Hong Kong Watch Canada welcomes the expansion of the Stream B Pathway for Hong Kongers
Today, the Canadian Government has announced the expansion of the Stream B Pathway for Hong Kongers, which will remove the education requirement for those Hong Kongers who have moved to Canada under the Open Work Permit to gain permanent residency.
At a press conference, Paul Chiang MP, speaking on behalf of the Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship announced that the Stream B Pathway would be expanded to waive the requirement for the submission of a proof of education. This effectively means that Hong Kong residents who have one year of work experience in Canada will not be required to submit a proof of education when applying for permanent residency through Stream B.
Paul Chiang MP, speaking on behalf of the Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship said:
“Canada has always advocated for freedom and democracy and that’s why we are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with those who seek to live in peace and security.
As of August 15, 2023 our Government will be removing the education requirement from Stream B. Removing this requirement means more Hong Kongers who have worked in Canada will be eligible for permanent residency. It simplifies the application process as there will no longer be a requirement to submit a proof of education for Stream B.
Our Government sees expanding and simplifying these dedicated pathways to permanent residency as a win-win situation. It allows us to welcome more Hong Kongers and simultaneously help our businesses fill labour gaps with people who already have work experience here.”
Since the middle of 2022, Hong Kong Watch’s Canada chapter, alongside our patrons, allies in the Parliament, and the Stream B Alliance, has campaigned tirelessly for the Open Work Permit and Stream B Pathway to be extended and expanded to allow those Hong Kongers not covered by the British National Overseas (BNO) Visa a lifeline out of the city.
Commenting on the announcement, Hong Kong Watch Canada’s Director of Policy, Sam Goodman, said:
“After months of campaigning alongside our patrons, parliamentary allies, and the Stream B Alliance for the Government to expand the Stream B Pathway, we welcome this announcement that will give young Hong Kongers the ability to gain permanent status in Canada.
We pay tribute to the hard work of officials in Global Affairs and IRCC, our dedicated patrons, our parliamentary allies, and the Stream B Alliance who have made this possible, and sincerely hope that this expansion will offer thousands more Hong Kongers an adequate lifeline out of the city and an opportunity to find safe haven and start new lives in Canada.
In a week in which we have seen the Hong Kong Government issue bounties and arrest warrants, targeting pro-democracy activists and the Hong Kong community overseas, this sends a strong message that Canada will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong.”
Timeline of the campaign:
In May 2022, Hong Kong Watch began the campaign to extend and expand the Open Work Permit and Stream B Pathway for Hong Kongers with meetings with officials from Global Affairs Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as well as parliamentarians.
On 23 August 2022, a cross-party group of 19 parliamentarians wrote to the Minister of Immigration and the Minister of Foreign Affairs calling for the extension and expansion of the Open Work Permit and Stream B Pathway.
On 4 October 2022, Hong Kong Watch’s Co-founder and Trustee Aileen Calverley gave evidence to the Canada-PRC Relations Committee and called on the Government to extend and expand the Open Work Permit and Stream B Pathway.
From 17 to 20 October 2022, Hong Kong Watch’s Co-founder and Trustee and Canada Policy Advisor met with seven parliamentarians, including NDP Immigration Critic Jenny Kwan MP, and Global Affairs to discuss the need for the extension and expansion of the Open Work Permit and Stream B Pathway.
On 1 November 2022, Hong Kong Watch published a research paper outlining real-life case studies of Hong Kongers struggling to access the Open Work Permit and qualify for the Stream B Pathway.
On 8 November 2022, Hong Kong Watch Patron and the last Governor of Hong Kong, Lord Patten of Barnes, wrote to the Minister of Immigration and the Minister of Foreign Affairs calling for the extension and expansion of the Open Work Permit and Stream B Pathway.
On 17 November 2022, Hong Kong Watch’s Co-founder and Trustee met with the Associate Deputy Minister of Immigration and the Hong Kong Pathway team to discuss the policy change of extending and expanding the Open Work Permit and Stream B Pathway.
From 22 to 24 November 2022, Hong Kong Watch’s Chief Executive and Canada Policy Advisor met with 11 parliamentarians and Global Affairs to discuss the need for the extension and expansion of the Open Work Permit and Stream B Pathway.
On 9 December 2022, Hong Kong Watch’s Co-founder and Trustee met with the Assistant Deputy Minister of Immigration and the Hong Kong Pathway team to discuss the expansion of the Stream B Pathway.
On 15 December 2022, Hong Kong Watch submitted a special proposal requested by the Assistant Deputy Minister of Immigration on the expansion of Stream B to include Hong Kong 2016-17 graduates.
In January 2023, Hong Kong Watch’s Co-founder and Trustee communicated with the Associate Deputy Minister of Immigration and the Hong Kong Pathway team about the policy change and proposal to extend and expand the Open Work Permit and Stream B Pathway.
On 26 January 2023, Conservative Leader Hon. Pierre Poilievre MP and NDP Leader Hon. Jagmeet Singh MP threw their support behind Hong Kong Watch’s campaign to extend and expand the Open Work Permit and Stream B Pathway.
On 2 February 2023, a cross-party group of 28 parliamentarians wrote to the Minister of Immigration to call for the extension and expansion of the Open Work Permit and Stream B Pathway.
On 6 February 2023, following the announcement of the extension and expansion of the Open Work Permit scheme, Hong Kong Watch’s Co-founder and Trustee had a call with a senior official from IRCC about the expansion of the Stream B Pathway.
On 14 February 2023, the group “HK Pathway Stream B (Classes of 2016 and 17 Graduates) Alliance” was formed. Hong Kong Watch helped arrange meetings for the Alliance with officials from IRCC as well as over 20 parliamentarians.
On 25 February 2023, Hong Kong Watch’s Co-founder and Trustee and Community Outreach and Communications Advisor held a roundtable discussion at the HongKonger Community Centre in Toronto on the Stream B Pathway. Hong Kong Watch worked with the Stream B Alliance to collect signatures from Hong Kong Canadians for a House of Commons petition calling for the expansion of the Stream B Pathway.
On 2 March 2023, Hong Kong Watch Patron and the last Governor of Hong Kong, Lord Patten of Barnes, wrote to the Minister of Immigration to call for the expansion of the Stream B Pathway.
On 7 March 2023, Hong Kong Watch helped inform senior officials at the IRCC headquarters in Ottawa about the Stream B Alliance’s visit. The Alliance delivered a petition to an IRCC staffer calling for the expansion of the Stream B Pathway. Hong Kong Watch’s Co-founder and Trustee attended and spoke at a rally for the Stream B Alliance outside the IRCC headquarters.
From 7 to 8 March 2023, Hong Kong Watch facilitated meetings for the Stream B Alliance with a cross-party group of 11 parliamentarians, including Chair of the Immigration Committee Salma Zahid MP, calling for the expansion of the Stream B Pathway.
On 25 March 2023, Hong Kong Watch and the Stream B Alliance met with Conservative Leader Hon. Pierre Poilievre MP and secured his help to deliver a petition to the Minister of Immigration Hon. Sean Fraser MP, calling for the expansion of the Stream B Pathway.
On 26 April 2023, Hong Kong Watch Patron Garnett Genuis MP introduced a House of Commons petition calling on IRCC to expand the Stream B Pathway and remove the five-year graduation restriction.
On 14 May 2023, Hong Kong Watch held a roundtable discussion in Toronto with the Shadow Minister of Immigration Tom Kmiec MP on the expansion of the Stream B Pathway and the removal of the requirement for a police certificate for Open Work Permit applicants.
On 27 May 2023, Hong Kong Watch’s Chief Executive and Director of Policy and Advocacy held a roundtable event with Hong Kong Watch Patron Garnett Genuis MP at the HongKonger Community Centre in Toronto to discuss the Stream B Pathway.
On 30 May 2023, Hong Kong Watch arranged meetings between the Stream B Alliance and a cross-party group of over 10 parliamentarians to discuss the need for the expansion of the Stream B Pathway.
On 30 May 2023, Hong Kong Watch’s Chief Executive spoke at a Stream B Alliance rally in Ottawa calling for the expansion of the Stream B Pathway.
On 30 May 2023, at the launch of Hong Kong Watch Canada, Hong Kong Watch’s Chief Executive and Co-founder and Trustee called on the Government to expand the Stream B Pathway.
On 30 May 2023, Hong Kong Watch arranged for the Stream B Alliance to deliver a petition to a senior official from IRCC at the IRCC headquarters.
On 31 May 2023, Hong Kong Watch’s Chief Executive, Director of Policy and Advocacy, and Co-founder and Trustee gave evidence to the Hong Kong Friendship Group in the Canadian Parliament and called for the expansion of the Stream B Pathway.
From 31 May to 1 June 2023, Hong Kong Watch’s Chief Executive and Director of Policy and Advocacy met with 14 parliamentarians, including the Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Michael Chong MP, and Global Affairs to discuss the expansion of the Stream B Pathway.
In June 2023, Hong Kong Watch continued to communicate with senior officials from IRCC about the expansion of the Stream B Pathway. The Stream B Alliance secured support from a number of parliamentarians who sent letters or spoke to the Minister of Immigration calling for an announcement of the expansion of Stream B.
On 6 July 2023, Hong Kong Watch and the Stream B Alliance were informed by a number of parliamentarians that an announcement about the Stream B Pathway would be imminent.
On 10 July 2023, Hong Kong Watch’s Co-founder and Trustee received an invitation from IRCC to attend the press conference, which would be joined by Jean Yip MP from the Liberal Party.
On 11 July 2023, IRCC announced the expansion of the Stream B Pathway.
List of parliamentarians who have given support for the campaign:
Lord Patten of Barnes, Hon. Michael Chong MP, Jean Yip MP, Lisa Marie Barron MP, Rachel Blaney MP, Blake Desjarlais MP, Leah Gazan MP, Jenny Kwan MP, Alistair MacGregor MP, Brian Masse MP, Lindsay Mathyssen MP, Dan Albas MP, James Bezan MP, Kelly Block MP, Hon. Ed Fast MP, Jasraj Singh Hallan MP, Tom Kmiec MP, Michael Kram MP, Dan Muys MP, Brad Redekopp MP, Scott Reid MP, Karen Vecchio MP, Brad Vis MP, Jenica Atwin MP, Hon. John McKay MP, Marcus Powlowski MP, Hon. Judy A. Sgro MP, John Williamson MP, Michael Cooper MP, Hon. Hedy Fry PC MP, Garnett Genuis MP, Conservative Leader Hon. Pierre Poilievre MP, NDP Leader Hon. Jagmeet Singh MP, Sameer Zuberi MP, Heather McPherson MP, Senator Leo Housakos, Senator Stephen Greene, Senator Marilou McPhedran, Senator Hassan Yussuff, Senator Yuen Pau Woo, Senator Ratna Omidvar, Senator Mary Coyle, Senator David Richards, Melissa Lantsman MP, Salma Zahid MP, Hon. Erin O’Toole MP, Ziad Aboultaif MP, Shafqat Ali MP, Cathay Wagantall MP, Larry Maguire MP, Ken Hardie MP, Arielle Kayabaga MP, Kyle Seeback MP, Arnold Viersen MP, Wilson Miao MP, Hon. Helena Jaczek MP, and Bonita Zarrillo MP.