Around 300 Hong Kong residents and supporters gathered at Robson Square in Vancouver on Saturday.

They are calling on the federal government to deal with long delays in a special immigration pathway that allows eligible Hong Kong residents in Canada to apply for permanent residence.

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“I think this is quite unfair to us. We spend a lot of money on studying, but it doesn’t mean that we can be 100 per cent sure to get the PR; this is totally breaking our dreams,” said Zoe Kwok, a demonstrator.

The rally is organized by the Hong Kong Pathway Alliance. Similar events are also taking place in Calgary and Toronto.

The pathway allows eligible Hong Kong residents in Canada, including people who studied or worked here, to apply for PR.

People here say they have waited for years and still do not know when their applications will be finished.

“Right now I’m stuck in limbo. It’s been a year and a half. I haven’t heard back from the IRCC regarding my application, and we’re continuously arguing with, we’re continuously hoping that IRCC sees our cases,” said Vikrambir Singh, another demonstrator.

“There’s not just me, there’s 40,000 plus applications that are stuck in limbo, and we don’t know when they’re going to get processed.”
They also point to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) processing time tool, which now suggests new applicants could wait more than 10 years for their PR.

The Immigration Minister recently told Parliament that there have been more than 46,000 applications under the Hong Kong PR pathways, and just over 13,000 had arrived.

“And the minister’s solution is, “don’t apply under the lifeboat scheme”. What is she even talking about? That scheme was specifically designed for Hong Kongers, said MP Jenny Kwan, representing Vancouver East for the NDP.

“So, it is absolutely outrageous that she would renege on the government’s promise in suggesting that the Hong Kongers should apply under a different stream. It is absolutely unacceptable.”

The federal government introduced special measures for Hong Kong residents in 2020, after China imposed the national security law in Hong Kong.

Canada said it was concerned about the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people.

The PR pathway was later launched in 2021.

The current policy is set to expire on August 31 this year. 

The alliance is asking for faster processing, clearer updates, and a plan for people still waiting.