Hong Kong pathway applicants face decade-long wait as permanent residence program nears end

Tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents applying for Canadian permanent residence through a federal fast-track pathway face processing delays exceeding 10 years, leaving applicants stranded in immigration limbo as the program nears closure.

The Hong Kong pathway was introduced in 2021 following China's imposition of the national security law in Hong Kong, when Canada expressed concern about human rights and freedoms. The program allows eligible Hong Kong nationals already in Canada to apply for permanent residence based on recent Canadian education or work experience.

But five years later, with the pathway set to close August 31, more than 33,000 applications remain unprocessed. For applicants like Roger Yeung, who applied in October 2024 and has seen no progress, the wait has halted career development, education, and future planning. Yeung left a construction engineering job after his employer was prepared to fund his professional training — but without permanent residence, tuition costs would be triple the domestic rate.

Simon Ling and Agnes Yan, who moved to Vancouver from Hong Kong with their young son in 2024, face similar constraints. Ling, a former optometrist, can only work as an optician without PR. Completing the retraining needed to practise optometry in Canada would cost more than $100,000 Canadian, yet uncertainty about their immigration status makes investing in education feel too risky. "We don't dare to invest in it, because there is so much uncertainty," Yan said. "What if we study and invest all that money and effort, and then we are suddenly told we have to leave?"

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada stated that the new framework will help improve services while ensuring applicants are fairly compensated, but the processing backlog shows little sign of clearing before the August deadline.