Applicants to a Hong Kong permanent residency pathway now face a wait of more than 10 years as the program nears its end, CityNews Vancouver reports.

The backlog places thousands of applicants in prolonged uncertainty. The pathway, designed as a route to permanent residency for people with ties to Hong Kong, has not kept pace with demand, and the approaching program end date leaves pending applicants facing an extended timeline before their status is resolved.

Who is affected?

The extended wait affects people who applied under the Hong Kong permanent residency pathway and are still waiting for a decision. For these applicants, the combination of a processing backlog exceeding 10 years and the program's approaching conclusion creates a difficult position: they remain in the queue while the window for the pathway itself closes.

What does the long wait mean?

A wait of more than 10 years means applicants must plan their lives around an unresolved immigration status for a decade or longer. That timeline affects decisions about employment, family, housing and long-term settlement for everyone still in the queue.

As the program nears its end, questions remain about how the government will handle applications that are still pending when the closing date arrives. CityNews Vancouver's report does not state a specific final admission date or a formal policy on cases left in the backlog.

What should applicants do now?

Applicants should rely on official government channels for the current status of the program and their individual files. Immigration authorities publishing the pathway's rules remain the authoritative source for deadlines, eligibility and processing updates.

This article does not constitute legal advice. Applicants with questions about their specific circumstances should consult the official program documentation or a licensed immigration professional.

Passport File will continue to track developments on the Hong Kong permanent residency pathway as the program moves toward its end.