Permanent Resident Pathway for
Hong Kong Residents

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

Study in Canada


Work in Canada


Family Sponsorship


Express Entry


Permanent residence pathways for Hong Kong residents


Provincial Nominee Program


Business Investor Programs


Permanent Resident Card Renew


Citizenship and Naturalization

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

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 a level 5 score in all 4 skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) in either English or French in one of the following:
  • Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)
  • Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC)
• have graduated from a post-secondary designated learning institutionin Canada
  • in the 3 years before you apply and
  • with oneof the following:
    • diploma (for a program of at least 2 years)
    • degree (bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate)
    • 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)

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 a level 5 score in all 4 skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) in either English or French in one of the following:
  • Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)
  • Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC)
• have graduated in the 5 years before you apply with one of the following:
  • a diploma (for a program of at least 2 years) or a degree 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 (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.