Immigration policy change brings hope to Calgary Hong Kongers still worried about Chinese backlash

Calgary resident Anthony Chan can now apply for permanent residence in Canada after moving from Hong Kong to Alberta last February, nearly two years after China began exerting control over the city. 

Chan and his wife are expecting their first child, a boy, in November. 

Now a social worker after spending his first months in Canada working at a Tim Hortons, he said the immigration policy change is a huge boost. 

"The meaning of the new policy for us is we feel more safety in Calgary, in Canada," said Chan. "It is a present for my family. We can see the future clear[ly]."

On Tuesday, Canada eased the requirements for Hong Kong citizens applying for permanent residency. 

Hong Kongers with one year of full-time work experience in Canada or 1,560 hours of part-time experience in the last three years are now eligible through a temporary immigration pathway created in 2021 after China began arresting pro-democracy protestors. 

Previously, only those who graduated from a Canadian or qualified foreign institution within the last five years qualified for permanent residency through the program, in place until August 2026. 

A week before the government announced it was removing the education requirement for Hong Kongers seeking permanent residency, Ottawa condemned Hong Kong authorities for issuing arrest warrants for eight pro-democracy activists who now reside in the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia — on alleged national security offences.

Veronica Lee, CEO of the Echo Theatre, a Calgary Hong Kong cultural association, says some of her friends are now eligible for permanent residency, and she expects the change will encourage more Hong Kong citizens to settle in Canada.

"I feel more hopeful and happier because… [the] Canadian government, they're more welcoming," she said. 

Lee said Alberta is becoming increasingly popular among immigrants from Hong Kong because of the cost of living elsewhere. 

"We can see that more Hong Konger[s], they're coming to Calgary instead of Toronto and Vancouver." 

Data from the 2021 census shows 10,775 Hong Kong immigrants were living in Calgary. 

Both Lee and a spokesperson for the Friends of Hong Kong Calgary, a group that lobbies Canadian lawmakers to support Hong Kong, agree that the local diaspora has grown substantially since that data was collected.  

CBC News is not identifying the spokesperson because they said Chinese Communist Party sympathizers threatened a member of the organization for speaking out against Chinese influence in Hong Kong.

"Hong Kong is not the Hong Kong we know anymore," they said.  

"[Residents] have a choice between staying... or find a new way to continue the lifestyle they have been enjoying — like freedom of speech."

Under Beijing's increasing control, Hong Kong has witnessed a rapid decline in free speech, press freedom, and other civil rights guaranteed by the Basic Law, the region's mini-constitution established under the "one country, two systems" framework based on the Sino-British Joint Declaration signed in 1984.

The group's spokesperson also said some Hong Kong citizens now living in Calgary were involved in pro-democracy protests and still worry about drawing the attention of Hong Kong police. 

"They have to delete everything in their social media," they said. "They're afraid to have any record [that can be] tracked." 

Friends of Hong Kong also said they're working with nonprofits to get immigrants from Hong Kong housing and other social supports, as newcomers sometimes struggle financially when they arrive in Calgary. 

While Hong Kong community groups continue to advocate for those living in and out of Beijing's control, Anthony Chan is happy his son won't need to pass through the immigration process. 

"He is secure. He can be a Canadian," said Chan.