Permanent residence pathways for Hong Kong residents: Who can apply

COVID-19 requirements have ended for air travel from China, Hong Kong and Macao

As of March 17, air travellers arriving from the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong or Macao are not required to show a COVID-19 test result to board their flight.

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Who can apply

There are 2 streams for which you may be eligible. You can apply for permanent residence under only 1 stream.

Stream A: In-Canada graduates

To be eligible for this stream, you must

  • hold a valid passport issued by one of the following:
    • Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China
    • United Kingdom to a British National (Overseas) as a person born, naturalized or registered in Hong Kong
  • be physically present in Canada when you apply and when you get permanent residence
  • have valid temporary resident status in Canada
  • intend to live in Canada, in any province or territory other than the province of Quebec
  • have graduated from a post-secondary designated learning institution in Canada
    • in the 3 years before you apply
    • with one of the following:
    • with at least 50% of your program completed in Canada (either in person or online)

If you have a graduate or post-graduate diploma or certificate

You must also have completed a post-secondary diploma or degree (from Canada or from abroad), as a prerequisite to this graduate or post-graduate program.

You must have competed this prerequisite diploma or degree in the 5 years before you started your graduate or post-graduate program.

Stream B: Canadian work experience

To be eligible for this stream, you must

  • hold a valid passport issued by one of the following:
    • Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China
    • United Kingdom to a British National (Overseas) as a person born, naturalized or registered in Hong Kong
  • be physically present in Canada when you apply and when you get permanent residence
  • have valid temporary resident status in Canada
  • intend to live in Canada, in any province or territory other than the province of Quebec
  • have graduated in the 5 years before you apply with one of the following:
    • a diploma (not graduate or post-graduate) for a program of at least 2 years, or a degree (for example, an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree or a doctorate) from a post-secondary designated learning institution in Canada
    • a graduate or post-graduate diploma or certificate for a program of at least 1 year from a post-secondary designated learning institution in Canada
    • a foreign educational credential equivalent to one of the following:
      • a Canadian post-secondary diploma (not graduate or post-graduate) for a program of at least 2 years
      • a Canadian post-secondary degree
      • a Canadian graduate or post-graduate diploma or certificate for a program of at least 1 year
  • have worked in Canada for at least 12 months full time, or an equal amount of part-time hours in the 3 years before you apply.

If you have a graduate or post-graduate diploma or certificate

You must also have completed a post-secondary diploma or degree (from Canada or from abroad), as a prerequisite to this graduate or post-graduate program.

You must have completed this prerequisite diploma or degree in the 5 years before you started your graduate or post-graduate program.

How to meet the hours of work requirement

To be eligible for this stream, you must have worked in Canada for at least 12 months full-time, or an equal amount of part-time hours (at least 1,560 hours in total) in the 3 years before you apply.

You must have been allowed to work legally in Canada for these hours to count. This means you either had a valid work permit, or you were exempt from needing a work permit.

You can’t include any hours of work that you spent

  • as a full-time student
  • self-employed
  • working outside Canada
  • on leave from your job (medical, parental or similar)
  • on an extended absence outside Canada
  • unemployed
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