從居英權到救生艇計畫,香港人的悲歌系列之五,英國和加拿大|紀錄片

移民歷史檔案系列，英國和加拿大
港人避风港计划，又称加拿大救生艇计划，主要是放宽对香港人的工作许可，以及其后的移民申请。 计划在2021年2月8日启动，并于2023年2月起宣布延展计划。 其中开放式工作签证计划于2025年2月7日截止，但永久居留权申请仍在进行中。加拿大救生艇计划的永久居留权申请截止日期为2026年8月31日。
The Canadian Government’s announcement on lifeboat was split into three distinctive components:
加拿大政府关于救生艇的公告分为三个不同的部分：

1. Young talents: A new youth work visa scheme targeted at Hong Kong students and their dependents, which would allow a pathway to Canadian citizenship.
1. 年轻人才：针对香港学生及其家属的新青年工作签证计划，将为他们获得加拿大公民身份提供途径。

2. Asylum: Changes to Canada’s asylum rules for Hong Kongers, including waiving the usual one-year period for failed asylum claimants and ensuring Hong Kongers will not be disqualified from making a claim by virtue of a charge under the National Security Law.
2. 庇护：加拿大修改香港人的庇护规则，包括免除庇护申请失败者的通常一年期限，并确保香港人不会因《国家安全法》的指控而被取消申请资格。

3. Family reunification: The announcement of additional resources to process to speed up processing of permanent residence applications, including for family sponsorship.
3. 家庭团聚：宣布提供额外资源，以加快永久居留申请的处理速度，包括家庭担保申请。

A new pathway for ‘young talents’
“年轻人才”的新出路
The most substantive part of the Canadian Government’s announcement regards the creation of a new three-year work visa scheme that would allow Hong Kongers to work in Canada as a pathway to citizenship.
加拿大政府公告中最实质性的部分是建立一项新的三年工作签证计划，允许香港人在加拿大工作作为获得公民身份的途径。

Considering the Hong Kong Government’s records of Hong Kongers aged between 21-28 with post-secondary education, it realistic that at least 200,000 Hong Kongers could potentially be eligible to move to Canada to take up the scheme[2].
根据香港政府的记录，年龄在 21 至 28 岁之间且接受过专上教育的香港人至少有 20 万名香港人可能有资格移居加拿大参加该计划，这是现实的 。

Background regarding the UK’s BNO scheme
英国 BNO 计划的背景
This follows the announcement by the UK Government in July 2020 of a BNO visa that would allow 2.9 million Hong Kongers with British National Overseas status to apply to work and live in the UK as a pathway to citizenship.
此前，英国政府于 2020 年 7 月宣布推出 BNO 签证，允许 290 万拥有英国国民海外身份的香港人申请在英国工作和生活，作为获得公民身份的途径。

While generous, only Hong Kongers born before the handover in 1997 and their dependents are entitled to apply for BNO status. The youngest BNOs are 23 and ‘outside of exceptional circumstances’, only dependents under the age of 18 will be able to move to the UK with their parents who are BNOs.
虽然待遇优厚，但只有在 1997 年香港回归前出生的香港人及其家属才有资格申请英国国民海外护照（BNO）。最年轻的 BNO 持有者年龄为 23 岁，“除特殊情况外”，只有 18 岁以下的家属才可以随持有 BNO 身份的父母移居英国。

Canada’s ‘young talents’ pathway for Hong Kong graduates and their dependents would go some way to filling this gap in the UK’s BNO scheme.
加拿大为香港毕业生及其家属提供的“年轻人才”途径将在一定程度上填补英国 BNO 计划的这一空白。

Who qualifies? 谁有资格？
The scheme is targeted at individuals with a Hong Kong passport or BNO passport holders who have graduated from post-secondary institutions in the past five years.
该计划的对象是持有香港护照或英国国民（海外）护照且在过去五年内从专上院校毕业的人士。

Principal applicants will be able to include spouses, partners, and dependent children in their application.
主申请人可以将配偶、伴侣和受抚养子女纳入申请范围。

How does the work permit operate?
工作许可证如何运作？
Those eligible will receive a three-year work visa. They will not need to have a job offer or employer sponsorship to receive the work permit.
符合条件的申请人将获得三年工作签证。他们无需获得工作邀请或雇主担保即可获得工作许可。