Editor's note: This story is part of an OMNI News special feature examining Canada's Hong Kong pathway, the backlog facing applicants, and what comes next as the program nears its end.
When the federal government launched the permanent residence pathways for Hong Kong residents in 2021, it was heralded as a quicker avenue for eligible Hong Kong nationals already residing in Canada to secure permanent residency. However, as the pathway nears its closing date of August 31, 2026, tens of thousands of applicants find themselves still in limbo, grappling with lengthy wait times that complicate their lives in Canada.
Among those affected is Roger Yeung, who moved to Vancouver in April 2023 and applied for permanent residence under the Hong Kong pathway in October 2024. Yeung recounts feelings of hopelessness stemming from the protracted wait. “Just being hopeless, and being here, and at the same time, there’s nothing you can do,” he lamented. Despite his initial career prospects in construction engineering, the lack of permanent residency status puts a halt to his educational advancement, forcing him to abandon his job due to the financial burden of international tuition fees, which could increase his educational expenses considerably.
A family rebuilding careers from the beginning
Simon Ling and Agnes Yan, who moved to Vancouver with their young son in 2024, are also awaiting their permanent residency under the same pathway. Ling, a former optometrist in Hong Kong, faces challenges in pursuing local qualifications due to the high costs associated with training and exams. “If you don’t have PR, it seems to cost more than $20,000 to $30,000 Canadian every half academic year,” he noted, calculated to over $100,000 Canadian upon completion. This uncertainty dissuades him and his wife from investing in further education.
“What if we study and invest all that money and effort, and then we are suddenly told we have to leave? Would everything be wasted?” Yan expressed, highlighting the anxiety and uncertainty faced by families like theirs. The delay in permanent residency applications not only hampers their immigration status but also complicates their career paths, educational pursuits, and long-term plans in Canada.
More than 33,000 applications still waiting
Since its inception, the Hong Kong pathway saw over 46,000 applications, with more than 33,000 still backlogged, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). With the pathway established in response to Beijing’s imposition of the national security law in Hong Kong, the Canadian government intended to provide an expedited process for those seeking refuge in Canada. However, current projections suggest that processing times for new applications could stretch beyond ten years.
IRCC representatives stated that while the pathway has afforded thousands of Hong Kong nationals the opportunity to remain in Canada, the overall number of immigrants admitted across various categories remains lower than in previous years, with Hong Kong pathway applications now categorized under the Humanitarian and Compassionate framework. This renormalization has resulted in increased competition for limited spaces among different categories of applicants.
Critics call for action
NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan has criticized the federal government for the unacceptable delay, urging them to prioritize and expedite the processing of Hong Kong applications that were initially part of an expedited lifeboat program. “The government promised expedited processing, but we started to notice that over the years, they slowed down,” Kwan said. She emphasized that Hong Kong applicants now face lengthy waits as their applications were folded into a category that encompasses other urgent immigration cases from Ukraine and Sudan, further exacerbating the backlog.
To address these issues, Kwan is advocating for the federal government to modify the Immigration Levels Plan quota to ensure a sufficient number of spaces for processing existing applications. Additionally, there is a push to restore immigration staffing levels to rebuild trust with applicants and enable the program to function as initially intended.
Calls for certainty
Liberal MP Wade Chang has also called for increased certainty for qualified applicants during this protracted waiting period, urging approval in principle for applicants under the Hong Kong Pathway to provide them with assurance regarding their future in Canada. Advocacy group Hong Kong Watch supports this stance, proposing that the government deduct spaces from either the economic or refugee quota to clear the growing backlog. Spokesperson Lanson Chan recalls previous measures that effectively expedited cases and believes a similar approach could clear the Hong Kong Pathway backlog.
Chan encourages applicants to remain resilient during these uncertain times and highlights ongoing advocacy efforts to address the plight of those awaiting decisions on their applications. Similarly, Chang advises applicants not to lose hope, emphasizing the importance of their contributions to Canadian society. Meanwhile, Kwan pledges to continue pressing the federal government on behalf of those impacted by these delays as the Hong Kong pathway's closing date on August 31, 2026, approaches.
For thousands of applicants already making a life in Canada, the pressing question remains: when will their wait for permanent residence finally conclude?
