CACN - Placemat - Hong Kong Situation Update - Nov 16, 2020

Office Status

• Social distancing measures were further relaxed as identification of new COVID cases continues to decline. IRCC HKONG resumed normal full operations on Monday 14 September.

Operational pace: Normal

• The office continues to process temporary and permanent resident applications within the constraints of the Ministerial instructions and Orders in Council. GAC and IRCC are positioned to manage any increase in applications. The office continues to see sustained interest in study permits from Hong Kong.

IRCC Operations

Mission open
VAC is open
GAC Travel Advisory: Avoid-non-essential travel.
Mission ERT is not activated.

IRCC Personnel

All staff are safe
8 Canada-based staff
52 Locally-engaged staff
0 Visitors / TD

Situation in Hong Kong

• 27OCT20: Former leader of the Hong Kong pro-independence group Student localism, 19 yr old Tony Chung, was arrested near the US Consulate under the NSL with secession, money laundering, and conspiracy to publish seditious material; Mr. Chung is reported to have told friends he was being followed by authorities shortly before being arrested. Among Mr. Chung’s bail conditions was a 6-month travel ban and a requirement to report to police on a monthly basis. Two other activists (William Chan and Yanni Ho) were also arrested and remain out on bail. All three individuals were required to submit their travel documents after having been previously arrested, on 29JUL20, for inciting secession. Student localism ceased activities before the 30JUN20 enactment of the NSL, although it kept a US charter open.
  • 29 OCT 20: Mr. Chung was charged with the above offences and denied bail.
• 30 OCT 20: Following their 17OCT20 majority parliament win, New Zealand’s governing Labour Party is now looking to develop responsive measures to the situation in Hong Kong. Initially being discussed are measures like those established by the Australian government, which create a five-year graduate visa for Hong Kong students as a pathway to permanent residency.

Emergency Management Volumes - Intake of applications where Hong Kong listed as Country of Residence

2019

Resident Canadians

300,000

Passports Issued

11,520

Proof of Citizenship Applications

2,743

Special Authorizations (F-1)

239

PR Determinations

211

eTA

77,062

Temporary Residents

8,595 TRVs
4,552 SPs
3,238 WPs

2020 (Jan –June)

Resident Canadians

300,000

Passports Issued

3,617

Proof of Citizenship Applications

28

Special Authorizations (F-1)

77

PR Determinations

71

eTA

11,324

Temporary Residents

1,441 TRVS
1,369 SPs
520 WPs

[Redacted]

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Consular Services:

• 4,217 registered Canadians in Hong Kong under the Registration of Canadians Abroad (ROCA).
• Travel Advisory has been updated to indicate an increased risk of arbitrary detention on national security grounds and possible extradition to mainland China

Emergency Management Planning:

• Readiness: Good. Extensive contingency planning was done both at the Canadian Consulate General in Hong Kong and in Ottawa following the protests in 2019. Its ERT has sustained experience and the core team remains in place.
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Processing Inventories for Hong Kong Country of Residence (in persons) October 29, 2020^{Footnote *}

Permanent Resident

Family Class

• Parents and Grandparents: 271
• Spouses, Children, FCH & Other: 333

Economic Class

• Federal Skilled Workers & Skilled Trades-EE: 198
• Canadian Experience Class-EE: 19
• Quebec Business: 497
• Caregiver Program: 120
• Startup Business: 47
• Self-employed: 81

Provincial/Territorial Nominees

• Provincial/Territorial Nominees Non-EE: 121
• Provincial/Territorial Nominees EE: 133
• Quebec Skilled Workers: 14
• Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot: 4

Refugee/ Humanitarian and Compassionate Classes

• Private Sponsored Refugee: 35
• Humanitarian and Compassionate: 6

Temporary Resident

• Visitor Visas: 91
• eTA: 268
• Study Permits: 558
• Work Permits: 673

Permanent Resident Travel Document

• 1