441-01354 (Citizenship and immigration)

We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:

Whereas:

Recent Hong Kong graduates can apply for open work permits under a temporary public policy for Hong Kong residents;

Whereas in June 2021, there were two pathways, Stream A and Stream B, announced for Hong Kongers who have worked or studied in Canada to obtain permanent residency in Canada;

Stream B required graduates to have one year of work experience in Canada and have graduated within the last five years from a Canadian (or foreign equivalent) post-secondary school;

On February 6, 2023, Canada announced an extension and expansion of the open work permit program for eligible Hong Kong residents by extending the Open Work Permit (OPW) for an additional two years;

This extension failed to address time constraints Stream B applicants face whilst pursuing eligibility for permanent residency; and

2016-2017 graduates, who met the 5-year graduation requirement at the time of applying for their Open Work Permits, are falling out of eligibility to apply for permanent residency under Stream B of the scheme by the time their work permits are received and they have fulfilled the hours of work requirement,

Therefore we, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship of Canada to remove the 5-year restriction to include all persons who fulfill the educational credential requirement of Stream B.