CACN – IRCC & China Profile - Nov 16, 2020

Environment

Epidemiologic

• Hong Kong is past a COVID “third wave” and the HK government is gradually removing physical distancing measures. Beijing’s emergency response has been lowered to level III since July 20 as there are no longer any medium/high-risk zones. In early October, China tested the entire city of Qingdao with a 9 million population in a 5-day period upon discovery of a dozen of cases linked to a hospital. Since October 24, the entire city of Kasghar in Xinjiang province is being tested upon discovery of one asymptomatic case during routine testing as per State media. Thus far, 178 asymptomatic cases have been discovered.

International outbound travel

• Under China’s Five Ones policy, Chinese airlines were initially permitted to maintain one route to any specific country once per week, including Canada. Foreign airlines are each permitted to maintain one route to China once per week and may apply for a 2nd weekly flight as long as it can show that no positive case was imported to China during the last 30-day period. Currently, weekly flights serve eight routes between Canada and Mainland China. Air Canada has twice weekly flights between Vancouver and Shanghai (via Seoul). There are currently 11 flights per week between Hong Kong and Canada.

International inbound travel

• China has suspended entry of all foreign nationals, with exemptions given on case-by-case basis. Foreign nationals holding valid Chinese residence permits for work, personal matters and reunion are allowed to enter China with no need for applying for new visas. Currently, all travellers are required to present a negative COVID test certificate issued within 3 days of boarding for purpose of travelling from Canada to China directly. On October 31, the Embassy of China in Canada has issued notice to require Nucleic Acid and IgM antibody test within two days before boarding and to provide certificate of negative result of both tests; this requirement is to be effective on November 7. Hong Kong Government’s announced that it will permit transit through the HK International Airport from June 1.

China Network Operations Overview

• Mainland China missions have returned to normal operations. IRCC Hong Kong has returned to normal operations.
• All 11 VACs in the China Network are currently open, offering limited services. The Wuhan VAC reopened on September 21. Hong Kong VAC has slightly reduced hours.
• 27 CBS in Mainland China and 8 CBS in Hong Kong.

Staffing Impact

Current Situation

• On June 3, the Greater China Network FSD64 order was revoked for all CBS and dependents except those considered to be vulnerable.

Typical # of CBS at Mission

Mainland China: 30
Hong Kong: 8

Current # of CBS at Mission

Mainland China: 27
Hong Kong: 8

Typical # of LES at Mission

Mainland China: 131
Hong Kong: 52

Current # of LES at Mission

Mainland China: 113^{Footnote *}
Hong Kong: 51^{Footnote **}

Engagement

• IRCC offices in Beijing and Hong Kong maintain regular contact with IOM, UNHCR, Migration Five (M5) and other missions for liaison and information sharing.
• IRCC Beijing, along with GAC Trade team, maintain regular meetings/ briefings with representatives from Destination Canada.
• Regular online outreach sessions are being conducted by IRCC Beijing (students) and Hong Kong (economic migration and students). All China Network missions participate in Promotion and Recruitment activities, meeting with stakeholders in the Education and Tourism sector, including Tourism promotion agencies, education institutions, companies or employers as they visit China. Hong Kong participates in GAC-led study fairs in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Temporary Resident Visas

• Centralised Network processes all visitor and student e-Applications, most VAC CAN+, and 60+ applications. All remaining VAC applications and work permit e-applications are processed by the China network Migration Offices.
• While Hong Kong SAR and Taiwanese passport holders are TRV-exempt, IRCC Hong Kong processes SPs and WPs for these clients and other visa-exempt clients, as well as eTAs that have dropped out from centralized processing in Canada.

Permanent Resident Visas

• IRCC Hong Kong is responsible for Permanent Resident applications from all of mainland China (except adoptions). With an annual target of about 12.6K persons in 2019. The program is the third largest amongst the overseas offices, contributing nearly 9% of the International Network allocation.
• [redacted]

Operations Impact

Integrated Network:

• IRCC mainland offices process TR applications as per integrated network pre-COVID’s workload arrangement and within constraints of MI. Exceptional cases (i.e. Exemptions to OiCs) are being processed on an expedited/urgent basis.
• IRCC Hong Kong is processing TR and PR applications within the constraints of the MIs.
• With Greater China offices in full operation, having all LES and CBS able to return to offices, support has been provided to IN and the department through multiple specific projects, including FC digitization, Sub-Saharan Africa economic PR and SP processing, e-PRTD file creation and processing, China and India SDS processing, and correspondence uploading for the India Network.
• CN continues to ramp up remote access to minimize impact of operations, priority has be placed on the Critical Workload as identified by the Department.

Centralized Network (CN)

• As of July 1st, the processing halt for TRVs has been lifted. However, those that meet the travel exemptions are still being prioritized.
  • [redacted]
• Intake for the week of October 24th was ~382 for TRVs and ~196 for SPs
• Output for the week of October 24th was ~822 for TRVs and ~49 for SPs

VACs

• All 11 VACs in Mainland China are open. The Wuhan VAC reopened on September 21.
• VACS in Mainland China are open for limited hours; 8 VACS are now open 4 hours per day. Biometrics are by appointment only. There are no in person applications and passport transmission is by courier only.
• The Hong Kong VAC is open. Hong Kong VAC is also the hub for VACS in Ulaanbaatar and Taipei which are open. All three have variously reduced hours at present.

Temporary Resident applications (TRV, SP & WP, no extensions/visitor records)

Canada-China Relations

Mainland China

• On 21JUN20, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who have been detained in China since 10DEC18, were formally charged with spying by China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate.
• On 27MAY20, a B.C. Supreme Court judge declared that the U.S. offences against Meng Wanzhou would be considered a crime if they occurred in Canada thus allowing the trial to continue. The judge will now hold hearings to determine if extradition is warranted based on the evidence provided. The hearings continue to place significant stress on Canada-China relations. China has detained two Canadians in response and placed duties on certain Canadian imports. Canada calls for the immediate release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, and for clemency for Robert Schellenberg, who is facing the death penalty.
• Strong people-to-people ties link Canada and China. Chinese is Canada’s third most spoken language after English and French, and immigrants born in China (including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) form one of the largest groups within Canada’s immigrant population. Growing tourism flows and ongoing cultural exchanges enrich bilateral linkages.
• The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service has identified significant commercial opportunities for Canadian companies in key sectors that are well suited to Canadian capabilities and interests. These include: aerospace, agriculture and agri-food, clean technology, education, mining and energy, engineering, design and infrastructure services, health services and life sciences. Numerous trade activities picked up in Fall relating to oil & gas, mining, airport equipment, aerospace, infrastructure and natural health products sectors. Trade teams along with provincial representatives (Ontario, Quebec) actively participated both in-person and virtual trade show or webinar in above sectors in addition to education events.

Hong Kong SAR

• Hong Kong boasts one of the largest Canadian communities abroad (an estimated 300,000 people). This community, along with the significant number of Canadians of Hong Kong descent in Canada, plays an important role in building vibrant bilateral relations.
• Hong Kong ranks third as a global destination for Canadian exports of services, with these services worth $2.9 billion in 2017; financial, engineering, information technology and professional services are predominant.
• In JUN2019 civil unrest began in opposition to a bill allowing criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China. Protests evolved to encompass demands for broader democratic reforms and an independent investigation into police treatment of protestors.
• On 30JUN20, the national security law (NSL) came into force. It gives wide powers to both Hong Kong and Mainland authorities to pursue cases related to treason, secession, subversion and terrorism and introduces a new legal superstructure, linked directly to the leadership in Beijing, for national security law enforcement into Hong Kong’s executive, police and judicial systems.
• On 03JUL20, Canada announced suspension of extradition treaty with Hong Kong as well as halting exports to Hong Kong of sensitive military and dual-use goods. Travel advisory for Hong Kong also changed to warn of increased risk of arbitrary detention on national security grounds and possible extradition to mainland China. In response, Embassy of China in Canada rebuked Canada’s “unwarranted comments” and urged to “immediately correct its mistakes”. China also issued travel warning for Canada urging its citizens to be aware of “frequent violent actions by law enforcement agencies in Canada and demonstrations”.
• There are signs that Canada’s relationship with the SAR government may be impacted as reactions are voiced and local life begins to adapt through self-censorship.
• On 15OCT20, in response to Canada’s grant of asylum to 2 Hong Kong human rights activists, and following the Prime Minister’s earlier objections to China’s coercive diplomacy in arresting the two Michaels, China’s Ambassador to Canada recriminated the asylum decisions as an interference in China’s internal affairs that would embolden violent criminals. The envoy then connected the matter to the health and well-being of some 300,000 Canadian citizens that live in Hong Kong. The remarks were widely seen as a threat against Canadians and businesses in Hong Kong. When asked to clarify if his remarks were meant as a threat, the Chinese Ambassador reportedly replied: “That is your interpretation.”

Region

North Asia

Country

China

Top Source Country

Yes

Top Source Country LOB

Hong Kong - EC / FC Mainland China - SP / TRV

Visa Required

Yes

Biometrics Required

Yes

Panel Physicians

Available

Passport

Mainland China: Passports issued for essential travel which includes studying and working abroad.
Hong Kong: Available

Photos

Mainland China: Available / Hong Kong: Available

Educations Documents

Mainland China: Limited availability / Hong Kong: Available

Police Certificate

Mainland China: Available / Hong Kong: Available with long delays

Missions

Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong

Top Office

Yes

Top Office LOB

EC / FC / SP / TRV

Office Status

Normal operations

Typical # at CBS at Mission

38

# of CBS Left @ Mission

36 (17 CBS Beijing, 5 Shanghai, 5 Guangzhou, 8 Hong Kong)

# of CBS Evacuated

24

Typical # of LES @ Mission

183 (131 Mainland China, 52 HK)

VACs

11/11 Open Mainland China, 1/1 Open HK

Risk Level

Low

Local Movement Restrictions

Moderate

Health Care Viability

Viable

Local Conditions

Stable

Air Travel

Partial Airspace Closure / Limited flights

Quarantine for Incoming Travellers

Yes

Request by MPMs / Aa for Staff to Return

FSD64 Lifted

Country population

1,400.17 million

Gross Domestic Product (2019)

$18,605.48 billion

GDP per capita (2019)

$13,287.98

Human Development Index (2019)

0.758

Net Migration Rate (2020)

-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population

Median Country Age

38.4 years