and students from Hong Kong to immigrate to Canada through the open work permit program. This initiative is in line with the country’s advocacy of granting asylum to those who have received persecution from their own homelands.

Furthermore, immigration minister Marco Mendicino also said that by opening its doors to Hong Kong graduates and skilled Hong Kong residents, the country will be able to accelerate its economic recovery. The program was created not only to strengthen the economy of Canada but also to deepen the ties between the people of the two countries. Having said, this program will surely increase the Canada Immigration Hong Kong applications.

Who is Eligible for This Program?

You are eligible to apply for the open work permit which is valid for up to three years if you are a Hong Kong citizen who has graduated with a diploma or a degree in Hongkong or abroad in the last five years. 

Check the details below if you are qualified to apply.

1. You must hold a valid Hong Kong passport which is issued by the HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) or the United Kingdom to a BNO (British National Overseas).

• Note that your work permit is valid for three years from the date of your approval or until the expiration of your passport, whichever comes first. 

• For instance, if your passport has only six months validity, your work permit will also be valid for only six months.

• Hence, to maximize your open work permit, be sure that your passport is valid for at least three years from the date you’ll be approved.

2. Your graduation should not be more than five years upon your application. Furthermore, you must also have:

• a 2-year diploma from a DLI (Designated Learning Institution) in Canada or abroad, or

• a degree from a DLI (Designated Learning Institution) in Canada or abroad.

What Are the Benefits of the Open Work Permit Program to Hong Kong Graduates?

Faster processing times for eligible Hong Kongers

Canada has introduced measures to make the processing of study or work permits faster for Hong Kong residents. Moreover, even family sponsorships are being prioritized by the government. This will allow Hong Kongers to apply for permanent residency and settle in the country faster.

Furthermore, residents of Hong Kong who are presently residing in Canada will have an exemption to pay a processing fee if they choose to extend their visas. The department of immigration will also resume the processing for IEC (International Experience Canada) applications which has been put on hold due to the pandemic the world is currently facing. Under the IEC, the IEC candidates and Hong Kong residents will be able to travel to Canada despite travel restrictions provided that they have a job offering in the country.

Easier transition for permanent residency

The Canadian permanent residency applications are managed by a system called Express Entry. With the Express Entry System, the Canadian government highly prefers people with work experience in the country. Hence, the open work permit program will allow recent graduates to gain significant work experiences in Canada and a chance to get their Canada immigration Hong Kong approval. 

The faster you transition from being a temporary visa holder to being a permanent resident, the faster you can build a good life for yourself and your family in the country. With this new program, the Canada Immigration Hong Kong approval will be easier to achieve. Hence, anyone who’s eligible for this program should take advantage of this rare opportunity immediately.

Better future for you and your family

Canada offers several benefits if you become a permanent resident or citizen. You’ll get to enjoy medical benefits, amazing job opportunities with a high salary, a great educational system, and reside in a naturally beautiful country with your family.

Fortunately, Canadian citizens enjoy free health care no matter what province they decide to settle in. The registration and health insurance care in the country is paid for by the Canadian government. This will enable you to be treated in almost all health care facilities in Canada for free.

Canada also offers one of the best job opportunities in the world. The median salary in Canada for 2021 according to Salary Explorer is 112,000 CAD (89,000 USD) per year. The median salary means that half of the population earns less than the indicated salary, while the other half earns more than the said salary.

In addition, Canada has always been consistent to be in the world’s ranking of best education systems. As per the US News report, Canada ranks third in the world for the best country for education in 2020.

Lastly, once you get your permanent residency, you’ll be eligible to sponsor your family to live with you in Canada. 

Canada is very friendly and welcoming of expatriates

Canada has a reputation to be very welcoming and friendly to expatriates, as well as those individuals who are seeking asylum because their human rights have been violated in their own countries.

As a matter of fact, one of the reasons why Canada is prioritizing the residents of Hong Kong to apply for this program is because of the National Security Law imposed by China towards the residents of Hong Kong. The law states that it would criminalize anyone who does subversion against the government of China, the secession of Hong Kong, and would treat the destruction of public structures or amenities as terrorism. This alarmed many of the residents of Hong Kong leading them to conduct several protests last year (2020).

It will be great for you and your family to move to Canada as there’s no language barrier in the country. As long as you know how to speak the English language, you’re good. Other countries that offer high salaries such as Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Germany, and other places in Europe require expats to learn the native language before they can apply for a job.

There are also strong systems and human rights laws to address discrimination in the country. So, anyone can practice his or her culture or religion freely in the country.

Canadian citizens hold one of the best passports in the world 

If you become a citizen or a passport holder of Canada, you’ll be able to enjoy having one of the strongest passports in the world. In an article published by CNN, Canada is currently 9th on the world’s ranking of the most powerful passport for the year 2021. Canadian passport holders can get to enjoy 183 visa-free destinations.

If traveling the world with no hassle in visa applications is your goal, then this is one strong motivation to have to apply for permanent residency and citizenship in Canada.

Alternative pathways to permanent residency in Canada

If you’re not eligible for the new open work permit, there are two more alternative pathways to permanent residency in Canada for Hong Kong residents which will be announced later this year. 

The first pathway will require Canadian work experience for at least one year. Additional requirements also include education and language qualifications.

The second pathway will be open to Hong Kong international students wherein right after graduating from a Canadian DLI (Designated Learning Institution), they can directly apply for permanent residency in Canada.

These two new pathways proposed by the Canadian government will be a great help to increase the approval rate of several Canada immigration Hong Kong applications.

How to Apply for Your Canadian Visa Easily

Applying for a work permit in a foreign country will require a lot of time and energy. You need to ensure that all the required documents are complete and authentic. In addition, you need to make sure you accomplished the application forms correctly. 

If you don’t want to go through all the stress involved during the application process, you can seek help from immigration specialists.

Hiring professionals will benefit you since these people have ample experience and skills to deal with all kinds of applications. Not only that your application will be a breeze, but your chances of getting approval will also increase since they know the dos and don’ts of the application process.

Contact our team at Great North Visa today!