Hong Kong Pathway Closed Aug 31, 2026: PR Files, OWP, Wait Times
As of September 3, 2026.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stopped new applications under the Hong Kong pathway to Canadian permanent residence on 31 August 2026. Files accepted on or before that date stay in the queue. The applicant open work permit remains until May 2029. Below we answer the questions people ask most: what the pathway is, whether it is humanitarian and compassionate (H&C), Stream B rules, processing time, and open work permits. Each answer comes from IRCC pages, not from rumour.
TL;DR
New Hong Kong PR applications closed on 31 August 2026 | IRCC still processes files accepted on or before that date | As of 30 June 2026: 30,315 applications (48,560 people), more than 8,600 approvals (13,485 people), about 13,370 already granted PR | IRCC does not publish a dedicated Hong Kong-pathway wait on the program page | Applicant open work permits run to May 2029. The graduate Hong Kong open work permit expired 7 February 2025
What is Hong Kong PR pathway in Canada?
Short answer: It was a temporary public policy, launched in 2021, that let eligible Hong Kong nationals already in Canada apply for permanent residence based on recent Canadian study (Stream A) or Canadian work (Stream B). You had to apply from inside Canada. Quebec was excluded. It was never Express Entry and never an overseas visa. IRCC's 28 August 2026 notice confirmed new applications would stop on 31 August 2026. The live hub is now titled Closed. Processing of applications accepted on or before that date continues.
You needed a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport, or a United Kingdom British National (Overseas) passport issued to a person born, naturalized or registered in Hong Kong. The official description is on Permanent residence pathways for Hong Kong residents, stamped 1 September 2026.
Is HK Pathway under H&C?
Short answer: IRCC's public program pages call it a temporary public policy, not a classic inland humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) application under section 25. You did not file a separate H&C form to use Stream A or Stream B. IRCC's 2026 deputy minister binder still lists the Hong Kong measure under Humanitarian and Compassionate Programs, with intake running until August 2026 and processing underway. Admissions for many special in-Canada measures draw from the Humanitarian and Compassionate and Other category of the levels plan. That is inventory and planning language. It is not the same as starting a new H&C application today.
The binder also says processing times for many special-measures in-Canada H&C files are rising because of high demand and low admissions space. That helps explain why Hong Kong pathway files can sit a long time without IRCC posting a single "Hong Kong pathway" clock on the program page.
How long does it take to process a Hong Kong pathway stream application?
Short answer: IRCC does not publish a dedicated Hong Kong-pathway processing time on the closed program pages. Use the IRCC processing-times tool and your account messages. The only official volume snapshot in the close notice is dated 30 June 2026: about 30,315 applications (48,560 people) received, more than 8,600 applications (13,485 people) approved, and about 13,370 people already granted permanent residence. That leaves a large remaining inventory. IRCC has not given a month count for those leftover files.
Media have reported waits stretching past 2027 or longer. That is not an IRCC posted time. Treat it as reporting, not a departmental guarantee. What IRCC will say on the after you apply page is the process: completeness check, acknowledgement of receipt (AOR), biometrics, medical exam, then a decision. Incomplete files can be returned. Criminal, security, or family-status issues add time. Update your address. Pay the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) when IRCC is ready to confirm status. Check the live amount on the fee list.
What are the requirements for becoming eligible for the Hong Kong Pathway Stream B?
Short answer: Stream B was the Canadian work-experience stream. Before the close, you had to hold a valid HKSAR or BN(O) passport as IRCC defines it, be physically present in Canada when you applied and when you became a permanent resident, hold valid temporary resident status, intend to live outside Quebec, and show Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) level 5 in all four skills. In the 3 years before applying you needed at least 1,560 hours of paid work in Canada and a Canadian work permit held for at least 1 year. Hours as a full-time student, self-employment, work outside Canada, leave, an extended absence, or unemployment did not count. You could apply under only one stream. These rules are on who can apply. They do not reopen intake.
Stream A was the in-Canada graduate stream. Same passport, presence, status, Quebec, and language rules. You had to have graduated from a Canadian designated learning institution in the 3 years before applying, with at least 50% of the program in Canada, and a diploma of at least 2 years, a degree, or a graduate credential of at least 1 year. A graduate diploma also needed a prior diploma or degree finished in the 5 years before that program started.
| Rule | Stream A (graduates) | Stream B (work) |
|---|
| Where you applied | Inside Canada | Inside Canada |
| Passport | HKSAR or BN(O) as defined by IRCC | Same |
| Language | CLB / NCLC 5 in all 4 skills | CLB / NCLC 5 in all 4 skills |
| Quebec | Intend to live outside Quebec | Same |
| Core proof | Canadian DLI credential in the last 3 years | 1,560 paid hours in Canada in the last 3 years, and a work permit held at least 1 year |
If you lived in Quebec, you had to prove intent to settle elsewhere. IRCC lists a statutory declaration, job proof, family ties, or a lease on the documents page.
Can Hong Kong residents get an open work permit in Canada?
Short answer: Not through the old graduate public policy. That open work permit for recent Hong Kong graduates expired on 7 February 2025 and is closed to new applicants. The permit that is still open, until May 2029, is only for people who already applied for permanent residence under one of the two Hong Kong pathways, held a work or study permit within the 3 years before IRCC received that PR file, are in Canada, and are eligible for a work permit. It is valid for up to 3 years. The work permit fee on the official page is CAD $155.
You cannot use that remaining policy if the PR application was refused, withdrawn, or returned. A spouse, common-law partner, or dependent child over 18 can apply for an open work permit with you if they were included on the PR application. Apply in the IRCC secure account. If your status expired less than 90 days ago and you are still in Canada, you may restore status when you apply. Full rules: open work permit for Hong Kong PR applicants.
Apply before your current permit expires so you keep maintained status, the rule IRCC describes when you extend your stay in time. IRCC puts a letter in your account for employers. Someone selling a fresh "Hong Kong OWP" as a way to land and then file PR is selling a closed product.
If you already applied, is your file still being processed?
Short answer: Yes, if IRCC accepted the application on or before 31 August 2026. The close stops new intake. It does not cancel complete files already in. The 28 August notice says processing of applications received on or before that date continues. Incomplete files can still be returned or refused for missing documents or unpaid fees.
How to apply pages remain online for people who already started a file, including IMM 5067 and the how to apply steps. They are not an invitation to start a new PR application.
What other permanent residence options are left?
Short answer: The Hong Kong public policy is closed to new PR applications. Remaining routes are ordinary ones: Express Entry if you meet the Canadian Experience Class or another federal program, a provincial nominee if a province will nominate you, family sponsorship if a spouse or partner can sponsor, or a regular work permit or study permit. None of those is automatic because you held a Hong Kong passport.
Express Entry still uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). This closed pathway does not add CRS points. If you already work in Canada on a valid permit, keep that permit legal while you build a federal or provincial file. We are Go Far Global, a licensed Canadian immigration firm. If your Hong Kong PR file is in and your permit date is close, or you need a different pathway now that intake has ended, book a consultation.
Sources
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute immigration or legal advice. Immigration laws and policies change frequently. Each case is unique and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) before making immigration decisions.
