Canada wants more immigrants from Hong Kong

The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau recently informed reporters that Canada is planning to extend more invitations to immigrants from Hong Kong.

As of the 2016 Census, there were 215,000 Hong Kong-born Canadians living in the country. The Press reports state that another 300,000 Canadian citizens and permanent residents are living in Hong Kong at the moment.

History and current trends:

A large number of the immigrants shifted to Canada back in the 1980s and 1990s. Hong Kong’s sovereignty was transferred in 1997.

Most of these immigrants arrived in Canada via the Immigrant Investor Program (IIP) or the federal entrepreneur program. However, both these programs have been terminated since then. In recent decades, immigration from Hong Kong has reduced. Only 900 people from Hong Kong moved to Canada in 2015. However, the number is rising again slowly but steadily. In 2019, Canada welcomes 1,500 Hong Kong immigrants.

Immigration options:

Family class immigration is a valid option if the candidate has close family members staying in Canada. Candidates without family members in Canada should consider a skilled worker pathway. Express Entry is the flagship immigration system in Canada, targeting skilled workers who want to immigrate. It is responsible for managing three federal immigration programs. Candidates who have never stayed in Canada can use the Federal Skilled Worker Program to become eligible for Express Entry.

Once you qualify under the FSWP, you will be able to create your Express Entry profile. Once you complete your profile, you will be assigned a Comprehensive Ranking System Score (CRS) on the basis of factors like age, language fluency, education, and work experience. After submitting your profile, you will be a part of the Express Entry pool. The Canadian government is organizing Express Entry draws every two weeks even amidst the pandemic.