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Canada Ends Hong Kong “Lifeboat” Immigration Scheme Launched After National Security Law Image: Ryan Ho Kilpatrick/HKFP.
🇭🇰 Hong Kong /Culture & Society

Canada Ends Hong Kong “Lifeboat” Immigration Scheme Launched After National Security Law

From Hong Kong Free Press · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Outcome reported
  • Canada closed its Hong Kong immigration scheme to new applicants on August 31, while continuing to process applications submitted by that date.
  • About 48,560 people applied, and 13,370 had received permanent residence, according to the immigration department.
  • Existing applicants can continue living and working in Canada under an open work permit programme that runs until May 2029.

Canada has closed a special immigration route for Hongkongers, ending new applications while leaving thousands of existing cases in the pipeline.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said the programme stopped accepting applicants on August 31. Ottawa had previously announced that it would expire at the end of August 2026. Applications submitted by the deadline will continue to be processed, and applicants can live and work in Canada while they wait.

We continue to process applications received on or before that date.

— Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship CanadaThe department said applications submitted by the closing date would still be processed.

The related open work permit programme will remain available to those applicants until May 2029. The department said it had received applications from about 48,560 people, of whom 13,370 had been granted permanent residence.

landmark initiative

— Canada’s former immigration ministerThe minister used the phrase when announcing the scheme five years earlier.

Canada launched the scheme in 2021 after Beijing imposed a national security law in June 2020. The law followed Hong Kong’s anti-extradition protests and unrest. Hong Kong authorities said the legislation was needed to restore stability, while Western governments and international organisations expressed concern about its effect on the city’s freedoms.

The scheme offered two routes to permanent residence. One covered people who had graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution within the previous three years. The other covered participants in the work-permit programme who had completed one year of work experience in Canada. Some applicants have reported waiting longer than expected, with some deciding to return to Hong Kong while awaiting a decision.

deepen the strong ties between Canada and the people of Hong Kong

— Canada’s former immigration ministerThe minister described the intended purpose of the immigration programme.
About this summary

Originally published by Hong Kong Free Press in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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