Hong Kong Watch releases briefing outlining real life case studies of Hong Kongers struggling to access the Open Work Permit scheme

Today, Hong Kong Watch released a briefing outlining real life case studies of Hong Kongers struggling to access the Open Work Permit scheme. All of the case studies in this briefing are real life case studies of individuals impacted by the barriers currently in place for the Open Work Permit scheme. Hong Kong Watch has removed details identifying them for security and privacy reasons.

In November 2020, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship announced the creation of an open work permit targeted at Hong Kong students and their dependents which would allow a pathway to Canadian citizenship. There remain substantial barriers for Hong Kongers to access the Open Work Permit scheme and it is set to expire on 7 February 2023, for which no replacement has yet been announced.

Hong Kong Watch spoke to Hong Kongers who have applied to come to Canada under the scheme. We found that individuals are facing significant challenges because of the 5-year graduation requirement, the lack of language, mental health, and career support, and the requirement for a Hong Kong police certificate.

The full briefing can be read here.

Max Wu, Hong Kong Watch’s Community Outreach and Communications Advisor and a former Hong Kong District Councilor, who fled to Canada last year after refusing to take oath under the National Security Law and being involved in numerous protests in Hong Kong throughout 2019 and 2020 that put him at a high risk of political prosecution, commenting on the briefing, said:

“I was not able to apply for OWP due to the 5-year restriction, and could only immigrate to Canada because my spouse was eligible. During the process of the application, it was impossible for me to obtain a police certificate as it would alert the Hong Kong Government of my intention to leave Hong Kong.

I wrote a letter to the IRCC explaining my situation and eventually received approval. Sadly, there remain many people in Hong Kong who do not have access to information regarding what to do if they cannot apply for a Hong Kong police certificate. In my experience this poses a significant barrier to the accessibility of the scheme.”

香港監察發佈案例研究簡報 揭示開放式工作簽證 OWP 的問題

香港監察今天發佈一份搜集真實案例而成的簡報，揭示香港人難以符合加拿大開放式工作簽證（OWP）計劃的實況。簡報內的真實案例描繪了當事人如何因為計劃的種種門檻而受影響。為保障安全及私隱，香港監察移除了當事人的部分個人資料。

加拿大移民部長在 2020 年 11 月公佈 OWP 計劃及提供成為加拿大公民途徑的香港人特別通道（Hong Kong Pathway）。但是，OWP 計劃設有重重障礙，而且申請期將於 2023 年 2 月 7 日屆滿，當局亦尚未公佈會否延長或提出新方案。

香港監察接觸不少以 OWP 移居加拿大的香港人，發現他們面對重重挑戰，包括計劃內的「五年畢業限制」、缺乏語言、心理健康及職業支援、無法取得香港「良民證」等等。

按此閱覽簡報全文。

香港監察加拿大社區外展及傳訊顧問、前香港區議員胡耀昌（Max Wu）去年逃離香港移居加拿大之前，因拒絕於國安法下宣誓及在 2019 及 2020 年參與抗爭而有可能面臨政治檢控。他認為簡報揭示了不少香港抗爭者面對的真實困難︰「我自己本身亦因五年畢業限制而不符合 OWP 申請資格，只能申請 SOWP，而在申請過程中，我亦不可能申請香港良民證，以免讓香港政府知道我的離港意向。

我選擇提交陳情信向移民局解釋情況，並最終獲得豁免批准。可惜的是，仍有很多未能取得良民證的香港人，無法獲得如何向移民局陳情的正確資訊。我的經驗揭示了申請人須面對的重大障礙。」