Federal government offers Hongkongers Australian permanent residency pathway
For Hongkongers who are fearful of returning home, the federal government has opened a new avenue to permanent residency for those who have lived in Australia for at least four years.
Last year, Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared that Australia
would offer safe haven to Hong Kong passport holders already in the country as Beijing's crackdown on the city's autonomy intensified.
The federal government has now unveiled the details of a new plan, announcing it will introduce two new permanent residence visa streams for Hong Kong passport holders already in Australia.
The
two new streams will provide a substantially easier path to permanent residency.
Those who apply will not have to be sponsored by an employer.
They also won't have to meet minimum income requirements or hold one of the jobs on Australia's current skills shortages list.
The government estimates that just under 9,000 Hong Kong passport holders in Australia — including temporary skilled, temporary graduate and student visa holders — will be eligible to apply from March 5, 2022.
"These dedicated and simpler visa streams for Hong Kong nationals will attract skills and talent and build business links, helping to boost productivity and create further job opportunities for Australians," Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said.
The announcement has been welcomed by Jacob and other Hongkongers in Australia who have been
lobbying the Australian government to streamline the pathway to permanent residency. "It feels pretty helpless, to be honest, because of all the uncertainty and all this turmoil that's going on, and we're not able to do much," Jacob, a Brisbane-based international student, said.
"We asked the Australian government to have a look at the Canadian lifeboat scheme and have a look at the UK's immigration policy for Hong Kong citizens.
"We feel like [the federal government has] gone further than we expected."
The ABC is not using Jacob's real name because he was involved in pro-democracy protests in Australia and is worried about the repercussions if he's forced to return to Chinese territory.
Jacob said the permanent resident pathway was an option he was seriously considering, given his activity in the pro-democracy movement in Australia.
"I'm definitely considering … it because I'm a graduate visa holder, so it would be easier for me to become a permanent resident in Australia," he said.
"I believe a lot of my classmates or graduates are doing so as well."
He said even though he missed his hometown, it was unlikely he would ever return to Hong Kong where his family lived.
Kirk Yan, a veteran migration agent who provides services for Australia's migrant community, said the special visa would not have a significant impact on Australia's skilled migration program in the short term.
"It would take three to four years before the majority of the eligible applicants from Hong Kong can apply for permanent residency," Mr Yan told the ABC.
"But, from a long-term view, it will have certain impacts on applicants who are planning to move to Australia in three or four years' [time].
"It means [there will be fewer places for] skilled migration applicants from other countries … to get permanent residency."
