Ottawa, March 17, 2014 — Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander will travel to Hong Kong and Shanghai this week to highlight the many opportunities that exist for Chinese businesses, students and travellers in Canada.
The relationship between China and Canada continues to flourish. In 2013, more than 270,000 visitor visas were issued to Chinese travellers and almost 34,000 Chinese became Canadian permanent residents. For the last 15 years, China has been one of the top source countries for permanent residents to Canada, just one of many indicators of the strong people-to-people ties linking our two countries.
During the visit, Minister Alexander will promote the government’s efforts to build a fast and flexible immigration system with a primary focus on meeting Canada’s economic and labour market needs. Alexander will also discuss the current and future pathways to permanent residency that are available to businesses, families and students who wish to settle, study or do business in Canada.
In Hong Kong, Minister Alexander will meet with Lai Tung-kwok, the Secretary for Security for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, before laying a wreath at the Sai Wan Cemetery, where the graves of some 280 Canadian soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice are found.
In Shanghai, Alexander will focus on international education. Nearly 29,000 Chinese students entered Canada in 2013, marking the fifth consecutive year that China has been the top source country for international students to Canada. Alexander will speak at Fudan University and at the China International Education Exhibition Tour education fair, as well as participating in events at the Shanghai Redleaf Women’s Hospital and the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics to celebrate programs of co-operation, in nursing and finance, between those institutions and British Columbia’s Douglas College.
Alexis Pavlich
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064
Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1064
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca
Building a stronger Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) strengthens Canada’s economic, social and cultural prosperity, helping ensure Canadian safety and security while managing one of the largest and most generous immigration programs in the world.
