Canada Announces Closure of Permanent Residence Pathways, Mentions 1 Country Affected

• Canada has introduced permanent residence pathways for Hong Kong nationals in 2021, but the programme is now shutting its doors to new applicants
• As of June 2026, over 30,000 applications covering nearly 49,000 people had been submitted under the pathways since their launch
• Applicants already in the system can still obtain open work permits while their permanent residence applications continue to be processed

Canada's government has announced that its special permanent residence pathways for Hong Kong nationals will stop accepting new applications on 31 August 2026, drawing a formal close to a programme that has been running since 2021.

The pathways were created five years ago to offer eligible Hong Kong residents a route to settle permanently in Canada, provided they had Canadian education or work experience. The official notice was published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on 28 August 2026 from Ottawa.

Scale of the Hong Kong PR programme

The numbers released by IRCC paint a picture of significant uptake over the programme's five years. By 30 June 2026, approximately 30,315 applications had been submitted, representing around 48,560 people in total. Of those, more than 8,600 applications covering 13,485 people had been approved, and roughly 13,370 individuals had already obtained permanent resident status in Canada.

While the pathway is closing to fresh submissions, IRCC confirmed that applications already received will continue to be processed normally.

What happens to applicants already in system

For those whose applications are still under review, a separate open work permit measure remains available. The public policy, which came into effect on 27 May 2024, allows eligible Hong Kong permanent residence applicants to obtain open work permits while they wait for a decision on their cases. That provision is set to remain in place until May 2029, giving applicants who are already in the queue continued access to employment in Canada during the processing period.

The closure marks the end of a pathway that was introduced during a period of heightened political tension in Hong Kong, as many residents sought alternative places to settle.

Read the full IRCC notice on the closure of the Hong Kong permanent residence pathways.

In a similar report, Legit.ng published that Canada announces three occupations that allow foreign workers to study without a study permit.

Canada: Permanent residence plan for 33,000 workers

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Canada announces its plan to grant permanent residence to 33,000 temporary workers in 2026 and 2027, including the two groups eligible for the initiative.

The scheme is not open to all temporary workers: applicants must already be in the permanent residence queue and have lived in a smaller Canadian community for at least two years. About 3,600 workers had received permanent residence by May 2026, with more applications expected to be processed through 2027.