International Legal Partners

Permanent Residence pathways for Hong Kong Residents

About the public policy:

This temporary public policy for Hong Kong residents who are currently in Canada provides a pathway to permanent residence for eligible applicants and their families.

There are 2 streams for which you may be eligible. You can apply for permanent residence under one of the following:

• Stream A: In-Canada graduates
• Stream B: Canadian work experience

This public policy will be in effect from June 1, 2021, to August 31, 2026.

WHO CAN APPLY

Stream A: In-Canada graduates

To be eligible for this stream, you must

• +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:
• a diploma (not graduate or post-graduate) for a program of at least 2 years
• a degree (associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral)
• a graduate or post-graduate diploma or certificate for a program of at least 1 year and
• 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 institutions in Canada
• a graduate or Post-graduate diploma certificate for a program of at least 1 year from a post-secondary designated learning institutions 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 on 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.