A member of the Canadian Parliament has pledged to continue pushing the Ottawa government to widen the eligibility criteria for Hongkongers to immigrate to Canada, as a work visa scheme for young people began its rollout.

Hong Kong-born MP Jenny Kwan from Vancouver said Canada’s new visa scheme, which allows Hong Kong residents to work in the country for up to three years, does not go far enough.

Kwan added that she would push the government to expand the scheme’s eligibility criteria, which is currently limited to Hong Kong post-secondary degree holders who graduated within the last five years.

Speaking at a forum hosted by non-profit organization Canada-Hong Kong Link, Kwan mentioned that after the bloody crackdown at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, the Canadian government provided visas to those affected so they could reunite with their families, but there was no similar practice today.

Kwan said she believed she could continue lobbying the government on this point to allow family members other than spouses or children to act as visa sponsors.

Canada-Hong Kong Link chairperson Gloria Fung mentioned that the issue of dual nationality had been raised recently and said that the biggest challenge for Hong Kong people now was how to leave safely, especially for protesters who have had their travel documents confiscated.

Fung said the Canadian consulate in Hong Kong should appoint a refugee commissioner in order to handle asylum applications.

Canada, like other Western countries, typically requires asylum applicants to be present inside the country or at a port of entry. On Feb. 8, Canada started accepting applications from Hongkongers for a new open work visa program, allowing recent graduates to work for an initial period of three years with a fast track to permanent residency.

Immigration consultant Alfred Wong said that there was no need for Hongkongers to compete among themselves for a place on the visa program. On the question of whether those convicted of a crime could apply, Wong said that Canada had a mechanism to handle such cases. If, for example, the offence would not be considered a crime in Canada, the application could still be approved.

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