- Canada will stop accepting new Hong Kong permanent residence applications on August 31, 2026.
- About 30,315 applications covering 48,560 people have been filed under the program since 2021.
- A separate open work permit measure stays in place until May 2029 for eligible applicants.
Canada will stop taking new applications for its Hong Kong permanent residence pathways on August 31, 2026, closing a route that began in 2021 for eligible graduates and workers. Applications filed by then will still be processed. The clock is nearly out.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said in an August 28, 2026 notice that the temporary pathways are not being extended. The department also kept a separate open work permit measure in place for eligible applicants. That policy took effect on May 27, 2024. It runs until May 2029.
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The program sits under Canada’s Hong Kong measures. Stream A covers eligible recent graduates of Canadian post-secondary institutions. Stream B covers eligible applicants with Canadian work experience. The program launched in 2021, after Beijing imposed the national security law in Hong Kong. One route. Two tracks.
Some applicants now say they feel stuck by the deadline. A Hong Kong-based immigration agent said the close has left some people in limbo, while others are comparing the US and Britain instead. The cutoff has narrowed their options fast.
Late-August figures show how much demand the route drew. Total applications reached about 30,315, involving 48,560 people. About 8,600 applications had been approved, and about 13,370 people had received Canadian permanent residence. Those are big numbers.
The deadline still draws a hard line. Files received on or before August 31, 2026 stay in process. Files sent later do not enter the dedicated route. That is the final filing window.
The open permit keeps a separate door open
The work permit measure is narrower than the migration route. It does not reopen the permanent-residence filing window. It helps eligible applicants keep living and working in Canada while the case moves. Short and simple.
| Item | Rule | Date |
|---|---|---|
| New applications for the Hong Kong permanent-residence routes | Accepted through the deadline | August 31, 2026 |
| Applications filed on time | Continue to be processed | On or before August 31, 2026 |
| Open work permit policy | Took effect | May 27, 2024 |
| Open work permit policy | Remains in place until | May 2029 |
Eligible applicants who already filed can keep using that measure while IRCC works through their cases. The permit buys time.
For those who miss the cutoff, the dedicated path is gone. The separate work-permit rule does not replace it. It only serves people already in the pipeline.
The permit measure stays live until May 2029.
