CACN - Facilitation Measures Based on Existing Programs - Nov 16, 2020

Key Messages

The Canadian mission in Hong Kong is prepared to support Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their family members by processing requests for passports, travel documents, and other documents as needed.
The Department has increased promotion of existing pathways that are available to Hong Kong residents, and is implementing additional facilitation measures to support applications by those who wish to come to Canada.
These measures build on Canada’s existing extensive array of pathways that Hong Kong residents can use to come to Canada either temporarily or permanently, including for work, to study, for permanent immigration, or for family reunification.

Despite the introduction of the new security law in Hong Kong, there has been no obvious increase in demand for travel document and passport services among Canadian citizens and permanent residents residing in Hong Kong.
Since late last year, the Consulate General of Canada in Hong Kong has been undertaking contingency planning to ensure that emergency passport services can be provided if needed. Also, throughout the last year, Canada’s mission completed a robust outreach campaign encouraging Canadian citizens working, studying and living in Hong Kong to ensure that they have valid Canadian travel documents.

Compared to many of our likeminded partners, Canada already has an extensive array of pathways that Hong Kong residents can use to come to Canada either temporarily or permanently, including for work, to study, for permanent immigration, or for family reunification.
The Department is implementing a number of measures to promote and facilitate our existing programs for Hong Kong residents. These include:
- As part of the Department’s response to COVID-19, Hong Kong residents and all foreign nationals already in Canada on a temporary basis are able to extend their stay in Canada. In addition, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will waive the cost of processing fees related to renewing their status in Canada.
- Increasing promotion and recruitment efforts to attract Hong Kong youth to study in Canada and for other programs, including International Experience Canada.
- Processing Hong Kong work and study permit applications on a priority basis.
- Increasing promotion of super visas, which are multi-entry visas for parents and grandparents of Canadians or permanent residents that allow for multiple entries to Canada of up to 2 years at a time for a period of up to 10 years.
- Processing Hong Kong permanent residence applications on a priority basis.
- Increasing outreach and promotion efforts to qualifying permanent residents regarding pre-arrival and in-country settlement information and services to increase awareness of these supports.

As we continue to face public health challenges related to the pandemic, our current border restrictions do impact some of these new measures my Department is implementing, along with impacts on existing pathways.
Canadians and permanent residents living in Hong Kong can return to Canada at any time, despite the pandemic, and the Department will facilitate processing of necessary travel document as required for those who choose to return.
Hong Kong residents who may be allowed to travel to Canada through existing border-related exemptions include immediate family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents, such as spouses, common-law partners, dependent children or parents or step-parents. Extended family members, including grandparents, are also allowed to travel to Canada provided they receive authorization from IRCC. International students who are enrolled in a Designated Learning Institute (DLI) with approved COVID-19 readiness plans are also now eligible to travel to Canada.
All foreign nationals continue to be required to have the required immigration documentation to enter Canada such as a visa or an electronic travel authorization.
While other Hong Kong residents may not be able to travel to Canada at this time, the Department is making efforts to expedite work permit and permanent residence applications from Hong Kong residents. We hope this will give them the assurance and time to plan for a move to Canada.

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and British National Overseas (BN(O)) passport holders are visa exempt for travel to Canada, however, require an electronic travel authorization.
There are an estimated 300,000 Canadian citizens in Hong Kong and an unknown number of permanent residents.
China does not recognize dual citizenship or dual nationality, and Hong Kong residents holding both Canada and HKSAR and/or BN(O) passports may not be considered “Canadians” for the purposes of China’s statistics and policies.
Overall, Canada admitted 1,540 new permanent residents from Hong Kong in 2019, of which 56% were sponsored family, 43% as economic immigrants, and 1% under other.
Admission of permanent residents from Hong Kong under the Economic Class has increased in recent years, from 375 in 2015 to a total of 655 in 2019. The increase has been mostly through the Provincial Nominee Program.
The number of new permanent residents from Hong Kong admitted as sponsored family has also increased, from 505 in 2015 to 860 in 2019.
There is currently no specific federal permanent resident pathway for immigrant investors, but annual admissions of business immigrants from Hong Kong continues through the Start-up Visa (SUV) Class (with 50 new permanent residents from Hong Kong admitted through SUV between 2017 and 2019).

The majority of facilitative measures for Hong Kong will be implemented by the Department immediately following the public announcement of Canada’s measures. Measures that require a public policy will come into effect once the required public policy is signed.
Since early July, the Consulate General has been running online seminars every two weeks on economic and study programs. Sessions have been well attended and are promoted on mission social media.
Current processing times at the IRCC Hong Kong office have lengthened beyond both departmental standards and pre-COVID norms given the impact of the pandemic and the limited ability of clients to enter Canada. However, IRCC is working to bring times back within standards and to prioritize Hong Kong applicants in accordance with changes to the travel restrictions.
Parents and grandparents are eligible to apply for Super Visas, a multi-entry visa that is valid for a period of up to 10 years and enable its holder to stay in Canada up to 2 year at a time.
Canada and Hong Kong have a youth mobility arrangement. The quota for Hong Kong under the International Experience Canada (IEC) program is 200. Processing of new applications to come to Canada has been on hold for IEC country partners due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Hong Kong youth who have been approved to take part in IEC may only come to Canada if they have a current and active offer of employment.