Two Richmond residents and former Hongkongers are feeling very relieved and somewhat proud of themselves after fighting for the last year to remain in Canada.
Tony Cheng and Calvin Wong have been campaigning and advocating for the last six months to change government policy with regard to immigration pathways for university grads hailing from Hong Kong.
Graduating from university in 2016 and 2017, respectively, they were ineligible to apply for permanent residency through dedicated humanitarian immigration pathways created as Canada’s response to China undermining human rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.
However, Canada has now removed the post-secondary education requirement under the Canadian work experience stream, as of Aug. 15.
“I (can) now envision my future and plan for the next steps,” said Cheng who, along with Wong, are members of the HK Pathway Stream B (classes of 2016 and 17 graduates) Alliance, which advocated for a change in the policy.
A policy with a loophole
The policy was created in May 2021, recognising “the contributions made by Hong Kong residents to Canada’s economy and social-cultural landscape through human capital while also promoting democratic value.”
Dubbed the “lifeboat” scheme, it provided two pathways for Hongkongers to obtain permanent residence.
Stream A is for those who have graduated from a post-secondary institution in Canada.
While Stream B currently requires the applicants to have graduated from post-secondary education within the past five years and a year of work experience in Canada.
The policy was further expanded in February this year to those who have graduated within the past 10 years.
But for those who graduated in 2016 and 2017, their graduation date would exceed the five-year limit of Stream B after working for a whole year since landing in 2021 and 2022.
“I couldn’t sleep last night. It was such a great relief for me to plan my future in Canada,” added Wong.
Wong graduated from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2017 and worked for the local government as one of the labour union executives in Hong Kong.
Advocating for a ‘fix’
Feeling unsafe when the now-defunct Confederation of Trade Union was being targeted by the authority, Wong flew to Canada with an open work permit in 2021.
Soon, he noticed he couldn’t apply for permanent residence.
“I was stuck in between.”
Wong then gathered a group of Hongkongers in similar situations and formed the alliance to advocate over the last year for a change in public policy.
He even travelled to Ottawa to work with advocacy groups to urge a review of the immigration pathway.
“In Hong Kong, I was mainly working on campaigning and protests. Now I am using these skills to connect the group sharing my hardships to lobby MPs,” added Wong.
Cheng, too, went on a lobbying mission to his local Richmond-Centre MP, Wilson Miao.
“I chose to live in Richmond (as) my friends are here and for the variety of Asian cuisine and products to enjoy,” said Cheng, who worked in the finance sector in Hong Kong and Richmond.
“(But) the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada never give us a firm timeframe to update the policy. I am not having it.”
Miao, in a statement, said “Richmond Centre and communities across Canada stand to gain talented individuals and grow in our social diversity by welcoming more Hong Kong nationals to immigrate and pursue work opportunities.”
MPs heard us: Wong
Wong also told of the difference between contacting and lobbying officials in Hong Kong and Canada.
“No one would answer our letters back home. It would be lucky if they didn’t arrest me for advocating labour rights,” said Wong. “Here, MPs will listen and share their view with us.”
As of April 30, 2023, Canada has welcomed 3,122 permanent residents under the permanent residence pathways for Hong Kong residents.
Not the end of the struggle for democracy
Wong also said that is not the end of the struggle for rights.
“We share our gratitude to Canada for letting us Hongkongers being oppressed by China to stay and live here,” he said.
“We hope to contribute to this free world. We share the same universal values and strive for democracy for all people being oppressed under an authoritarian regime.”
He hopes to inspire fellow Hongkongers in the diaspora in Taiwan, the United Kingdom and other places of the world to strive for their fundamental rights.
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