Canada expected to clear HK 'lifeboat' PR backlog by 2027 under new immigration plan

A backlog of permanent residency applications submitted by Hong Kong residents under Canada's "lifeboat" scheme is expected to be processed by 2027 following an immigration policy update.

The announcement was made on Thursday in Canada by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as part of its newly unveiled 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan.

Under the three-year roadmap, Canada will maintain its annual target of roughly 380,000 new permanent residents while capping new temporary resident arrivals at 370,000 per year.

Temporary measure to grant up to 200,000 permanent residence slots

A key component of the updated strategy is a time-limited, one-year measure providing up to 200,000 additional permanent residence slots outside the standard immigration caps. 

The measure specifically targets individuals already residing in the country who have contributed to local communities.

The intake will be split evenly across two streams, allocating up to 100,000 spots for a worker cohort and up to 100,000 spots for a humanitarian cohort. 

The humanitarian stream includes applicants under the Hong Kong Lifeboat Scheme as well as the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway.

Backlog under closed Hong Kong pathway targeted for 2027 completion

The humanitarian allocation will cover individuals residing in Canada who applied through designated pathways, specifically aiming to finalize all remaining applications under the Hong Kong permanent residence pathway, which officially closed to new applicants on August 31.

As a result, Hong Kong applicants who submitted their paperwork prior to the cutoff date and remain in the queue can expect their files to be processed within 2027.

IRCC emphasized that the temporary arrangement does not constitute a new immigration pathway, nor will it result in a permanent increase to annual immigration targets moving forward.

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