Hong Kong Watch Patron Lord Patten urges Canada to expand Hong Kong Pathway Stream B to include more graduates living in Canada

Yesterday, Hong Kong Watch Patron and the last British Governor of Hong Kong Lord Patten of Barnes wrote to the Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser MP on the expansion of the Hong Kong Pathway Stream B, and calls for assistance to those who cannot obtain permanent residency due to the 5-year graduation restriction.

In the letter, Lord Patten expresses his appreciation for the decision of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to extend and expand the Open Work Permit (OWP), which provides a safe haven for those who are unable to benefit from the UK’s BNO Visa scheme. He comments that:

“It is a clear demonstration that Canada continues to stand with the people of Hong Kong and support those whose basic human rights are being systematically and brutally curtailed by the authoritarian National Security Law.”

However, Lord Patten also notes that a number of Hong Kong graduates already living and working in Canada has been disappointed by the announcement. In particular, he comments that the lack of announcement on expanding the pathway to permanent residency Stream B “leaves these individuals facing continued uncertainty about their future in Canada”. The letter concludes with reference to case studies conducted by Hong Kong Watch, urging the expansion of the Hong Kong Pathway Stream B. 

In November 2022, Lord Patten also wrote to the Minister for Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly MP and the Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser MP, and received positive responses.

The full letter from Lord Patten can be read here.