Latest news with #HKFP
HKFP
13 hours ago
- Business
- HKFP
‘Hanging halfway': In wake of Canada's immigration delay, Hongkong emigrants ponder whether to stay or return home
When Hongkonger Leonald Lee emigrated to Toronto, Canada, in July 2023, his plan was simple: find a full-time job and work there for at least one year, submit his application for permanent residence, and enrol in a master's degree programme after obtaining his PR status for much cheaper tuition. Lee, a former journalist, was off to a good start when he secured a minimum-wage job at a telecommunications company a month after his arrival. It was not the most exciting work, and his salary often arrived late. However, the 26-year-old did not mind because he had a clear goal in mind: he needed to accumulate enough work hours for his permanent residence application under the Hong Kong Pathway programme. Lee's seemingly straightforward plan took a turn earlier this year when he 'sensed something was not right.' In group chats with other Hongkongers in Canada, he found that more and more people were complaining that there had been no updates on their PR applications submitted months, or even over a year, ago. One night in March, Lee could not fall asleep and turned his mind to calculating the processing time for his application, which he filed in September last year. Using statistics reported by Hong Kong media citing Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Lee estimated he might have to wait at least three years before his application was processed. Lee's estimation was confirmed by the IRCC soon after. On March 18, the IRCC announced there would be a years-long delay in processing permanent residence applications from Hongkongers under the lifeboat programme. The Canadian immigration authorities said that as of October 31, 80 per cent of permanent residence applications were processed within a year. But a backlog has emerged due to a high volume of applications received, and most applications are expected to be processed after 2027. 'What I thought would be a straightforward trilogy turned out to be much longer. I guess it is like The Lord of the Rings, with three thick volumes,' Lee said in Cantonese in a phone interview with HKFP. Moon Ho, a Hong Kong nurse who emigrated to Toronto in February 2023, has tried to follow up on her permanent residence application, which she submitted in September. In April, the 27-year-old spent a week trying to call the IRCC after reading guides provided by fellow Hongkongers in Canada on which lines were more likely to reach the office successfully. When she was finally put through to the office, she was told that her application had been received, but no one had 'opened her file' yet. The waiting time was 'far beyond' her expectations, Ho told HKFP, adding that she was constantly worried she might lose her job after her original permit expires in February next year. Although she can extend her permit or apply for a bridging work permit during her wait, news of other Hongkongers being rejected for unknown reasons has made her question her chances of success. 'I really love my current job in the intensive care unit, which I had to enrol in a course and take exams to get into,' she said. 'I really don't want to lose this job.' Ho's boyfriend, who moved to Toronto with her, is also waiting for his application to be processed. The architectural graduate from Hong Kong had intended to advance his career by pursuing a master's degree after gaining PR status. He is currently stuck in mid-senior jobs, as higher positions require a master's degree, but he cannot afford to pay the international student tuition fees. Confusion, frustration Lee and Ho are not the only ones pondering their future in Canada. In recent months, Hongkongers in Canada have taken to social media to express their confusion and frustration at the lack of updates on their permanent residence applications. Many provided timelines of their applications and said they had not been instructed to take the next step, like submitting biometrics. A netizen wrote on Threads in May that they felt 'very stressed and exhausted' because their work permit would expire in weeks, while their permanent residence application submitted last year had not been updated since. A renewal of the work permit was filed several months ago, but the application is still being processed, they said. The Threads user also said their grandmother's health had deteriorated, and they wanted to return to the city to see her, but they were also concerned about their status once they left Canada. It is unclear whether applicants can wait for their permanent residence applications to be processed outside Canada. The lifeboat scheme, introduced in June 2021 in response to the Beijing-imposed national security law enacted in Hong Kong in 2020, is set to expire on August 31, 2026. The lifeboat scheme offers two pathways. Stream A allows recent graduates from Canadian institutions to seek permanent residence. Stream B, on the other hand, allows Hongkongers to obtain a three-year permit to work in Canada. Those who have worked full-time in Canada for at least one year, or spent at least 1,560 hours in total undertaking part-time work, may apply for permanent residence. In June last year, advocacy group Hong Kong Watch told the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration of the Canadian parliament that around 60,000 Hongkongers had arrived in Canada three years after the temporary immigration policy was launched. Lee and Ho are among more than 40,500 Hongkongers under Stream B who had obtained a three-year permit to work in Canada as of December 31, 2024 – most of them recent postsecondary graduates. Lee said the threshold for emigrating to Canada was 'low' under the Pathway scheme, and many Hong Kong immigrants did not anticipate that the wait for PR applications would be long, as earlier batches of applicants obtained their status rather quickly when there were fewer applicants. The IRCC said in March that, with the two streams combined, it received more than 26,500 permanent residence applications as of October 31. Only more than 10,500 have been approved, while fewer than 200 applications have been refused. To accommodate the processing time, Canada offered a new work permit for Hongkongers in May last year to allow them to stay in the country while they await a decision on their applications. The permit is valid for up to three years and can be renewed. Advocacy efforts Since last year, advocacy groups and politicians have called on the Canadian government to tackle the backlog and maintain its pledge to grant permanent residence to Hongkongers. In September, Tom Kmiec, a Conservative Party MP, presented a petition to the Canadian parliament, urging the IRCC to accelerate the approval process and ensure that applications from Hongkongers would not be rejected due to the target restrictions. The petition referred to Canada's Immigration Levels Plan for 2025 to 2027 for the Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) and Other Category, under which the Hong Kong Pathway programme falls. Canada is seeking to reduce the annual number from 10,000 in 2025 to 6,900 in 2026. The number is expected to drop further to 4,300 in 2027. The reduced target number prompted further questions about whether Hong Kong immigrants under the lifeboat scheme would be affected. The petition, which gathered nearly 15,000 signatures, also asked Canadian authorities to automatically review permits or visas for the Hong Kong applicants who arrived in Canada via Stream A or B. Kmiec told HKFP in a video interview that the estimated backlog was over 18,300 as of December 2024. The Conservative Party MP said he received a lot of requests for assistance from Hongkongers who had issues when they tried to renew their work permits while waiting for their PR applications to be processed. Some Hongkongers received letters from the IRCC claiming that their maintained status – a legal mechanism allowing temporary residents to remain in Canada while their application to extend or change their status is being processed – would expire in five months, or when the IRCC issued a response to their PR application, whichever is earlier. Given that the waiting time has exceeded five months, some Hongkongers are concerned that they could lose their jobs if their employers refuse to continue hiring them after their maintained status expires, Kmiec said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tom Kmiec (@tomkmiec) When Kmiec presented the issue in parliament in November, James McNamee, director general of the IRCC's Family and Social Immigration Branch, said that what was stated in the letters was an 'error' and that the authorities would 'amend' the wording. 'It's an error in the wording of that letter,' McNamee said. 'When that letter was originally created, we were within a much faster processing time… in recent months, with delays, it's taking longer. We have asked to amend that letter.' The official added that applicants may retain their status until they receive a decision from the IRCC without any limitation. Kmiec, who is also the shadow minister for immigration, refugees and citizenship, criticised the Canadian government for having 'no intentionality' behind its immigration. Many temporary measures were introduced to 'get through a particular crisis' without considering the future of immigrants, he said. Sense of belonging With around 10 months left before her work permit expires, Ho does not want the stress concerning her future in Canada to affect her daily life. She has decided to put everything to the back of her mind until September, when she will have to start preparing to extend her work permit or apply for a new one. Lee will make a decision soon. He will see his family in Hong Kong in mid-June, and he will decide whether he should stay in Canada. The chance of staying is slim, he told HKFP, given the foreseeable years-long wait, which he said made him feel like 'hanging halfway up in the air.' 'I used to see a path ahead of me, but I began to wonder what I was doing here. Compared to the first year [in Canada], the feeling of sadness is stronger,' Lee said. Reflecting on his stay in Canada for around two and a half years, Lee said it made him contemplate the meaning of freedom. While Hong Kong's political landscape in recent years was one of the reasons the former journalist chose to move abroad, he felt that the freedom he experienced in Canada was 'a bit useless.' His lack of a sense of belonging to the community in Canada was also why he lost interest in continuing to work in journalism after emigrating. 'I think the reason why many Hongkongers wanted more freedom is that they wanted to shape the future direction of society. But when we are in a city that does not belong to us, even if we have the freedom to speak up, it is purely just talk,' he said. Push factors For many Hongkongers in Canada, the hope of becoming a permanent resident is what draws them to stay in the country. For some, however, the push factors are greater. Alex Chu, 41, returned to Hong Kong in July last year, shortly after obtaining his Canadian permanent residency. The software engineer and his wife moved to Toronto in early 2022. He told HKFP in an interview that after living there for six months, they noticed that the crime rates were high and they did not feel comfortable living in an area with legal drug injection sites and many homeless individuals. The slower pace of life in Toronto, which initially attracted Chu, also turned out to be a mismatch. While he enjoyed strolling in a park and resting on the lawn, repeating this activity almost every weekend made the Hongkonger feel it was 'too early for retirement.' Despite the difference in lifestyle, Chu still applied for permanent residence in August 2023 after completing his postgraduate diploma. What prompted him to return to Hong Kong was the IRCC's rejection of his wife's work permit renewal, stating that her work at the time could not be proven to be significant or beneficial to the Canadian economy. Chu said it was a mistake on the part of the immigration authorities, as such a requirement is not applicable to applicants under the Hong Kong Pathway programme. The couple decided to return to Hong Kong and travel to Japan briefly while their case is on appeal. This was also to ensure his wife was not staying in Canada illegally, Chu said. During their trip, Chu received updates from the IRCC indicating that the renewal denial was not a mistake. However, days later, the IRCC notified them again that the work permit renewal was 'in process,' and it was approved later. 'This experience really made me lose confidence in the Canadian immigration authorities,' he said. Criticism of the Canadian government is often unwelcome among Hong Kong immigrants, Chu said. He has seen comments online asking those who complained to be 'thankful' to Canada for offering additional permanent residence pathways to Hongkongers. 'Of course, we should not take it for granted, but it is a commercial deal. We are bringing money into Canada when we study, pay rent, pay tax and consume,' he said. Other options Pressure groups and politicians such as Kmiec continue to help Hongkongers who have difficulty extending their stay in Canada while waiting for their PR applications to be processed. Kmiec told HKFP that he has spoken with several provincial immigration ministers to find other settlement programmes for Hongkongers in Canada as alternative pathways to permanent residence. It is 'not very productive' to fight with the government on the target numbers, he said, especially with the general sentiment among the Canadian public that immigration levels should go down. He suggested that Hongkongers explore other options as a more feasible solution. Kmiec acknowledged that the Canadian government disappointed Hongkongers with the prolonged processing time. However, the politician also pointed out that the Pathway programme was meant to be a 'one-time escape' for Hongkongers involved in the 2019 protests, and people had to 'make the best decision for themselves.' 'I can't see this Pathway programme continuing on much longer, because the expectation is that those who wanted to escape had the opportunity, they just may not have the opportunity to get PR for an extended period of time until we sort out this immigration system,' he said.
HKFP
2 days ago
- Politics
- HKFP
Hong Kong's Catholic church declines to say if Tiananmen mass will take place after 3 years of cancellations
Hong Kong's Catholic church has declined to say if it will hold a mass this year to commemorate victims of the Tiananmen crackdown, after scrapping the event in the past three years. When asked if the church would resume the memorial mass on Wednesday – which is June 4, the anniversary of the 1989 crackdown – the communications office said it had held a service last week to pray for the Catholic church in China. The Hong Kong Catholic Social Communication Office said in an email on Friday that May 24 had been designated as the 'World Day of Prayer for the Church in China.' Cardinal Stephen Chow 'presided over a Solemn Mass on 24th May this year… at the Cathedral to devote to 'Mary Help of Christians' and to pray for the Church in China,' the office wrote in an email to HKFP. Last year, the Catholic church gave a similar email reply when asked if it would organise a mass. No mass was eventually held on the anniversary. The Catholic church's Tiananmen mass was part of Hong Kong's tradition of mourning the victims of the 1989 crackdown for more than three decades until it was cancelled for the first time in 2022. It has not resumed since. The church at that time cited concerns about members potentially breaching the national security law, which Beijing imposed in 2020 after the pro-democracy protests and unrest that began the year before. Last year, Cardinal Chow wrote in an open prayer that only through forgiveness would people be able to heal from events that took place '35 years ago in the capital city,' an apparent reference to the 1989 crackdown. Patriotic carnival to return in Victoria Park Public remembrance of the Tiananmen crackdown has become rare since the enactment of Beijing's national security law. In Victoria Park, where Tiananmen vigils took place on the anniversary for three decades, pro-Beijing groups are scheduled to run a patriotic food carnival for the third straight year in the days spanning June 4. The Hometown Market will be held from Sunday to next Thursday, according to the organisers' Facebook page. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Beijing-imposed national security law, tens of thousands of Hongkongers gathered for an annual candlelight vigil on June 4 to mourn the bloody crackdown on student-led protests at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The number of deaths is not known, but it is believed that hundreds, if not thousands, died during the People's Liberation Army's dispersal of protesters that day. Police banned the Tiananmen vigil gathering at Victoria Park for the first time in 2020, citing Covid-19 restrictions, and imposed the ban again in 2021, nearly a year after the national security law came into effect. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which organised the vigils, disbanded in September 2021 after several of its members were arrested. No official commemoration has been held since then. But HKFP reporters saw individuals lighting up the torch on their phones or holding LED candles in the vicinity of Victoria Park on June 4 last year, in gestures they said were in remembrance of the Tiananmen crackdown. A heavy police presence was also seen near the park as officers stopped people and conducted searches. In recent years, the Hong Kong government has referred to the Tiananmen anniversary as a 'sensitive date,' while statues and artworks paying tribute to the 1989 crackdown have also been removed from the city's university campuses.
HKFP
3 days ago
- Politics
- HKFP
Hong Kong nat sec. police question 2 other relatives of wanted activist Joe Tay
Hong Kong national security police have brought in two other relatives of wanted activist Joe Tay for questioning – the second such occasion this month. Tay's cousin and her husband were brought to Tsing Yi Police Station for questioning on Thursday, local media reported. HKFP saw a man and a woman, both wearing caps and face masks, leave the police station in two private vehicles at around 11 am. In response to HKFP enquiries, police said its National Security Department interviewed two individuals on Thursday to 'assist in an investigation.' The case is still under investigation, and no arrests have been made so far, the force also said, without giving any details. Tay's other cousin and his wife were brought in by the police for questioning earlier this month. Tay, 62, currently based in Canada, is one of six overseas activists for whom police issued arrest warrants in December. He left Hong Kong in June 2020. Each wanted person has a HK$1 million bounty on their head for alleged national security violations. Tay is accused of incitement to secession and collusion with foreign forces. He allegedly operated a channel called 'HongKonger Station' between June 2020 and June 2024, where he published numerous videos to incite secession and called on foreign countries to impose sanctions on China and Hong Kong. Apart from Tay, 18 other overseas activists are wanted by the Hong Kong authorities, including former lawmakers Ted Hui and Dennis Kwok, and former student leader Nathan Law. Police have brought in a number of the activists' family members for questioning, including the parents of US-based activist Frances Hui. In early May, police charged Anna Kwok's father, Kwok Yin-sang, with attempting to handle financial assets of an 'absconder.' He is the first family member of a wanted activist to be charged under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, more commonly known as Article 23. The 68-year-old stands accused of breaching the domestic security law by attempting to obtain funds from an AIA International life and personal accident insurance policy, with Anna Kwok, based in the US, listed as the insured person. He was granted bail by the High Court last week after being denied bail at a lower court. Separate to the 2020 Beijing-enacted security law, the homegrown Safeguarding National Security Ordinance targets treason, insurrection, sabotage, external interference, sedition, theft of state secrets and espionage. It allows for pre-charge detention of up to 16 days, and suspects' access to lawyers may be restricted, with penalties involving up to life in prison. Article 23 was shelved in 2003 amid mass protests, remaining taboo for years. But, on March 23, 2024, it was enacted having been fast-tracked and unanimously approved at the city's opposition-free legislature.
HKFP
3 days ago
- Business
- HKFP
Flea market Artbox at Kai Tak Sports Park postponed without reason
Artbox Hong Kong, a pop-up bazaar billed as the first large-scale market in Kai Tak Sports Park, has been postponed without reason. Organiser Knighthood Event said on Facebook last Thursday that Artbox Hong Kong, scheduled from June 14 to 15 and June 19 to 22, would not take place anymore. The organiser said it was 'aiming to reschedule and hold the event later in July.' It cited 'strategic considerations' and a need to 'ensure the highest quality of experiences for attendees.' The organiser did not say when or where the postponed event would be. Stall owners from Hong Kong and Taiwan reportedly suffered from the rescheduling as they had spent time and money preparing for the event, local media outlets reported. Artbox Hong Kong was promoted as Asia's largest container market and the first large-scale market in Kai Tak Sports Park, according to Hong Kong Markets Organisation's Facebook post. The event was meant to feature 300 stalls, among which 80 are food and drink. There would also be live music shows and performances. In response to HKFP, Kai Tak Sports Park declined to comment on reasons for the rescheduling, citing 'professionalism in handling all rental applications.' 'For further inquiries, we encourage you to reach out directly to the event organisers,' the park said. The organiser Knighthood Event did not respond to HKFP's enquiries about why the event was postponed and if there would be compensation for participants. Calls to the Knighthood Event went unanswered. Founded in Thailand in 2015, Artbox is a creative pop-up market that has also expanded to Singapore and Malaysia over the past few years.
HKFP
4 days ago
- Business
- HKFP
Hong Kong authorities launch probe after wedding planner's vanishing act leaves trail of over 200 victims
A Hong Kong wedding planner's sudden disappearance has taken more than 200 customers by surprise, prompting authorities to launch an investigation. The company, PS Wedding & Event Decoration, allegedly removed its website and social media accounts, closed its office, and has not been contactable since Monday, according to a group set up by bewildered customers in a bid to share information about the firm. As of 5pm Wednesday, the group had about 225 people – both brides and grooms – who presented invoices issued by the wedding planner, with losses totalling over HK$1 million, Kwok, who organised the group, told HKFP. The 27-year-old, who asked to be identified only by her surname, purchased a HK$18,588 plan with the company for her upcoming wedding in December and paid a deposit of HK$8,200. However, she discovered on Monday that PS Wedding had removed its Facebook and Instagram accounts. She said she called and texted the company via WhatsApp, but to no avail. When she visited the company's San Po Kong office at around 11am on Tuesday, she saw that the office and signboard had been cleared, and the landlord told her the company had moved out. Kwok said she reached out to other brides on social media and found others who also could not contact PS Wedding. They formed a group to share information and filed a police report. She also said that a customer in her group received an email from PS Wedding as recently as Wednesday last week. The email – seen by HKFP – asked the customer to settle an outstanding payment of HK$13,594 by Friday last week. HKFP's calls to PS Wedding, including via WhatsApp, on Wednesday failed to get through. The Consumer Council told HKFP on Wednesday that, as of 5pm, it had received 31 complaints against PS Wedding, involving a total amount of more than HK$337,000. The highest single loss was HK$40,600, the council added. In an email reply on Wednesday, Customs confirmed it had received reports regarding the wedding company and launched an investigation. It also warned that a company could face a HK$500,000 fine and a jail sentence of up to five years if found to have violated the Trade Descriptions Ordinance. Under the ordinance, a service provider who accepts payments without providing the intended service within a reasonable period, or delivers a service significantly different from what was intended, commits an offence.
