Hong Kong Watch testifies to Canadian Parliament on backlog of 20,000 permanent residency applications from Hong Kongers

On 23 October, Hong Kong Watch’s co-founder and Chair of Trustees Aileen Calverley appeared before the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) of the Canadian House of Commons to highlight the urgent need to address severe delays in Canada’s Hong Kong Pathway program and to urge the government to allocate 20,000 permanent residency (PR) quotas to clear the growing backlog.

Hong Kong Watch sincerely thanks Members of CIMM from all parties, including the Liberals, Conservatives and Bloc Québécois, for their thoughtful questions, engagement and recognition of the urgency to act. Their participation allowed Mrs Calverley to further explain the challenges faced by Hong Kong Pathway applicants and to present practical recommendations for clearing the backlog.

Launched in 2021 as a lifeline for Hong Kongers fleeing Hong Kong’s National Security Law, the Hong Kong Pathway has enabled tens of thousands to rebuild their lives in Canada. However, as of 2025, more than 20,000 applications remain stuck in the backlog, and new applicants now face wait times of over ten years – a sharp contrast to the 6.5-month average in early 2024, when priority processing was still active.

Mrs Calverley said, “The Hong Kong Pathway was established as a lifeboat for those seeking freedom, and Canada must ensure that this lifeboat reaches shore and fulfils its promise.”

She called on the Government of Canada to allocate extra admission quotas to clear the backlog, including additional quotas from the economic category, and to lower the point threshold for Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) applicants. If the government can allow lower points for healthcare and STEM professionals under the economic stream, it could also create special quotas for Hong Kong Pathway applicants – regardless of their profession – with lower Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points.

Fast-tracking PR approvals, she added, would also unlock billions of dollars in Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) retirement savings currently trapped in Hong Kong and unable to be transferred to Canada – funds that could support family settlement, business creation and job growth.

Mrs Calverley also shared moving stories of families who have lost legal status or access to education and healthcare due to administrative delays and system errors. She called for early Approval-in-Principle (AIP) to give families access to work, healthcare and education while awaiting final decisions, and urged Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to establish an appeal mechanism to address wrongful rejections and system errors for optional open work permit (OOWP) applicants.

She concluded, “Allocating 20,000 admission quotas to the Hong Kong Pathway would be a win-win solution – upholding Canada’s humanitarian values, unlocking billions in private savings to boost the economy, and reaffirming Canada’s commitment to the Hong Kong community, which has contributed immensely to this country over the last four decades through its resilience, entrepreneurship and civic spirit.”

Hong Kong Watch will continue its engagement with Members of Parliament from CIMM, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the Immigration Minister’s Office, and will closely monitor the upcoming 2026 Immigration Levels Plan, expected to be announced alongside the federal budget in November, to ensure that the Hong Kong Pathway receives the attention and resources it urgently needs.

香港監察出席加拿大國會移民委員會聽證會  促政府應對兩萬宗積壓Hong Kong Pathway申請個案

10月23日，香港監察共同創辦人兼信託董事會主席Aileen Calverley出席加拿大眾議院公民及移民常務委員會聽證會，強調政府迫切需要應對「Hong Kong Pathway」申請處理嚴重延誤的問題，並促請撥出20,000個永久居留配額，務求清理與日俱增的積壓個案。

香港監察衷心感謝各黨派（包括自由黨、保守黨和魁人政團）移民委員會委員，提出引人深思的問題，積極參與聽證會，並承認採取行動的緊迫性。一眾委員的參與讓Aileen Calverley能夠進一步講解「Hong Kong Pathway」申請人面對的挑戰，並提出清理積壓的可行建議。

「Hong Kong Pathway」於2021年推出，原意為向逃離香港《國家安全法》的香港人提供救生艇，現已幫助成千上萬的港人在加拿大重建生活。然而，截至2025年，系統仍有超過兩萬宗申請個案積壓，而新申請人現時面臨超過十年的等候時間，與2024年初優先處理措施仍然生效時的平均六個半月等候時間形成鮮明對比。

Aileen Calverley表示：「『Hong Kong Pathway』是為尋求自由港人而設的救生艇計劃，加拿大必須確保這艘救生艇到達岸邊，並履行承諾。」

她呼籲加拿大政府增撥移民配額以清理積壓，包括將經濟類別配額撥給「Hong Kong Pathway」，並降低「人道與恩恤 H&C」類別申請人的積分。政府可參照經濟類別下，降低醫療保健和STEM專業人士積分的做法，降低「Hong Kong Pathway」申請人的積分，而不設職業限制──凡是「Hong Kong Pathway」申請人，即可獲降低積分。

她補充，快速審批永居申請還能釋放目前扣押在香港而無法轉移到加拿大的數十億強積金（MPF）退休儲蓄，這些資金能夠支援家庭定居、商業創建和就業增長。

Aileen Calverley亦分享一些家庭因行政延誤和系統錯誤而失去合法身分或接受教育和醫療保健服務的動人故事。她呼籲儘早發出「原則上批准通知書 AIP」，讓家庭在等待最後決定時能夠工作並接受醫療保健和教育，並促請加拿大移民部設立上訴機制，應對可選開放式工作簽證（optional open work permit）申請人申請錯誤被拒和系統錯誤問題。

她總結：「分配兩萬個配額給『Hong Kong Pathway』是雙贏的解決方案，這既能捍衛加拿大的人道價值，釋放數十億私人儲蓄來提振經濟，也能重申加拿大對港人社群的承諾，港人在過去四十年憑藉抗逆力、創業能力和公民精神，為加拿大作出莫大貢獻。」

香港監察會繼續與移民委員會委員、總理辦公室和移民部長辦公室接觸，並會密切關注預計將於11月與聯邦財政預算案一同公布的2026年移民水平計劃（Immigration Levels Plan），確保「Hong Kong Pathway」得到所迫切需要的關注和資源。